In a little over three weeks, the Longhorns will be in Australia for competitive basketball, team-building, and a unique experience they’ll forever remember. And, if all goes to plan, they’ll come back a better basketball team in every sense.
Shaka Smart during his team's practice prior to a NCAA Tournament game in 2016.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Right now, workouts are ongoing on the UT campus as the Longhorns try to become a better basketball team every day. But they didn’t bury last season and agree to never speak of it again.
“Exactly the opposite,” said a source close to the program, referencing that last season is often used as a teaching point during workouts. Shaka Smart went through a long period of self-reflection after the season, and he wants his players and coaches that experienced the pain of 2016-17 to internalize it and learn from it.
What’s on the floor right now in workouts is a different Texas team, though. Much different, and in a good way. We were able to connect with a couple of sources close to the program to gather information about where the Longhorns are right now, and what’s happening over at the hoops facilities. Notes:
--- We’ll start with Mohamed Bamba because the prized freshman big man has been better than advertised. Yes, you read that right. Specifically referring to analysis that Bamba’s defensive ability was far ahead of his offensive skill, a source scoffed at the notion Bamba couldn’t make plays offensively.
“He got extra competitive near the end of one practice, and didn’t hesitate to pull an open three. In-and-out. He trailed a fast break the next play, and no one picked him up. He got the ball at the arc and took another three and drilled it,” a source said.
Recently, Bamba connected on 71-of-100 three-pointers in a shooting drill. No, he’s not going to begin his college career draining threes, and his best work offensively will be done in or around the paint. However, his underrated shooting touch and easily repeatable stroke should allow him to immediately be a threat in the mid-range, and eventually at the perimeter.
As for his ability in the paint, Bamba has flashed the ability to use both hands, and recently put the ball on the floor once, went into a spin move before laying it off the glass. People that have watched him at Texas have joked the best offense might be to drive and just throw it up in the air anywhere near the paint for a dunk.
“He’s raw, but he’s showing things that people didn’t really get to see much of in high school,” a source said. Bamba will have to adjust like every freshman, but each team workout he makes a couple “wow” plays naturally. As Texas told him when he was recruiting, he will be a focal point of the offense. And as Texas has seen thus far, its assessment that he could fulfill that role well was accurate. When his team has needed a bucket to win parts of a practice, he hasn't hesitated to call for the ball.
Jarrett Allen was terrific last season as a freshman, and better than most realize because of the parts that surrounded him. But there’s a feeling on the 40 Acres that Bamba will be noticeably better.
--- Dylan Osetkowski does a little of everything on the floor, but that’s not a surprise to people on the 40 Acres. What might be more valuable is what Texas is seeing from a vocal leadership presence.
“He’s what the team needs,” a source told OB, referencing the lack of vocal presence during last season.
As Osetkowksi, a redshirt junior, continues to grow as a player and leader, he’s becoming louder in a good way. Someone remarked to us that his toughness and approach can rub off positively on the rest of the roster, and he at times plays with a sort of nasty edge that can get under opponents' skin.
Recently during one of his better workouts, a source described an impressive sequence when the junior big displayed his array of skill. Osetkowski grabbed a rebound, and took it the entire length of the floor for a layup in a crowded paint. He realized no one attempted to stop his dribble until it was too late, and took advantage. While that might seem easy, remember this is a 6-9 forward that’s probably pushing 250 solid pounds. Later, he pinned a guard on a fast break for a layup, and also hit a knockdown three off a ball reversal in the half-court.
A source remarked that Osetkowski is Texas’s most important player, which stems from the vocal leadership, experience, and package of skill, smarts, and size at a position Texas hasn’t had much at since Connor Lammert, who has been working out at Texas before returning to Japan. Other former Longhorns that have come by recently to hang out and work out include recent first-round pick Jarrett Allen, Avery Bradley, Demarcus Holland, Javan Felix and Kevin Durant.
UT's hoops IQ will be boosted significantly by Osetkowski and Matt Coleman alone, who one source singled out as players that have affected play with their intelligence more than others.
--- Speaking of leadership and vocal presence, from what we’ve heard the Texas staff really gets after this roster from a coaching perspective. A source described some of the practice atmosphere as “tough love” because Smart and his staff won’t hesitate to really get on guys and constantly push them hard, but also make it a point to single out good plays with encouragement. There’s a clear sense of urgency at the basketball facility, especially when the team gets on the floor for any type of workout.
