So Rodney Terry ended last week with an absolute bang with three transfer portal commits on Sunday, and it got me thinking...
If I were to go position by position and letter grade this team, what would it look like? With yesterday's announcements of Dillon Mitchell and Tyrese Hunter entering the transfer portal, it certainly makes for an interesting conversation; especially when you take into consideration that there are a few more portal targets that might come into the fold in the coming weeks.
So we'll make this a working thread that will be updated as needed. More will be taken into consideration than just the quality of player when talking about these grades. Depth will also play a factor. Let's get into it.
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Point Guard
The recurring theme of these grades and "state of the roster" conversations is going to be that this discussion will be fluid in terms of departures and arrivals. So at point guard, you say goodbye to one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball history in Max Abmas, and your best on-ball defender in Tyrese Hunter. Even though they were on the floor at the same time, both were primary/secondary ball handlers and I definitely consider them as players that played the same position. The silver lining in this discussion is that neither player really played to the expectation/bar that they set for themselves when they came out of Oral Roberts and Iowa State respectively. Whether that was due to the offense or the ability of the player remains to be seen. That all being said the Longhorns bring in Super Senior transfer Julian Larry from Indiana State and since he's the only point guard associated with the program at the moment, it's hard to give this position a grade other than one that represents quality with a little bit of uncertainty. With one year of eligibility and no other primary ball handling options on the roster I'm going to give this position group...
*UPDATE: The Horns added PG Jordan Pope, one of the best guards in the portal, and better scoring guards in the country. With the added depth and playmaking at PG, raising this grade from a C+ to A-.
Grade: A-
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Wing
Since Texas doesn't really have a definitive 1-5 lineup with your stereotypical small forward, I consider this backcourt to consist of a point guard and wing players (which isn't uncommon at all). The 2 and the 3 are interchangeable and with the lack of size that Texas has rostered, I don't feel comfortable labeling anybody a small forward. In terms of scholarship players that are currently on the roster, Texas looks like it's sitting in pretty good shape here with Arkansas transfer Tramon Mark, and Chendall Weaver. Mark was one of the best scorers in the SEC, is a great on-ball defender, and we all know what we're getting with Chendall Weaver who is by far my favorite player (I'd assume a lot of you feel the same way). With Tre Johnson signed, the Longhorns are building a phenomenal foundation here and I could not be happier with where the Horns sit at the off-ball guard positions. For those of you that haven't seen Tramon Mark's tape...
Grade: A-
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Forward
With no true center on the roster outside of Kaden Shedrick (even though he's listed as a forward), the forward position has the most depth on the roster. That being said, I think that there can be an improvement in terms of the quality of player that Texas has rostered at the position. With the departure of Brock Cunningham and Dillon Mitchell, the Longhorns have supplemented the loss with a net gain in the commitment from Jayson Kent. Kent is a better fit for the offense, provides a really good spacing element, is experienced, and has a very high basketball IQ. I have no idea what Texas has in Onyema, Clark, Pryor or with incoming freshmen Nicolas Codie simply because none of them have played meaningful minutes or at all, at this level. So while I can appreciate what the Horns have in the cupboard, it's not nearly enough for me to say that this is a position of strength. I'll call it OK.
Grade: B-
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Center
In case anybody forgot what a healthy Kaden Shedrick is capable of, see above. Speaking of Kaden Shedrick, this entire segment is basically just for him. I'd LOVE Texas to bring in one more guy that can be a defensive anchor in the paint, but for now, Shedrick has proven himself as more than capable. He played excellent down the stretch of last season, providing phenomenal minutes whenever his number was called. With a full off-season to get healthy, get in the gym and continue to improve I'm expecting big things from Shedrick this season. The depth at the center spot is mainly just going to be a recycled lineup of Shedrick coming out of the game whenever Texas wants to go small. But because there is lack of depth in the Longhorns' front court, I'm going to have to give them...
Grade: B-
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Overall: B+
I think the Longhorns are doing a good job of replacing a lot of the pieces that are departing. However, I need to see more. There is a depth issue across the board on this roster but I have faith in Rodney Terry and the staff to come through this offseason in a big way. In fact, they already are. Let's see how the offseason plays out, but for now I give the Longhorns a solid B when I consider the 5 best options on the team. Is a B good enough? In my opinion no. I get a feeling this team will be on the uptick pretty soon…
*REMEMBER THAT THIS THREAD WILL BE ONGOING*
Thanks for reading!
