<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3sXvGR_0w6p4dY900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3sXvGR_0w6p4dY900" width="1104" height="578" >The initial external expectations for coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/rodney-terry-1203/">Rodney Terry</a> and the <a href="https://247sports.com/college/texas/">Texas</a> men's basketball team were set on Monday when the preseason Associated Press Top 25 and the SEC media poll were released.Ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25, the Longhorns are one of nine SEC members in the poll ahead of the program's first season in the league. Texas is ranked behind five SEC clubs in the poll (No. 2 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/alabama/">Alabama</a>, No. 11 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/auburn/">Auburn</a>, No. 12 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/tennessee/">Tennessee</a>, No. 13 Texas A&amp;M and No. 16 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/arkansas/">Arkansas</a>) while three others will be looking up at the Longhorns when the season starts (No. 21 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/florida/">Florida</a>, No. 23 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/kentucky/">Kentucky</a> and No. 24 <a href="https://247sports.com/college/ole-miss/">Ole Miss</a>).The landscape of the AP Top 25 is similar to the SEC media poll, which has Texas picked to finish seventh in the conference, with a minor tweak. The Crimson Tide, Tigers, Volunteers, Razorbacks and Aggies are projected to finish first through sixth in the league standings while the Longhorns and Wildcats round out the top half of the 16-team conference, according to the media members who voted in the poll.Arkansas transfer <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/tramon-mark-46048234/">Tramon Mark</a> is the lone Texas representative on the preseason All-SEC team. A 6-foot-6-inch, 185-pound Dickinson product who started his college career in coach <a href="https://247sports.com/coach/Kelvin-Sampson-2426">Kelvin Sampson</a>'s <a href="https://247sports.com/college/houston/">Houston</a> program, Mark is a third-team selectionMark led the Razorbacks in scoring (16.2 points per game), steals (36) and minutes played (32.5 per game) during the 2023-24 season while ranking second in assists (57) and third in rebounds (4.3 per game) in 31 games played (28 starts). Mark, who has been dealing with a groin issue during the preseason, is one of the six players the Longhorns recruited out of the NCAA transfer portal.The No. 18 team in the preseason AP Top 25 heading into Terry's first full season leading the program, Texas ended the 2023-24 campaign with a 21-13 record. Although the Longhorns bowed out of the NCAA Tournament courtesy of a second-round loss to Tennessee, a first-round win over <a href="https://247sports.com/college/colorado-state/">Colorado State</a> made Texas one of eight Division I programs to advance to the Round of 32 in each of the last three seasons, advancing to the second round under former coach <a href="https://247sports.com/Coach/chris-beard-3808/">Chris Beard</a> (2021-22) and reaching the Elite Eight (2022-23) with Terry spending most of the season filling in for Beard.Ending the regular season in sixth or seventh place in the SEC standings would make the Longhorns a fringe top-25 team at best, but an NCAA Tournament bubble team based on how last season played out.Sixth-place Florida (24-12, 11-7 SEC) entered Selection Sunday as a perceived lock for the field of 68 (the Gators made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed). The seventh-place team in the conference standings, Texas A&amp;M, came out on the right side of the bubble (21-15, 9-9) and reached the second round of March Madness as a No. 9 seed (the Aggies' season ended with an overtime loss to Houston, the No. 1 seed in the South Region).Terry's club is an intriguing mix of transfers, returning lettermen and talented freshmen.Mark, former <a href="https://247sports.com/college/oregon-state/">Oregon State</a> guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/jordan-pope-46093920/">Jordan Pope</a> and the <a href="https://247sports.com/college/indiana-state/">Indiana State</a> duo of guard <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/julian-larry-46082904/">Julian Larry</a> and forward <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/jayson-kent-46148884/">Jayson Kent</a> headline the veteran newcomers on the Forty Acres. Forward <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Kadin-Shedrick-46049641">Kadin Shedrick</a> highlights the Longhorns back for another season and McDonald's All-American <a href="https://247sports.com/Player/Tre-Johnson-46109465">Tre Johnson</a> (a five-star guard ranked by 247Sports as the No. 6 overall prospect in the class) is a likely lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after his freshman season.The new-look Texas team opens the 2024-25 season against <a href="https://247sports.com/college/ohio-state/">Ohio State</a> in the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas Opening Night on Monday, Nov. 4, at T-Mobile Arena (9 p.m., TNT/truTV). The Longhorns play their home opener on Friday, Nov. 8, when <a href="https://247sports.com/college/houston-christian/">Houston Christian</a> visits Moody Center (7 p.m., SEC Network+).</div></body>

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Texas men's basketball ranked No. 19 in preseason AP Top 25, picked seventh in SEC media poll

The initial external expectations for coach Rodney Terry and the Texas men's basketball team were set on Monday when the preseason Associated Press Top 25 and the SEC media poll were released. Ranked No. 19 in the AP Top 25, the Longhorns are one of nine SEC members in the...

Texas men's basketball ranked No. 19 in preseason AP Top 25, picked seventh in SEC media poll

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