SB Nation's Andy Hutchins put up his impressions of how the basketball landscape will look coming into next year, and he sees the Texas Longhorns as a Top 5 team should the core stay in place (that means you, Tristan Thompson) for the start of next season. They'd fit in behind Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State, and Syracuse. Here's what Sharp has to say about the Horns:
↵↵↵Tristan Thompson and Jordan Hamilton returning would give the Longhorns two go-to scorers. Add in quick Myck Kabongo - rhyme, sadly, impossible, as the Canadian guard pronounces his name "Mike" - and Texas has the sort of offense that could make its very stingy 2010-11 defense proud. If the development of Cory Joseph and J'Covan Brown continues apace, the Longhorns might well have the most talented first five players in America. But Rick Barnes has had talent and disappointed before (I would imagine some Texas fans have "T.J. Ford took Texas farther than Kevin Durant" macro'd for arguments at Burnt Orange Nation), and Texas is one of college basketball's flagship "I'll believe it when I see it" teams. A weak Big 12 helps, though.
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I personally think he's overlooking Texas A&M a bit here. They will be returning their two top scoring threats in Khris Middleton and David Loubeau, yet the squad doesn't get even an honorable mention. Rice and Houston are obviously far out of the pack, but Josh Pastner's Memphis Tigers squad is getting some love at No. 8 on the list. The hype didn't work out too well last year for the Tigers, as they would have missed the tournament had they not won the Conference USA tournament. Kansas and Missouri also received mentions.
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