“I think they really like coaching this group because they know they can really push it,” a source said. “They respond to being challenged.”
While competitiveness and confidence weren't very high last season, this roster has shown a noticeable difference in both areas thus far. Of course, the real test of that comes in actual games.
UT’s main goal is to establish a culture rooted on playing for each other, but it also wants to establish a basketball environment fueled by competitiveness. It hasn’t been uncommon for periods of practice to get chippy as one team competes against the other in various drills and scrimmage-type objectives throughout the entire workout.
From what we heard, Smart had to stop practice recently to settle guys down after Bamba tossed the ball at James Banks following a bucket in response to Banks’s team’s trash talking. That prompted one of Banks’s teammates to try to get in Bamba’s face (the person thought it was Eric Davis, Jr. but wasn't sure) in defense of Banks before everyone soon calmed down. Apparently, players mixing it up like that isn't uncommon.
"You'll see guys chasing loose balls all over the floor, and if one lingers for a second, they'll hear about it real quick," a source told OB.
While Bamba is an incredibly intelligent, nice, friendly and down-to-earth star freshman, he also has a a nasty mean streak in him on the floor. Texas is pushing him for more of that all-out effort, and nastiness. Don’t let Bamba’s charisma off the court fool you – he wants to win, and wants to bury his opponent.
Speculating here, but after coaching Jarrett Allen, I’d bet Smart is more aggressive in how he pushes Bamba mentally and what he demands of him. They’re different players and different personalities. But, like most freshmen bigs, one of the main things they have to learn is how to play hard all the time and how to embrace the competitive fire and the nastiness.
Don't let the smile fool you. Bamba plays with a mean streak when he's at his best.
--- While we’re on the note of aggressively pushing guys, Texas is also taking that approach with freshman point guard Matt Coleman. The Oak Hill Academy product is, like all freshmen, still getting used to the speed of the collegiate game, and the grind of workouts, practices, and being a student. Texas is pushing him hard and coaching him like a veteran player because it knows it needs a ton from him this season, and that isn’t lost on Coleman either.
“They (Longhorns) need a lot from him. They know that. He knows that. He’ll be ready.”
Coleman’s natural ability to run a team and simply play the game have shown in scrimmage-type settings when he’s free to run the team. The more Texas gets into those types of settings, the more Coleman’s role and production will grow. UT’s upcoming Australia trip should allow him to return more of a leader and more comfortable player thanks to some actual competition against other teams and ability to do what he does best – get on the floor and make everyone else better. Already, Coleman has shown in spurts what Texas missed: a guy that can simply drive the ball and make the easy decision with the occasional advanced pass thanks to his natural feel.
--- How quickly freshman Jase Febres is picking things up has been a nice, early development for Texas. Already, Febres, a 6-6 guard from Westfield in the Houston area, is turning heads with his ability to knock down perimeter shots. But what’s been more impressive is his ability to quickly process information, apply it, and his natural feel for playing the game (good at getting to the right spots and spacing) sounds like it was underrated as a recruit, like his ability as a defender too.
Along those lines, I’m sure many Texas fans want to know if three-pointers are actually being made in practice right now. The answer is yes. If you asked Texas to rate Eric Davis, Jr.’s approach to bouncing back from last season 1-100, it wouldn’t be a 100. But it would be over 50 and trending positively. He’s shown competitiveness, effort, has been vocal, and has knocked down shots. As one source said, though, it’ll be like a lot of things with this Texas team: believe it when you see it in games. It’s going to be a concern until it’s proven not to be.
That being said, when Texas’s spacing is right in workouts, the looks are there thanks to what bigs like Bamba and Osetkowski are doing and what slashers Kerwin Roach, Jr. and Andrew Jones are doing while guards like Matt Coleman drive to kick.
Texas fans should be encouraged by the relationship between old and young on the floor thus far. The Longhorns are still going to be more young than old (eight freshmen and sophomores compared to three eligible juniors), and they’re going to need the experience they have to help those young guys get acclimated as quickly as possible. It’s common in workouts to hear and see older players, even sophomores, helping coach up a freshmen class still trying to learn how to practice the right way. A guy like Jacob Young’s role in the rotation is unclear, but his willingness to play hard, aggressively, and help his teammates is showing as is his increased confidence and scoring ability. But will he make perimeter shots? Meanwhile, Banks evidently looks better physically, and is growing more comfortable at when to challenge shots and around the paint on offense.
