With the exhibition tipoff less than 24 hours away, it’s time for the third of four installments in LRT’s “Meet the Freshmen” series. Today we take a look at Alexis Wangmene, the only one of the four newcomers without any injury issues heading into the 2007-08 season.

Wangmene is a tenacious rebounder, something the Longhorns will sorely need after losing Kevin Durant and his 11.1 RPG to the NBA. Alexis still needs some work on his shot, but on a team that also features Damion James, A.J. Abrams, and D.J. Augustin, he is not going to be relied on as a scorer.

Wangmene was discovered in Cameroon at age 15 when San Antonio Spurs general manager R.C. Buford spotted him at a Basketball Without Borders camp. Buford and his wife became Wangmene’s guardians and moved him to San Antonio, where he attended Central Catholic High in San Antonio. During his junior season, Alexis was named to the TAPPS 6A All-State team. The following year, he transferred to Blair Academy in New Jersey, which produced such standouts as Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva….and, of course, former Longhorn Royal Ivey.

Because Wangmene missed out on all of the camps, AAU teams, and developmental programs that abound in the United States for young talent, he’s harboring a ton of potential that has yet to be tapped. Working with Rick Barnes, Todd Wright, and the rest of the Longhorns coaching staff is going to lead to tremendous growth all four years for this exciting player. So while this season we will see Alexis help shore up a previously weak inside game for the Horns, the role he plays for Texas in his senior year will undoubtedly be huge.