(From Anwar)
It may be hard to gauge where other programs rank in the recruitment of Isidore Newman quarterback Arch Manning.
We know Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, and LSU are on Manning’s list. Texas seems like the team to beat at this moment. Manning visited Texas twice last year. He took a visit in June and was in attendance when Texas hosted Oklahoma State in mid-October. Manning remained in constant contact when Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian. Texas struggled last season, but Sarkisian successfully sold Manning on his long-term Longhorn vision.
Manning recently scheduled a third visit to Austin. He intends to arrive on March 24, which is a Thursday. Clearly, the more times Manning visits Austin, it indicates Texas is still in contention for the nation’s top quarterback. Of course, it is easy to view the recruitment of Manning with some skepticism. Alabama and Georgia can sell Manning on competing for a conference and national title in year one. Sarkisian must convince Manning that Texas is laying the building blocks to be on Alabama or Georgia’s level in the future.
If Manning decides to go attend another program, college observers will know Sarkisian nearly pulled off one of the biggest recruiting victories of his college coaching career.
If Manning chooses Texas, we will look back on his visit in March as a major clue in his recruitment.
Here is what we learned this week.
--- Some observers questioned why Manning decided to visit on a Thursday. Manning may not arrive in time to watch the team practice that day. The next practice will occur on Saturday. Does Manning want to spend Friday looking for the best brisket in Austin?
Actually, pretty close.
I was told the main reason Manning intends to arrive on Thursday is that he wants to explore Austin on Friday. Manning’s goal is to learn everything about the city he could potentially relocate to after high school. My sources said Manning wants to get a feel for Austin with his family.
Clearly, that is a positive sign for Texas. It is one thing for Manning to hear a pitch, visit a facility, and spend time around players. However, Manning has moved past that and wants to know what it would like to live in Austin. Many of us have taken the same approach during a job interview. It is common to fly up a day early or hang around an extra day, for a job interview that would require relocation.
That is an encouraging sign for Texas.
--- After spending a day exploring Texas, the next box Manning intends to check is watching a Longhorn spring practice in-person.
I was told Manning views watching practice as more important than a scrimmage. Manning wants to see how Sarkisian conducts a practice, works with the quarterbacks, and his coaching style. Watching a practice in-person should answer any remaining question Manning might have, plus the opportunity to watch his future teammates in action.
--- The most interesting aspect about Manning’s visit is the priority he placed on visiting Texas.
Manning is slated to visit Austin and has not made similar plans with the other programs on his list. From what I was told, Manning will likely visit some programs this spring. However, Texas is the first school Manning chose to make arrangements with.
Isidore Newman defeated St. Thomas Aquinas in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division III playoffs on Thursday. The state championship game is on Saturday at 4 p.m. I was told Manning intends to figure out his travel schedule to other programs after the playoffs.
If you are looking for reasons to be optimistic, Manning’s decision to schedule a Texas visit before any other program shows the quarterback is highly interested in the Longhorns. Texas is high enough on Manning’s list to be a priority, and that should be an encouraging sign for Longhorn observers.
We will keep you posted.
*****
(From Suchomel)
More and more, I’ve been getting the question on what Texas might do should the Longhorns miss out on the Arch Manning sweepstakes in the 2023 recruiting cycle? I know … you all don’t even want to think about that possibility, but it’s worth addressing.
With it being a down year in the state, the options are pretty limited unless someone really shoots up the ranks with a strong summer and senior season. Only four QBs are currently ranked in the Rivals.com Texas Top 100. Three of those four are already committed (No. 9 Jackson Arnold to Oklahoma, No. 49 Austin Novosad to Baylor, No. 76 Bo Edmundson to Michigan State). Kaden Anderson, at No. 90, remains uncommitted.
If Texas is forced to eventually look somewhere other than Manning, it’s likely that the staff will have to pluck an out-of-state prospect. Enter Nico Iamaleava.
A source close to the five-star standout from Cali told OB this week that the Texas staff have stayed in close contact, primarily Steve Sarkisian and A.J. Milwee. In fact, we were told that Milwee checks in with Iamaleava every week.
Manning is still the top priority and will be until he makes a decision, but it sounds like the staff is staying on Iamaleava just enough to let him know there’s an interest and to keep Texas fresh in Iamaleava’s mind. To this point, though, there’s been no formal scholarship offer from the UT staff, which can probably be taken as a small sign in the coaches’ confidence in Manning.
I asked if there was a possibility of Iamaleava making his way to Austin for a visit at some point, but I was told there’s nothing currently in the plans. “Time will tell,” the source said. Most likely, Texas would need to ratchet up the recruiting intensity a bit for a visit to be a possibility, but the fact that Iamaleava (No. 9 on the Rivals100) is communicating with Milwee weekly would seem to show some interest in Texas.