If there's one thing that will have to work itself out once games start, it'll be who can emerge as a calming voice on the floor? Coleman will provide some of that, but it's a lot to ask of him to be one of the only ones while he handles an adjustment period of his own.
Febres is a pretty quiet guy right now. Royce Hamm is a bit louder, and learning on the fly; he's been at his best when he's embraced the little things that can get him on the floor. But the quietest by far is Jericho Sims. Not a surprise for anyone that followed his recruitment. An objective for the Texas staff right now is to get Sims, a truly special talent, to become more vocal. If you don’t talk on the floor at Texas, it’s tough to get minutes, and it also results in your practice team losing the rep.
As for Sims’s skill, it’s shown in flashes – surprising handle with both hands, future ability for a mid-range jumper, and some moves as a scorer in the paint. It’s going to take him time, and that needs repeating for all the young guys. However, the potential Sims possesses is as advertised, and the feeling about him from UT sources has been reinforced by his arrival: his potential is much higher than his recruiting ranking suggested, but it’s going to take time to get there.
"It's going to take time, but he's going to play," a source said, alluding to Sims talent and ability to make an impact standing out already, even in little areas like making passes from the elbows and competing defensively with rare athleticism that makes rebounding a weapon when his motor is running high. "He can do some things you don't expect like put it between the legs and shoot a jumper. He's shown glimpses, and man can he fly and jump."
--- I asked around about this freshmen class – Coleman, Bamba, Hamm, Sims, Febres – for some overall thoughts. While the talent has stood out, I heard this group is a little bit more mature thus far than the last two incoming classes, which should allow the Texas staff to push them harder. Still, expect a definite period of transition that leads to up-and-down play early, although that should be supported by the presence of other talented, more experienced players unlike last season.
--- Following his return from testing the NBA Draft waters, Andrew Jones’s approach has been solid. Once he became fully acclimated again, he’s, overall, taken the approach needed to become a better player as a sophomore after a pretty good freshman campaign.
Like Coleman, Texas is demanding a lot of Jones, and pushing him very hard. If Jones slips back to some freshmen bad habits, he’s quickly reminded by the UT staff. After all, Jones is a player with NBA aspirations that could be an all-conference player this year in a good Big 12, which means the standard and expectations are higher. He knows that, and so does Texas. The flashes of taking that big, next step have been present, especially when Jones has jumped passing lanes to fuel an aggressive, confident fast break the other way. Next step? Consistency.
If you’re wondering about the relationship between Coleman and Jones, I’ve heard they’ve quickly bonded on and off the court. There’s no animosity present about Coleman’s projection as point guard and Jones’s role as combo. They know that if Texas is going to win games, they're going to have to become one of the best backcourts in the conference.
Texas hopes to see more smiling from Roach this season.
--- Perhaps the most surprising thing I heard from multiple sources focused on Roach.
“He’s maybe been the best player. He’ll be a completely different player this season,” a source said.
A different one followed: “He’s had the best approach.”
While players like Bamba, Jones, Osetkowski and perhaps Coleman have more talent and could fill bigger roles, Roach has totally embraced what he can do to best help his team: use his elite athleticism/size/length combo to make plays by flying around without thinking, and priding himself on defending and doing the little things. And both he and Texas fans don’t have to worry about him handling the point guard position for a significant amount of time, allowing him to slide off the ball in a much, much more comfortable role. A source told me when you see Roach in the fall, his shot should look a little cleaner, easier and better thanks to work in the gym. But he's going to make his mark as an athlete, defender, and slasher from the wing.
--- Overall, it’s safe to say what we’ve heard from sources about Texas is more positive than negative, and there’s a sense the 2017-18 Longhorns have legitimate potential. From talking to people, there's a level of excitement about this group and what the program can accomplish this season that wasn't present last season. However, it’s also safe to say while the Texas staff is creating a sense of urgency by really pushing this group, a receptive one, hard, a feeling remains that Texas has a lot to prove, and a lot of work to be done. You’re not going to find people around the program ready to say Texas will win this or that, but you will find a consistent response about progress needing to be made and being made, a culture needing to be established, and a program that needs to prove it by winning basketball games.
