After a season in which Texas fell from No. 1 in the nation to the depths of the unranked and suffered a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament, questions surrounded the team’s future. Just eight months later, most remain unanswered as we rapidly approach the tip-off of the 2010-11 season.

The graduation of seniors Damion James, Dexter Pittman, and Justin Mason left the team without experienced leadership and opened a gaping hole in the frontcourt. Avery Bradley‘s decision to enter the NBA Draft after his freshman year, coupled with the transfer of guard Varez Ward, means this Texas team could see a drop-off in its perimeter D. And with today’s stunning transfer announcement from redshirt freshman swingman Shawn Williams, the picture becomes even murkier.

We’ll get to an in-depth look at the team during the off-day tomorrow, but tonight we pose three questions as the season approaches. All deal with identity, as the 2010-11 Longhorn basketball team is as enigmatic as any Texas squad in recent memory.

1) Who will be the leader? – If Texas is looking for senior leadership this season, there’s very little experience to draw on. Only Gary Johnson and Dogus Balbay have seen significant playing time, and with the addition of freshman star Cory Joseph to the mix, Balbay may see a decline in minutes this year. It’s rare to find a vocal team leader who isn’t a key player.

Johnson may be the most-likely candidate, but there’s also hope that Jordan Hamilton or J’Covan Brown can mature into team leaders in their sophomore seasons. Hamilton starts the year on the Wooden Award’s Preseason Top 50 list, and certainly showed flashes of brilliance last season, such as his 27 and 24-point performances on the road against Oklahoma State and Missouri. Brown also had some standout moments in 2009-10, but has a reputation for losing his cool and for frustrating his head coach. Both players could definitely take the reins this year, but will have to overcome their proclivity for taking ill-advised shots.

Then, of course, there are the two star freshman. Both point guard Corey Joseph and forward Tristan Thompson were McDonald’s All-Americans, and both come to the 40 Acres with mountains of hype behind them. The transcendent freshman who can instantly lead his team is a rare thing, however — although each year there seems to be one or two in the nation with the NBA’s new age requirements. It’s believable that Joseph or Thompson could be the calm, confident leader of the Longhorns come March. But for the next few months, we expect a few growing pains.

2) How will the frontcourt come together? – Without James and Pittman, the Texas frontcourt is still a mystery. Thompson arrived in Austin with a reputation as a steady post defender who was developing his offensive game nicely during his senior year. In the tough Big 12, however, it’s difficult for a freshman big man to instantly make an impact, so it’s likely we see Thompson stay at his natural power forward position.

The result of that decision, though, is that Matt Hill, Alexis Wangmene, and Clint Chapman will have to pick up the slack at center. Combined, those three players averaged just 4.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game last season. Departed seniors James and Pittman, on the other hand, combined to average 28.4 points and 16.2 boards in 49.4 minutes. While Hill has impressed during summer workouts, to say these big men have their hands full could be the understatement of the year.

3) How deep is the bench? – At the start of last season, it was a commonly accepted fact that Texas’ biggest problem was finding minutes for all of their talented. Thanks to injuries and an inexplicable meltdown, that problem quickly disappeared. This season, it’s still unclear just how many Longhorns will be key contributors. Thompson, Brown, Hamilton, and Johnson will unquestionably be called upon for most of the minutes. And while it’s not yet known how Joseph and Balbay will split time at the point, both will certainly be key contributors.

The real mystery surrounds the role of bench players like guard Jai Lucas and big men Chapman, Hill, and Wangmene. Based on what we’ve seen in the past, none of those four players is ready for the spotlight. But at the same time, there’s no way Texas will survive with just a six-man rotation. Tonight we’ll be looking to see just how far down the bench Rick Barnes is willing to go, and just how often he calls on those reserves.

If you’re in the Austin area, come down to the Drum for the season opener tonight. There are still many tickets available, and packages for this game and Wednesday night’s contest against Louisiana Tech are available for as little as $10. For the out-of-town folks, ESPNU will be carrying the tip at 8 P.M., or as soon as Pitt and Rhode Island wrap up their season opener.