Texas basketball and head coach Rodney Terry are now searching for just one more essential player to complete the frontcourt rotation on the anticipated roster for the 2024–25 season. This spring, Texas has already amassed an outstanding harvest from the NCAA Transfer Portal, which includes many players who can contribute right away to the guard and forward rotations.
A good low-post player is the final element Terry and the Longhorns staff need to complete this rotation before they start their first season in the SEC in 2024–25. Texas needs a big man to fill the last scholarship place on the roster and support the frontcourt unit.
Power forward JT Toppin, a former true freshman star for the New Mexico Lobos, is the top target for the Longhorns among big guys in the portal late this spring. The Texas Tech Red Raiders are still very much in the race for this portal recruiting, but Texas appears to be the front-runner for the title of Mountain West Newcomer of the Year.
The Longhorns’ spring window closed a few weeks ago, and with fewer portal choices available, Terry and the coaches will need to find a solution soon to bolster the frontcourt.
But where else may the Longhorns go in the gateway late this spring to uncover additional possible alternatives among big men? The Longhorns may try to recruit these two last-minute transfers through the portal.
Ven-Allen Lubin, a sophomore forward from Notre Dame Fighting Irish and former Vanderbilt Commodore, is among the best players available in the portal at this time in the summer. If Texas decides to pursue him later this spring, he may have a significant effect.
The 225-pound, 6-foot-8 forward from Orlando, Florida, is ranked No. 22 among forwards on the On3 Industry Ranking site. For the second time in as many offseasons, he is in the portal and has two more years of eligibility left.
Lubin is a tall, skillful forward with the ability to score from mid-range and the hoop. Along with being a disruptive defender who can guard the three or the four, he is also a good rebounder. In terms of blocks (26) and block % (4.0) from the previous season, Lubin was among the top ten forwards in the SEC.
A few relationships between Lubin and the Longhorns are noteworthy. Malik Presley, a sophomore, was one among the former Vanderbilt forwards whom Texas added this spring through the portal. During his recruitment as a four-star talent from Orlando Christian Prep (FL) in the 2022 class, Lubin was also scouted by Texas.
As of late spring, I haven’t seen any news in the portal indicating Texas as one of the colleges vying for Lubin’s services. However, considering the Longhorns’ positional need and the link between Vanderbilt and his former teammate Presley, he would make sense as a potential gateway target for Texas.
Among the big players available in the portal late this spring, former UCLA Bruins true freshman power forward Berke Buyuktuncel is perhaps the most likely transfer target for the Longhorns.
Terry and crew appear to have had a preliminary look at Buyuktuncel this spring, as seen by the asterisk next to his name on this list.
A few weeks after the spring portal window ended in early May, Texas “remains in contact” with Buyuktuncel, according to a May 17 (premium content) report from Texas Football’s Gerry Hamilton. According to reports, Texas is impressed by the UCLA transfer’s “skill set and upside” as a talented stretch forward with many more years of eligibility left to grow into a frontcourt player.
Buyuktuncel is a talented offensive player who can play minutes as a floor-spacing four who can still provide excellent rim protection and rebounding, or as a stretch-five in a small ball unit. For a 6-foot-9 big, he is an above-average ball handler. In contrast to his rookie year at UCLA, when he shot 30% from beyond the arc and 39% from the field, he should improve as a shooter and scorer in his second season.
This week, Buyuktuncel made his formal visit to Nebraska. It’s also not a bad idea to make visits to other colleges that are engaged in this gateway recruitment, such as Texas, Kentucky, and Iowa.
The effort that other big league schools put on Buyuktuncel may be the determining factor for Texas in this portal recruiting. In the upcoming weeks, it will also be important if the Longhorns can finalize the agreement with Toppin via the site.