No one has forgotten about last season, and if they have, they’re reminded of it. Smart knows it’s time to win. So do the players, and they have the roster to do it.
Shaka Smart during his team's practice prior to a NCAA Tournament game in 2016.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Right now, workouts are ongoing on the UT campus as the Longhorns try to become a better basketball team every day. But they didn’t bury last season and agree to never speak of it again.
“Exactly the opposite,” said a source close to the program, referencing that last season is often used as a teaching point during workouts. Shaka Smart went through a long period of self-reflection after the season, and he wants his players and coaches that experienced the pain of 2016-17 to internalize it and learn from it.
What’s on the floor right now in workouts is a different Texas team, though. Much different, and in a good way. We were able to connect with a couple of sources close to the program to gather information about where the Longhorns are right now, and what’s happening over at the hoops facilities. Notes:
--- We’ll start with Mohamed Bamba because the prized freshman big man has been better than advertised. Yes, you read that right. Specifically referring to analysis that Bamba’s defensive ability was far ahead of his offensive skill, a source scoffed at the notion Bamba couldn’t make plays offensively.
“He got extra competitive near the end of one practice, and didn’t hesitate to pull an open three. In-and-out. He trailed a fast break the next play, and no one picked him up. He got the ball at the arc and took another three and drilled it,” a source said.
Recently, Bamba connected on 71-of-100 three-pointers in a shooting drill. No, he’s not going to begin his college career draining threes, and his best work offensively will be done in or around the paint. However, his underrated shooting touch and easily repeatable stroke should allow him to immediately be a threat in the mid-range, and eventually at the perimeter.
As for his ability in the paint, Bamba has flashed the ability to use both hands, and recently put the ball on the floor once, went into a spin move before laying it off the glass. People that have watched him at Texas have joked the best offense might be to drive and just throw it up in the air anywhere near the paint for a dunk.
“He’s raw, but he’s showing things that people didn’t really get to see much of in high school,” a source said. Bamba will have to adjust like every freshman, but each team workout he makes a couple “wow” plays naturally. As Texas told him when he was recruiting, he will be a focal point of the offense. And as Texas has seen thus far, its assessment that he could fulfill that role well was accurate. When his team has needed a bucket to win parts of a practice, he hasn't hesitated to call for the ball.
Jarrett Allen was terrific last season as a freshman, and better than most realize because of the parts that surrounded him. But there’s a feeling on the 40 Acres that Bamba will be noticeably better.
--- Dylan Osetkowski does a little of everything on the floor, but that’s not a surprise to people on the 40 Acres. What might be more valuable is what Texas is seeing from a vocal leadership presence.
“He’s what the team needs,” a source told OB, referencing the lack of vocal presence during last season.
As Osetkowksi, a redshirt junior, continues to grow as a player and leader, he’s becoming louder in a good way. Someone remarked to us that his toughness and approach can rub off positively on the rest of the roster, and he at times plays with a sort of nasty edge that can get under opponents' skin.
Recently during one of his better workouts, a source described an impressive sequence when the junior big displayed his array of skill. Osetkowski grabbed a rebound, and took it the entire length of the floor for a layup in a crowded paint. He realized no one attempted to stop his dribble until it was too late, and took advantage. While that might seem easy, remember this is a 6-9 forward that’s probably pushing 250 solid pounds. Later, he pinned a guard on a fast break for a layup, and also hit a knockdown three off a ball reversal in the half-court.
A source remarked that Osetkowski is Texas’s most important player, which stems from the vocal leadership, experience, and package of skill, smarts, and size at a position Texas hasn’t had much at since Connor Lammert, who has been working out at Texas before returning to Japan. Other former Longhorns that have come by recently to hang out and work out include recent first-round pick Jarrett Allen, Avery Bradley, Demarcus Holland, Javan Felix and Kevin Durant.
UT's hoops IQ will be boosted significantly by Osetkowski and Matt Coleman alone, who one source singled out as players that have affected play with their intelligence more than others.
--- Speaking of leadership and vocal presence, from what we’ve heard the Texas staff really gets after this roster from a coaching perspective. A source described some of the practice atmosphere as “tough love” because Smart and his staff won’t hesitate to really get on guys and constantly push them hard, but also make it a point to single out good plays with encouragement. There’s a clear sense of urgency at the basketball facility, especially when the team gets on the floor for any type of workout.
