A lot to look forward to in this game that should be effectively over shortly after the opening tip:
Rori Harmon's return
Top 5 Class of incoming freshmen
6' G Jordan Lee
6' 1" F Justice Carlton
5' 9" PG Bryanna Preston
Incoming Transfers
6' G Laila Phelia (Senior - Michigan) - 16.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 steals; 2023-2024 First Team All Big 10
6' 6" C Kyla Oldacre (Junior - Miami) - 5.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg in 16 mpg
Rori tore her ACL on December 27th, 2023. Freshman Madison Booker switched from W to PG and played her way to Big12 POTY & FOTY, and a #1 seed for the Horns in a season that ended in the Elite 8. Texas won 33 games last season - 2nd most in program history.
Rori, Madison and Laila all made the initial Wooden Award Watch List (Top 50 players in WBB).
For the most part, this team has very few questions.
Who starts at SG? The last I read, Vic hadn't decided but indicated it was a 2 horse race between Shay Holle and Laila Phelia. Shay has been the 1st G off the bench to begin the past 3 seasons but ended all 3 as a starter. Phelia started the exhibition game against UT-Tyler.
How do the new faces replace those lost to graduation (Shaylee Gonzales) or transfer (Amina Muhammad - Oregon, DeYona Gaston - Auburn, Hadi Faye - Pitt, Gisella Maul - Cal).
Carlton is much more polished offensively coming out of high school than Muhammad or Gaston but those 2 did a lot of dirty work on the boards.
Oldacre is a very physical presence in the paint but has to get in better shape.
Phelia and Lee are much better defensively than Maul and Phelia has skins on the wall after being a standout in the Big10 the past 2 seasons.
Projected Starting 5:
PG - Rori Harmon
SG - Laila Phelia
W - Madison Booker
F - Aaliyah Moore
C - Taylor Jones
2025 Recruiting:
Vic got a verbal commitment from the #5 overall player in the 2025 class in July, 6' 1" G Aaliyah Crump (from Minnetonka HS but transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida for her senior season).
Texas made #1 overall Aaliyah Chavez's list of finalists but I wouldn't characterize Texas as the favorite, rather squarely in the hunt. LSU recently "took itself out of consideration" leaving Texas, Texas Tech, South Carolina, UCLA and OU (sux).
Chavez and #4 overall W Agot Makeer (Montverde Academy) are the only uncommitted players in the Top 13.
