Texas Basketball: 2015-16 Season Preview

The Texas Longhorns parted ways with longtime head coach Rick Barnes after yet another disappointing season, but are in great hands for the future. The Longhorns were able to pry Shaka Smart away from the VCU Rams, and he has been one of the best coaches in all of college basketball the past few seasons.

Smart possesses an extremely talented roster, at least on paper, and the full support of the Texas fanbase, administration and teams. Hopes have not been higher for the Longhorns in years, and 2015-16 could be a fantastic first year for the new head coach.

Isaiah Taylor, leading scorer from 2014-15,  chose to forgo the 2015 NBA Draft and stay in college another season, bringing with him explosive scoring and leadership. Taylor will be joined by veteran Texas players like Cameron Ridley, Demarcus Holland, Javan Felix, Connor Lammert and Prince Ibeh.

These older players will form the core of this team for the 2015-16 season and will bridge the gap between the Barnes-era and the Smart-era quite nicely, as incoming recruits like Eric Davis, Kerwin Roach Jr. and Tevin Mack are worked into the rotation.

In non-conference play, Texas has a great schedule in terms of looking ahead to what the NCAA Selection Committee will be looking for in March. The Longhorns play three teams that should be locks for the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the North Carolina Tar Heels, Connecticut Huskies and Texas A&M Aggies, as well as several decent teams in the Washington Huskies and Stanford Cardinal. If the Longhorns can go into conference play with no more than four losses, it should be safe to pencil them into the Big Dance.

In conference play, winning the outright regular season title is likely out of the question. The Big 12 is arguably the most difficult conference in college basketball, and Texas will likely struggle on the road. However, this team could get hot towards the end of conference play and make a run in the Big 12 Tournament, which is exactly what I expect to happen.

The Longhorns have the talent on paper to be one of the best teams in the Big 12; it just comes down to how quickly Smart and his veteran squad can pull it all together. Expect this team to easily go to the 2016 NCAA Tournament and be one of the “hot” teams that no one wants to face in March.

Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.