Longhorns Ranked in ESPN's Way-To-Early Top 25, Projected Starters Revealed

AUSTIN -- After a heart-breaking exit in the Elite Eight, the Texas Longhorns are set to look vastly different next season under new head coach Rodney Terry.

An experienced, deep and connected group led by guard Marcus Carr, forward Timmy Allen and guard Sir'Jabari Rice helped the program to a 29-9 record - the third-most single-season wins in school history - and a Big 12 Tournament Title. But the team may not have as much veteran leadership to lean on next season.

Still, after the conclusion of Monday night's National Championship, which saw the UConn Huskies top the San Diego State Aztecs in a 76-59 win, ESPN released its Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for the 2023 campaign and has the Longhorns sliding in at No. 18 to begin the season.

Carr, Rice, Allen and Christian Bishop are all out of eligibility, while the return of Dylan Disu, Tyrese Hunter and Dillon Mitchell remains uncertain as of now. But with incoming freshmen Ron Holland and A.J. Johnson expected to contribute right away, ESPN projects a solid-looking lineup for the Longhorns on opening night.

Projected starting lineup:

- Tyrese Hunter
- Arterio Morris
- A.J. Johnson
- Ron Holland
- Dylan Disu

In these rankings, ESPN is predicting that Disu will return for his final year of eligibility, which would significantly boost Texas' chances of remaining in contention in the Big 12 once again. However, nothing has been reported as of now.

But in his final eight full games of the season, Disu averaged 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest.

Still, this projected starting lineup is a bit incomplete since it doesn't include any transfers. Terry and the Longhorns will likely be able to snag some elite talent in the portal to come in right away and start, but these new faces remain a mystery.

Here's what ESPN had to say about Texas' ranking:

Rodney Terry's first offseason as the full-time head coach in Austin will be spent figuring out which of his players are coming back. There were six seniors among the Longhorns' top eight players, while Tyrese Hunter is testing the NBA draft waters and Dillon Mitchell is projected to be selected in the draft. Regardless, Terry will be able to lean on top-five recruit Ron Holland and top-40 recruit A.J. Johnson.

The Longhorns will still be a team to be reckoned with in the big, bad Big 12. But as of now, it's best to temper expectations after the 2022 squad seemed to spoil fans with impressive play on almost a nightly basis.

You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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