Pluses: Rori Harmon is the pulse of Texas basketball, as the returning senior leads a trio of standouts (junior Madison Booker and sophomore Jordan Lee). Texas is gifted offensively, but its defense makes the Longhorns stand out. They play a suffocating full-court press off a make, regularly forcing opponents in half-court violations, inbounds violations, and turnovers in the entry zone. Their defense holds opponents to less than 57 points per game and has the nation’s second-best defensive rating.
Minuses: If Lee has an off game, who is going to fill that No. 3 void? Booker will get hers in the midrange, but Texas, which struggles behind the arc, counts on Lee and freshman Aaliyah Crump to space the floor and hit the deep shot. Texas’ bench is thin behind Crump, Kyla Oldacre and Bryanna Preston, so it needs all three stars clicking at the same time to play to its full potential.
Projection: Texas suffered back-to-back losses to LSU and South Carolina by a combined eight points in conference play, but it defeated both in separate matchups during the season. When Texas is in rhythm, there’s not a team it can’t beat. Its defensive pressure and effectiveness interrupting the passing lanes will keep it in games, but it needs Lee and Crump to pose as threats behind the arc. Schaefer’s team is near the bottom of all Division I teams in attempted 3s again this season. But Texas can win it all and send Harmon out on top.