“I think they really like coaching this group because they know they can really push it,” a source said. “They respond to being challenged.”
While competitiveness and confidence weren't very high last season, this roster has shown a noticeable difference in both areas thus far. Of course, the real test of that comes in actual games.
UT’s main goal is to establish a culture rooted on playing for each other, but it also wants to establish a basketball environment fueled by competitiveness. It hasn’t been uncommon for periods of practice to get chippy as one team competes against the other in various drills and scrimmage-type objectives throughout the entire workout.
From what we heard, Smart had to stop practice recently to settle guys down after Bamba tossed the ball at James Banks following a bucket in response to Banks’s team’s trash talking. That prompted one of Banks’s teammates to try to get in Bamba’s face (the person thought it was Eric Davis, Jr. but wasn't sure) in defense of Banks before everyone soon calmed down. Apparently, players mixing it up like that isn't uncommon.
"You'll see guys chasing loose balls all over the floor, and if one lingers for a second, they'll hear about it real quick," a source told OB.
While Bamba is an incredibly intelligent, nice, friendly and down-to-earth star freshman, he also has a a nasty mean streak in him on the floor. Texas is pushing him for more of that all-out effort, and nastiness. Don’t let Bamba’s charisma off the court fool you – he wants to win, and wants to bury his opponent.
Speculating here, but after coaching Jarrett Allen, I’d bet Smart is more aggressive in how he pushes Bamba mentally and what he demands of him. They’re different players and different personalities. But, like most freshmen bigs, one of the main things they have to learn is how to play hard all the time and how to embrace the competitive fire and the nastiness.
Don't let the smile fool you. Bamba plays with a mean streak when he's at his best.
--- While we’re on the note of aggressively pushing guys, Texas is also taking that approach with freshman point guard Matt Coleman. The Oak Hill Academy product is, like all freshmen, still getting used to the speed of the collegiate game, and the grind of workouts, practices, and being a student. Texas is pushing him hard and coaching him like a veteran player because it knows it needs a ton from him this season, and that isn’t lost on Coleman either.
“They (Longhorns) need a lot from him. They know that. He knows that. He’ll be ready.”
Coleman’s natural ability to run a team and simply play the game have shown in scrimmage-type settings when he’s free to run the team. The more Texas gets into those types of settings, the more Coleman’s role and production will grow. UT’s upcoming Australia trip should allow him to return more of a leader and more comfortable player thanks to some actual competition against other teams and ability to do what he does best – get on the floor and make everyone else better. Already, Coleman has shown in spurts what Texas missed: a guy that can simply drive the ball and make the easy decision with the occasional advanced pass thanks to his natural feel.
--- How quickly freshman Jase Febres is picking things up has been a nice, early development for Texas. Already, Febres, a 6-6 guard from Westfield in the Houston area, is turning heads with his ability to knock down perimeter shots. But what’s been more impressive is his ability to quickly process information, apply it, and his natural feel for playing the game (good at getting to the right spots and spacing) sounds like it was underrated as a recruit, like his ability as a defender too.
Along those lines, I’m sure many Texas fans want to know if three-pointers are actually being made in practice right now. The answer is yes. If you asked Texas to rate Eric Davis, Jr.’s approach to bouncing back from last season 1-100, it wouldn’t be a 100. But it would be over 50 and trending positively. He’s shown competitiveness, effort, has been vocal, and has knocked down shots. As one source said, though, it’ll be like a lot of things with this Texas team: believe it when you see it in games. It’s going to be a concern until it’s proven not to be.
That being said, when Texas’s spacing is right in workouts, the looks are there thanks to what bigs like Bamba and Osetkowski are doing and what slashers Kerwin Roach, Jr. and Andrew Jones are doing while guards like Matt Coleman drive to kick.
Texas fans should be encouraged by the relationship between old and young on the floor thus far. The Longhorns are still going to be more young than old (eight freshmen and sophomores compared to three eligible juniors), and they’re going to need the experience they have to help those young guys get acclimated as quickly as possible. It’s common in workouts to hear and see older players, even sophomores, helping coach up a freshmen class still trying to learn how to practice the right way. A guy like Jacob Young’s role in the rotation is unclear, but his willingness to play hard, aggressively, and help his teammates is showing as is his increased confidence and scoring ability. But will he make perimeter shots? Meanwhile, Banks evidently looks better physically, and is growing more comfortable at when to challenge shots and around the paint on offense.
