#25 Texas Longhorns Predictions: 2010/2011 NCAA Future Lines
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Sportsbook.com odds to win NCAA title – 30/1
NCAA Basketball – Texas Preview
Key players added – PG Cory Joseph, F Tristan Thompson
Key players lost – Damion James, Avery Bradley and Dexter Pittman
Last season Texas sprinted out of the gate going 17-0 and getting the #1 ranking for the first time ever, but then they flamed out and lost 10 of their last 17 games and lost in the 1st round of the Big Dance. Texas lost 3 players to the NBA in Damion James, Avery Bradley and Dexter Pittman, but the Longhorns had a good recruiting class and the returning players have to step up for UT to go dancing again.
In losing their top 3 scorers G J’Covan Brown (9.6 ppg last season) and G/F Jordan Hamilton (10 ppg last season) will be counted on to carry the scoring load for the Longhorns this season. These 2 are sophomores, but even though they are 2nd year players they will also have to give the team some veteran leadership.
Where the Longhorns may struggle this season is in the paint. 6’10” seniors Clint Chapman and Matt Hill return, but neither player averaged more than 2 points per game or 2 rebounds per game last season. F Gary Johnson returns and last season he averaged 9.4 ppg and 5.6 rpg and he will have to improve upon those numbers this season or opposing teams will stack the perimeter. Texas will really miss 7-footer Pittman, who took up a lot of space underneath. To counter their lack of height Brown and Hamilton will have to shoot the pill well and last season Hamilton shot a 36.5% clip from beyond the 3-point line.
There are a lot of expectations as well as questions from the returning players and head coach Rick Barnes stated on the subject, “I can only tell you that those (returnees off last year’s team) have really grown in a lot of ways that people could never understand unless they were with us every day.” 
The incoming freshman that may get some PT right away are PG Cory Joseph and F Tristan Thompson. Joseph will run the point and Thomson is 6’9” and he may be key since the Texas is pretty thin inside. Both of these 2 are highly-touted and have to produce right away with all the talent the Longhorns lost.
The Longhorns were one of the worst free throw shooting teams last season, but they may be much better this season since a few of the clunkers are not on the team any more. The Longhorns are a tweener team, so they will have to shoot the rock well from the charity stripe since they will likely be in a lot of close games this season.
Texas played a pretty tough pre-season schedule last season and this season they do the same facing 3 teams before Big 12 play begins that are ranked in the top 25 in #16 Illinois, #9 North Carolina, and #2 Michigan State.
The Longhorns should get off to a great start, as besides playing Illinois in the 2nd game of the season they only play one other team in USC that comes from a big conference in their first 8 games of the season.
Surprising stat: Even though Texas is known as stacking up on athletes in their hoops’ squad there is only one returning player that averaged at least 1 steal per game last season.
Strengths: guard and small forward play and freshmen talent
Weaknesses: rebounding, height, forward play, and free throw shooting
Big Dance? The Longhorns will probably make the Big Dance, but they have to have some players step up, get good inside play, and the freshmen duo of Joseph and Thomson have to live up their expectations.
Texas Win total prediction for 2010-11
Texas will, once again, be a very athletic team that can run with any team in the nation, but can they hit the boards and play D? The new faces have to play well and the returning veterans have to fill the shoes of the 3 guys that left for the NBA. I see the Longhorns winning around 22-24 games this season.
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