If I were to go position by position and letter grade this team, what would it look like? With yesterday's announcements of Dillon Mitchell and Tyrese Hunter entering the transfer portal, it certainly makes for an interesting conversation; especially when you take into consideration that there are a few more portal targets that might come into the fold in the coming weeks.
So we'll make this a working thread that will be updated as needed. More will be taken into consideration than just the quality of player when talking about these grades. Depth will also play a factor. Let's get into it.
---------------------------
Point Guard
The recurring theme of these grades and "state of the roster" conversations is going to be that this discussion will be fluid in terms of departures and arrivals. So at point guard, you say goodbye to one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball history in Max Abmas, and your best on-ball defender in Tyrese Hunter. Even though they were on the floor at the same time, both were primary/secondary ball handlers and I definitely consider them as players that played the same position. The silver lining in this discussion is that neither player really played to the expectation/bar that they set for themselves when they came out of Oral Roberts and Iowa State respectively. Whether that was due to the offense or the ability of the player remains to be seen. That all being said the Longhorns bring in Super Senior transfer Julian Larry from Indiana State and since he's the only point guard associated with the program at the moment, it's hard to give this position a grade other than one that represents quality with a little bit of uncertainty. With one year of eligibility and no other primary ball handling options on the roster I'm going to give this position group...
*UPDATE: The Horns added PG Jordan Pope, one of the best guards in the portal, and better scoring guards in the country. With the added depth and playmaking at PG, raising this grade from a C+ to A-.
Grade: A-
---------------------------
Wing
Since Texas doesn't really have a definitive 1-5 lineup with your stereotypical small forward, I consider this backcourt to consist of a point guard and wing players (which isn't uncommon at all). The 2 and the 3 are interchangeable and with the lack of size that Texas has rostered, I don't feel comfortable labeling anybody a small forward. In terms of scholarship players that are currently on the roster, Texas looks like it's sitting in pretty good shape here with Arkansas transfer Tramon Mark, and Chendall Weaver. Mark was one of the best scorers in the SEC, is a great on-ball defender, and we all know what we're getting with Chendall Weaver who is by far my favorite player (I'd assume a lot of you feel the same way). With Tre Johnson signed, the Longhorns are building a phenomenal foundation here and I could not be happier with where the Horns sit at the off-ball guard positions. For those of you that haven't seen Tramon Mark's tape...
Grade: A-
---------------------------
Forward
With no true center on the roster outside of Kaden Shedrick (even though he's listed as a forward), the forward position has the most depth on the roster. That being said, I think that there can be an improvement in terms of the quality of player that Texas has rostered at the position. With the departure of Brock Cunningham and Dillon Mitchell, the Longhorns have supplemented the loss with a net gain in the commitment from Jayson Kent. Kent is a better fit for the offense, provides a really good spacing element, is experienced, and has a very high basketball IQ. I have no idea what Texas has in Onyema, Clark, Pryor or with incoming freshmen Nicolas Codie simply because none of them have played meaningful minutes or at all, at this level. So while I can appreciate what the Horns have in the cupboard, it's not nearly enough for me to say that this is a position of strength. I'll call it OK.
Grade: B-
---------------------------
Center
In case anybody forgot what a healthy Kaden Shedrick is capable of, see above. Speaking of Kaden Shedrick, this entire segment is basically just for him. I'd LOVE Texas to bring in one more guy that can be a defensive anchor in the paint, but for now, Shedrick has proven himself as more than capable. He played excellent down the stretch of last season, providing phenomenal minutes whenever his number was called. With a full off-season to get healthy, get in the gym and continue to improve I'm expecting big things from Shedrick this season. The depth at the center spot is mainly just going to be a recycled lineup of Shedrick coming out of the game whenever Texas wants to go small. But because there is lack of depth in the Longhorns' front court, I'm going to have to give them...
Grade: B-
---------------------------
Overall: B+
I think the Longhorns are doing a good job of replacing a lot of the pieces that are departing. However, I need to see more. There is a depth issue across the board on this roster but I have faith in Rodney Terry and the staff to come through this offseason in a big way. In fact, they already are. Let's see how the offseason plays out, but for now I give the Longhorns a solid B when I consider the 5 best options on the team. Is a B good enough? In my opinion no. I get a feeling this team will be on the uptick pretty soon…
*REMEMBER THAT THIS THREAD WILL BE ONGOING*
Thanks for reading!
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