******
West Virginia grad transfer linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo hit the portal last Friday and he’s been in contact with UT linebackers coach Jeff Choate. Along with Texas, Chandler-Semedo said he’s hearing from the likes of USC, Rutgers, Central Florida and Miami.
“They’re in the mix right now,” Chandler-Semedo said.
Chandler-Semedo isn’t a complete stranger to the Forty Acres, having played against Texas the last three years, with two of those games coming in Austin. He apparently caught the eye of the UT staff with his play against Texas last year in a game in which he recorded 12 tackles and half of a sack.
“Really they just said I kind of fit what they’re trying to do. They’ve seen me play when I played against them, liked my film,” Chandler-Semedo said. “They’re pretty familiar, understand the need, understand I provide a skill set they can use.”
Chandler-Semedo said he hasn’t really discusses setting up a visit other than a brief conversation. He’d like to make his way for a visit at some point, but doesn’t have a date in mind yet.
Originally from Ohio, Chandler-Semedo said he kind of wants to spread his wings and play his final year of ball in a new part of the country. Ultimately, he said he’d like to pick a team that has a chance to play at a high level in 2022.
“I’m fine going anywhere. I preferably want to get away, get into a diff territory,” Chandler-Semedo said. “Really I just want to win. I want the best situation possible for me and the team. Winning is priority number one.”
Chandler-Semedo is currently in grad school at WVU studying Business Administration, so he’s still trying to figure out how exactly the transfer process will work for him. He’d like to find a good business school, something Texas can obviously sell.
In talking to him, USC seems like it might be the team that has caught Chandler-Semedo’s attention the most right now, but Texas is definitely a school he wants to see and you’d think with UT’s depth chart, history and academic reputation, the Longhorns will have a good shot if they can get Chandler-Semedo on campus.
“They’re definitely in the mix. I’m familiar with them, played against Texas my whole career, know what they represent, the entire team,” Chandler-Semedo said.
******
Texas put an offer on the table for West Orange-Stark athlete Jamaal Shaw last month, and Shaw said it was very much a pleasant surprise.
“I didn’t know what to think. I was so happy though,” Shaw said. “That was my dream college and stuff so I was happy.”
Shaw, the younger brother of one-time Texas commitment Johnny Shaw in the 2015 class, picked up the offer from Bo Davis. A versatile athlete who can play on either side of the ball, Shaw shifted over to defense in 2021 and said he feels that could be his future in college.
“I really see myself at DB right now. It was my first year playing DB. At first I didn’t like it but now I do,” Shaw said.
The conversation with Texas was pretty brief and Shaw said he hasn’t heard much since. He’s set to visit Houston this weekend and said the UT coaches mentioned a possible March 12 visit, which he’d like to make.
Texas is in a good spot here but Shaw said he wants to take things slowly to see who all shows an interest. Along with UT, Shaw listed Houston, Baylor and TCU as schools standing out.
“It’s the history of it, how they were winning. My brother used to talk to me about them all the time how he was growing up,” Shaw said of the Longhorns.
(From Alex)
Here's a mix of snippets and nuggets from conversations, observations and media availabilities here in Indy through the first two-and-a-half days of the 2022 NFL Combine:
LONGHORNS-RELATED NUGGETS
- Of course, Texas has only two players here. CB Josh Thompson and PK Cameron Dicker. We don't need to belabor the point that it is not a strong showing from a program that certainly sees itself as one of CFB's big boys. Baylor has 7 players here, A&M has nine. Lake Travis High School has as many players here as the University of Texas in 2022: Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson and Dicker the Kicker.
- Speaking of Wilson, I asked him about playing football with Dicker in high school and was surprised to hear him say that he's the best kicker he's ever played with at any level. I guess he didn't think as highly of his place-kicker during his three years at Ohio State. Wilson said Dicker is automatic and has ice water in his veins. Said he still remembers him bringing them to overtime versus Cibolo Steele.
- Two NFL scouts have told me they love Dicker as well. They basically both said the same thing: he was sneakily a really good punter this year for Texas as well, and a team is probably going to draft him. Probably not like a Michael Dickson-type of reach like we saw from the Seahawks, but it sounds like Dicker is probably going to get drafted, which really isn't a lock for anyone other than the truly best kickers in college football. Teams simply won't use significant draft capital on specialists.
- CB Josh Thompson has had mixed reviews from people you ask about his draft stock. One NFL evaluator told me that he had Thompson graded on his scale at a "5.5" and I asked what the hell that meant and he said a practice-squad-type. That indicates, at least to me, that some teams don't view Thompson -- a guy who really never emerged as a clear CB starter in 2021 -- as draftable. With that said, Thompson did earn a Senior Bowl invite this year and the Senior Bowl generally doesn't invite guys recently under new director Jim Nagy who aren't going to be drafted. One NFC scout told me he thought Thompson could go as early as the fourth round because he thinks he'll test really well athletically.