If there's one thing that will have to work itself out once games start, it'll be who can emerge as a calming voice on the floor? Coleman will provide some of that, but it's a lot to ask of him to be one of the only ones while he handles an adjustment period of his own.
Febres is a pretty quiet guy right now. Royce Hamm is a bit louder, and learning on the fly; he's been at his best when he's embraced the little things that can get him on the floor. But the quietest by far is Jericho Sims. Not a surprise for anyone that followed his recruitment. An objective for the Texas staff right now is to get Sims, a truly special talent, to become more vocal. If you don’t talk on the floor at Texas, it’s tough to get minutes, and it also results in your practice team losing the rep.
As for Sims’s skill, it’s shown in flashes – surprising handle with both hands, future ability for a mid-range jumper, and some moves as a scorer in the paint. It’s going to take him time, and that needs repeating for all the young guys. However, the potential Sims possesses is as advertised, and the feeling about him from UT sources has been reinforced by his arrival: his potential is much higher than his recruiting ranking suggested, but it’s going to take time to get there.
"It's going to take time, but he's going to play," a source said, alluding to Sims talent and ability to make an impact standing out already, even in little areas like making passes from the elbows and competing defensively with rare athleticism that makes rebounding a weapon when his motor is running high. "He can do some things you don't expect like put it between the legs and shoot a jumper. He's shown glimpses, and man can he fly and jump."
--- I asked around about this freshmen class – Coleman, Bamba, Hamm, Sims, Febres – for some overall thoughts. While the talent has stood out, I heard this group is a little bit more mature thus far than the last two incoming classes, which should allow the Texas staff to push them harder. Still, expect a definite period of transition that leads to up-and-down play early, although that should be supported by the presence of other talented, more experienced players unlike last season.
--- Following his return from testing the NBA Draft waters, Andrew Jones’s approach has been solid. Once he became fully acclimated again, he’s, overall, taken the approach needed to become a better player as a sophomore after a pretty good freshman campaign.
Like Coleman, Texas is demanding a lot of Jones, and pushing him very hard. If Jones slips back to some freshmen bad habits, he’s quickly reminded by the UT staff. After all, Jones is a player with NBA aspirations that could be an all-conference player this year in a good Big 12, which means the standard and expectations are higher. He knows that, and so does Texas. The flashes of taking that big, next step have been present, especially when Jones has jumped passing lanes to fuel an aggressive, confident fast break the other way. Next step? Consistency.
If you’re wondering about the relationship between Coleman and Jones, I’ve heard they’ve quickly bonded on and off the court. There’s no animosity present about Coleman’s projection as point guard and Jones’s role as combo. They know that if Texas is going to win games, they're going to have to become one of the best backcourts in the conference.
Texas hopes to see more smiling from Roach this season.
--- Perhaps the most surprising thing I heard from multiple sources focused on Roach.
“He’s maybe been the best player. He’ll be a completely different player this season,” a source said.
A different one followed: “He’s had the best approach.”
While players like Bamba, Jones, Osetkowski and perhaps Coleman have more talent and could fill bigger roles, Roach has totally embraced what he can do to best help his team: use his elite athleticism/size/length combo to make plays by flying around without thinking, and priding himself on defending and doing the little things. And both he and Texas fans don’t have to worry about him handling the point guard position for a significant amount of time, allowing him to slide off the ball in a much, much more comfortable role. A source told me when you see Roach in the fall, his shot should look a little cleaner, easier and better thanks to work in the gym. But he's going to make his mark as an athlete, defender, and slasher from the wing.
--- Overall, it’s safe to say what we’ve heard from sources about Texas is more positive than negative, and there’s a sense the 2017-18 Longhorns have legitimate potential. From talking to people, there's a level of excitement about this group and what the program can accomplish this season that wasn't present last season. However, it’s also safe to say while the Texas staff is creating a sense of urgency by really pushing this group, a receptive one, hard, a feeling remains that Texas has a lot to prove, and a lot of work to be done. You’re not going to find people around the program ready to say Texas will win this or that, but you will find a consistent response about progress needing to be made and being made, a culture needing to be established, and a program that needs to prove it by winning basketball games.
No one has forgotten about last season, and if they have, they’re reminded of it. Smart knows it’s time to win. So do the players, and they have the roster to do it.
