Gerry Hamilton
Hoops season is here: No. 19 Texas vs. Ohio State Game Thread
The 2024-25 college basketball season is here. Tonight in Las Vegas, the No. 19 ranked Texas Longhorns will take on an Ohio State team considered to be a top 30 level team in the country. Two NCAA Tournament level teams play to start the season.
There are two headlines tonight for the season opener. One, it's the deb ut of 5-star freshman shooting guard Tre Johnson. The 6-foot-6 scoring guard scored 31 in a closed door scrimmage against Colorado last weekend. He averaged 22.0 in two closed door scrimmages. Two, the availability of senior transfer Tramon Mark. The 6-foot-5 lefty guard is listed as day-to-day headed into the game with a minor ankle sprain suffered prior to the Colorado scrimmage. Mark is considered the best college player on the No. 19 ranked Longhorns team. He averaged 16.2 points per game last season at Arkansas.
Note: This will serve as the preview and game thread.
No. 19 Texas vs. Ohio State
ESPN BPI: Texas 69.6%
Time: 9 p.m. CST
TV: TNT
Where: T-Mobile Arena (18,000) in Las Vegas
Rodney Terry File
Terry enters his 13th season as a division I head coach. He sports a 206-177 record overall, including 43-21 at Texas.
Terry is 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament with the Longhorns, and 4-3 overall.
Texas is coming off a 21-13 season, including a Round of 32 appearance in the Big Dance.
Texas Longhorns 2024-25 Scholarship Roster
CG Jordan Pope, 6-1, junior (Oregon St transfer - 17.6 PPG, 2.6 rebs, 3.4 assists, 45.1% FG, 37.1% from 3 (66-178) & 87.9% FT)
PG Julian Larry, 6-2, senior (Indiana St transfer - 11.0 PPG, 2.8 rebs, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 52.5% FG, 46.2% from 3 (42-91) & 78.0% FT)
SG Chendall Weaver, 6-3, junior (2023-24 - 6.2 PPG, 3.0 rebs, 0.6 assists, 49.0% FG, 23.7% from three (9-38), 74.0% FT)
SG Tre Johnson, 6-6, freshman
SG Tramon Mark, 6-5, senior (Arkansas transfer - 16.2 PPG, 4.3 rebs, 1.8 assists, 48.0% FG, 36.4% from three (36-99) & 80.4% FT)
G/Wing Malik Presley, 6-6, sophomore (Vanderbilt transfer - 2.2 PPG, 1.6 rebs, 0.5 assists, 42.9% FG, 2-16 from 3, 46.7% FT)
SF Devon Pryor, 6-7, sophomore (2023-24 - 0.7 PPG, 1.0 rebs in seven games played)
F Jayson Kent, 6-7.5, senior (Indiana St transfer - 13.5 PPG, 8.1 rebs, 0.6 assists, 63.9% FG, 36.6% from three (30-82) & 83.7% FT)
PF Arthur Kaluma, 6-7, senior (Kansas St transfer - 14.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 42.7% FG, 34.5% from three (51-148) and 74.7% FT)
C Kadin Shedrick, 6-11, senior (2023-24 - 7.7 PPG, 3.0 rebs, 0.5 assists, 1.1 blks, 59.2% FG, 3-8 from three & 72.4% FT)
PF/C Ze'rik Onyema, 6-8.5, senior (2023-24 - 3.3 PPG, 2.2 rebs, 0.7 blks, 54.5% FG & 71.4% FT)
PF Nic Codie, 6-8, freshman
C Jamie Vinson, 6-10.5, freshman
Ohio State file
Jake Diebler enters his his first full season as the head coach of the Buckeyes. He was named the interim head coach February 14, 2024 after the firing of Chris Holtmann. Ohio State finished the season under Diebler with an 8-3 run, including 5-1 in Big 10 play. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT Tournament.
Ohio State made a roster overhaul following the 2023-24 season. Five transfers and three true freshman have arrived in Columbus. The impact transfers are 6-foot-2 guard Meechie Johnson (South Carolina), 6-foot-9 power forward Sean Stewart (Duke), 7-foot-1 center Aaron Bradhsaw (Kentucky), 6-foot-6 guard Micah Parrish (San Diego State) and 6-foot guard Ques Glover (Kansas State).
The top returning player for Ohio State is 6-foot-1.5, 215-pound point guard Bruce Thornton. Thornton averaged 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season.