University of Texas Loses 3rd-Leading Scorer, Julien Lewis

In a move that could drive an already-down program deeper into the mire, team officials University of Texas guard Julien Lewis has left the basketball program. Lewis is the 3rd underclassmen (joining Myck Kabongo and Sheldon McClellan) to leave the program in the off-season, and the trio represented the three leading scorers from the 2012-2013 team.

Lewis, a 6-foot-3 guard from La Marque, Texas, will likely transfer from the program, but there isn’t a definitive announcement as to where he is headed. He averaged 11.2 points per game last season, but after a year when the Longhorns missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 seasons, it seems as if a mass exodus has descended on Rick Barnes and the program.

After the exits of Kabongo (to the NBA) and McClellan (as a transfer), it looked as if things were settling down in Austin, but Lewis’s move comes as a bit of a surprise. He provided some outside punch for a scoring-starved squad last season, and would’ve been looked to as a “go-to” guy going into the 2013-2014 season. As of now, Rick Barnes is left with four incoming freshman, six sophomores, and a single junior (Jonathan Holmes) for next season, and it will be the second straight year where Texas doesn’t have a single scholarship senior.

It would be irresponsible to think that a program with that stature of Texas will be a non-contender for long, but with only one top-1oo recruit (in the ESPN rankings, at least), it will likely be a year or two before the Longhorns can contend, even in a “down” Big 12. With concerns about Rick Barnes’ aptitude already reaching a loud whisper (to be kind), the hot seat is lit, and all eyes will turn to Austin as we approach Midnight Madness.