Texas Basketball: Complete Roster, Season Preview for 2014-15 Longhorns
Excitement is buzzing across Austin as the college basketball season approaches, especially after a rough 2013-14 campaign put in by the Texas Longhorns.
Freshman Myles Turner will add an extra dimension to a dangerous frontcourt that contains three star returners.
Texas also returns two key players at the guard position, which is why Longhorns fans are expecting their team to challenge in the Big 12.
Continue reading on for a preview of Texas' 2014-15 season.
Key Newcomers
Myles Turner, Forward
There is no doubt one of the top recruits in the class of 2014 will make a major impact on the Texas Longhorns this season.
Myles Turner adds yet another big body to the frontcourt, which already contained Jonathan Holmes and Cameron Ridley.
At 240 pounds, he still needs to put on a little weight to go along with his 6'11" frame, but that will come in time.
Jordan Barnett, Forward
The other freshman on the Texas roster who will help out the Longhorns is Barnett, but he may do so in a lesser role than Turner.
The 6'6" forward may start as a role player off the bench due to the frontcourt depth, but he should be a contributor as the season moves on.
Key Returners
Javan Felix, Guard
After improving his numbers greatly in his sophomore season, Javan Felix is expected to break out even more in the Texas backcourt during his junior campaign.
A ton of the attention will be focused on the Longhorns forwards, but Felix is one heck of a talent in the backcourt who may sneak up on a few people.
Felix averaged 11.6 points per game last season, and he dished out 2.8 assists per game.
Cameron Ridley, Center
Ridley was a stud down low for the Longhorns with 11.2 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in his sophomore season.
What is even more impressive about his stat line from last season is his field-goal percentage of 54.5. If he remains that efficient this season, Texas will be hard to stop.
Jonathan Holmes, Forward
Along with Ridley and Turner, Holmes will form a three-headed monster in the paint for Rick Barnes' team.
The senior enters the season off a junior year in which he averaged 12.8 points per game and shot 50.5 percent from the field.
Holmes should benefit from Ridley's bruising down low by receiving plenty of open looks due to double-teams on the big man.
Roster and Projected Rotation
Head coach Rick Barnes' roster contains something most teams nowadays don't have, which is a ton of experience.
PG: Isaiah Taylor
SG: Javan Felix
SF: Jonathan Holmes
PF: Myles Turner
C: Cameron Ridley
Key Bench Players
Jordan Barnett, Forward
Kendal Yancy, Guard
Connor Lammert, Forward
On paper, the Longhorns have one of the best starting lineups in the nation, especially in the frontcourt. At times, Barnes could opt to insert Lammert into the fold in place of a guard to create mismatches due to his team's length. Add in Barnett, and the Longhorns have a ton of depth at the position.
Taylor and Felix will be the top guards on the team, with Kendal Yancy being called on in defensive situations. Damarcus Croaker could also play a role at guard this year.
Biggest X-Factors
Play in the Paint
This may not come as much of a surprise given the team's depth. Texas will be expected to dominate most opponents with its three-forward lineup of Holmes, Turner and Ridley.
Ridley will be the enforcer on the boards, while Holmes and Turner will be able to kill opponents with their length and shooting abilities.
Lammert and Barnett will bring the same qualities to the court as well, which makes the Texas frontcourt deadly.
Distribution Skills of Taylor
This season is expected to be a breakout one for Taylor, who as a sophomore will be handed more responsibility at the point.
He will have the experienced Felix alongside him in the backcourt if things go wrong, but he will be trusted to command the Texas offense.
Backcourt Defense
If Texas plays strong in the frontcourt, opposing teams will look to exploit the backcourt defending of the team.
With that in mind, Taylor and Felix will have to play well on that side of the ball to limit other teams from throwing up a ton of long-range shots. Expect this strategy to be utilized by coaches against Texas, especially if the frontcourt trio play well early on.
Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios
Best-Case Scenario
The Longhorns are unstoppable down low. There is a high probability of this becoming a reality, and with a light nonconference schedule, they could get off to a great start.
In the games that matter, the Longhorns take care of Connecticut, Stanford and even Syracuse if they face the Orange in the 2K Classic.
In the Big 12, Texas outmuscles its fellow contenders for the regular-season title on the way to a top seed in March.
Worst-Case Scenario
Holmes, Felix and Ridley see a drop-off in production and Turner fails to get going. There is a slim chance this will actually happen, but strange things can happen sometimes in college basketball.
After a slow start, the Longhorns slip up in conference play and stumble into the postseason. With high expectations entering the season, Barnes leaves fans disappointed once again.
2014-15 Prediction
Prediction: 23-8 (13-5 in Big 12)
Beating Kentucky will be a tough task, but the Longhorns should contend against Connecticut, Stanford and either California or Syracuse.
Texas starts its conference slate with a fairly easy schedule before playing Kansas and Iowa State in a three-day span at the end of January.
A trip to Manhattan on February 7 after a rough stretch could set Texas up for a loss before closing the season with four of the last seven at home.
Expect the Longhorns to stick with Kansas and Iowa State throughout the season, but they will finish third in the competitive Big 12.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from ESPN.com.