Dylan Disu announces return to Texas for fifth college season

Dylan Disu was invaluable at times for Texas during his senior season. Now, after being a vital piece for the Longhorns, he will be back to make an impact again for Rodney Terry’s first season truly at the helm after announcing today that he would be returning to Austin for a fifth collegiate season.

Disu shared the news on his Twitter page earlier this afternoon.

Hook ‘em Horns🤘🏽 pic.twitter.com/FReq0G9Wxe

— Dylan Disu (@DylanDisu) April 23, 2023

Through four years, Disu split half his time at Vanderbilt and half at Texas after transferring from Nashville to Austin. In total, he has posted career averages of 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 48.3% from the field and 30.5% from three.

However, Disu took it to another level this last year with the Longhorns, especially in the postseason. As a full-time starter in their 36 games, he put up 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 61.3% shooting while knocking down 31.3% of his threes. A fantastic run in the Big 12 Tournament highlighted his campaign as he earned a spot on the all-tournament team and won him Big 12 Tournament MVP.

This is a major decision for Terry’s first official season as head coach. In the eyes of Joe Cook from Inside Texas, it will give the program’s roster some continuity it can lean on heading into its next campaign.

“Disu’s return provides the Longhorns with a quality Big 12 starter who played his best basketball at Texas during the most recent postseason,” wrote Cook. “A local product from Pflugerville, Texas and Hendrickson High School, Disu showcased tremendous multi-level scoring ability during the Longhorns’ run to the Elite Eight under Rodney Terry. He played solid defense and was the team’s leading rebounder but his scoring ability that surged late in the year made him an exciting player during March Madness until an injury kept him out of the Horns’ loss to Miami in the regional final.”

“His contributions were sorely missed during the Longhorns’ deepest postseason run since 2008. His return provides the Longhorns not only with a quality, veteran post player who could see his name on preseason All-Big 12 teams, if not some All-America lists, but also someone Terry can use when selling next year’s team to portal prospects he’s in pursuit of as he tries to build the roster for his first year as Texas’ full-time head coach,” Cook continued. “Disu remaining with Texas for his COVID season is great news for the program.”

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will announce Round 1 of the draft. Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will then handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. The league doesn’t require that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.