Fran Fraschilla expects Texas to "rock" SEC in basketball

The biggest question surrounding Texas moving to the SEC is the football program. Steve Sarkisian has brought a ton of hype and everyone wants to know how they will perform moving forward.

But what about the Olympic sports? Texas recently won two Directors’ Cups and has proven to be one of the best athletic departments in the country.

Rodney Terry will be transitioning the men’s basketball program into the conference and if you ask ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, good results should be coming to Austin. He expects Texas to “rock” the SEC moving forward thanks to Terry’s program building.

There might be arguments about which conference is better in basketball but Fraschilla expects instant success for the Longhorns in 2024-2025.

“I think they’re going to rock the SEC in basketball because of what Rodney is building,” Fraschilla said during Tuesday’s Texas-Texas Tech game.

Texas has not been at its best this year and at one point, was fighting for its NCAA Tournament lives. However, wins have begun to string together and Terry should find himself in the field during his first full season in charge. Not too bad after the run to an Elite Eight last year.

Before even worrying about the NCAA transfer portal, Texas can count on some talent joining the program this offseason. Five-Star Plus+ Tre Johnson is the crown jewel, being a huge recruiting win for Terry.

Fraschilla mentioned Johnson as a big reason why Texas will have success next year. The point guard out of Dallas is thought to be a lottery pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and should shine during his one-and-done season in college basketball.

Johnson will be joined by four-star SG Cam Scott and four-star PF Nic Codie in Austin as true freshman. Depending on who leaves at the end of 23-24, Terry can then assess his needs in the portal.

We did get a small sample size of Texas facing an SEC opponent this season. LSU was played on a neutral court in Houston, with the Longhorns emerging victorious. And then if you want to count Oklahoma as well, that’s a second win.

Texas still has unfinished business in the Big 12. Following the Texas Tech win, they sit at 7-8 in conference play and can get back to .500 against Oklahoma State on Saturday.

They will roll into the Big 12 Tournament as defending champions as well. Days as a member of the Big 12 are limited and before worrying about the SEC, getting some wins over old foes would have to be a nice way to leave in Terry’s eyes.