- Also of note, I spoke with a bunch of prospects about topics on the periphery of Texas football in order to drum up some Texas-centric content from a Combine without much Longhorns-related buzz in the air. When I talked with Texas Tech WR Erik Ezukanma, I asked him the best defender he ever faced in the Big 12 during his career and he shocked the heck out of me when he said, "Josh Thompson from Texas." Well, so you have that in the "pros" column for Thompson as well. "He's a very physical guy, it was ground and pound the whole game and he didn't let up."
- One scout asked me if Texas had any combine "snubs" that needed to be on his radar and I just had to sit there and think about it. Eventually, I just kind of had to say no. What is the closest thing? Derek Kerstetter?
- I talked to Iowa State TE Charlie Kolar and asked him where he thought Iowa State stacked up versus the Texases and the Oklahomas of the world these days, and he said: 'That's not my call to make, but we're going to go down there and play. We have some really good young guys and we're going to continue to build the program like we've laid the foundation for in the last few years and I think we'll keep on competing with those teams." I asked Kolar to name one player who the rest of the Big 12 should look out for next year and he quickly said "(Redshirt Sophomore QB) Hunter Dekkers is going to be special."
- I asked the other Iowa State TE in attendance, Chase Allen, the same question about naming one guy who we should all be on the lookout for and he said "I'm excited to see what Hunter Dekkers is going to be able to do. He's a Northwest Iowa guy and he's a dog."
- I also talked to Iowa State QB Brock Purdy -- who did not tell me that Josh Thompson was the best defender he faced in college, that honor for Purdy went to Baylor safety Jalen Pitre -- and asked him the same question. His answer: "Hunter Dekkers for sure, he's special." At this point I just asked Purdy, what is so special about this guy? Three of you have had no hesitation in saying his name unsolicited. Purdy said, "the game is just natural to him, he has a feel for the game and honestly the guy just makes plays. At practice, in the games that he's been in, he's always just had a knack for knowing where to go and being on time with the ball, he's got a great arm and he can move, too. I lot of teams are going to have to prepare well for him." Here's a cut up of some of his reps from the Opening a few years back.
- I asked a few other players about Texas and Oklahoma going to the SEC among other topics:
- OU TE/FB Jeremiah Hall - I asked him what his real feelings were about Lincoln Riley's departure from OU: "You know I had mixed feelings about it because Lincoln did a lot for me and he gave me my scholarship, he created the offense that made me successful, for that I'll always be grateful. On the other hand, as a captain, you look at your freshmen and your sophomores coming and asking ;J Hall - what do we do?' and I don't know how to respond because I've never been in that situation."
I asked what he thought about Texas and OU moving to the SEC and if the rosters will need to be changed due to the differences in play in those leagues: "The Big 12 is a little different than the SEC, more high tempo, 85-plus plays. The SEC you'll see 65 plays. The defenses in the SEC do more two-gap style of play, in the Big 12 you'll see more slants, responding to motions on offense. There are differences, and you'll see that in the players they bring in in recruiting. I think they'll adapt.
- Former OU and SMU TE Grant Calcaterra - I asked what he thought of the move to the SEC for Texas and OU: "I think it's a good move," he said. "Those guys, especially Oklahoma, have been on top of the Big 12 for who knows how many years straight. It will be a big challenge for the schools, but they'll find a way to be successful."
- Texas A&M TE Jalen Wydermeyer - I asked what he thought about Texas coming to the SEC: "Uh, well if they feel like they're ready to do that ... well, they can do that. But, I wouldn't do that if I was them."
- I asked Washington TE Cade Otten what his thoughts on his former DC Pete Kwiatkowski were, and if he thought he was going to turn around the defense at Texas after a tough first season: "First of all, he's a great guy. I loved getting to know him and him mentoring people, just a great dude but also a great defensive mind. I have no doubt he'll succeed wherever he goes. It seemed like a rough first year at Texas, but I think it's always a process. Changing a culture, changing a defense. I know Coach K is a great guy and a great coach."
- Very nerdy, but I spoke with the owner of a, well, very nerdy dynasty fantasy football website that specializes in content regarding developmental taxi squads where you can draft college players. As of now, Bijan Robinson is by far the most valuable player to own in that type of league. In fact, according to his trade calculator, something crazy is happening: A 2023 first-overall pick in rookie drafts is currently worth more than the 1.01 pick in this year's draft plus another one later in the round. Basically, Bijan Robinson in dynasty-league fantasy football is currently valued at the same level as TWO of the top-end guys in this year's draft -- likely a Breece Hall or Treylon Burks + an Isaiah Spiller or George Pickens. Texas fans are not the only ones who love Bijan.
- Speaking Texas running backs -- and former Texas running backs -- Keaontay Ingram is here at the Combine after having a relatively successful first season at USC, where he transferred after leaving Texas. Ingram put up 1,065 scrimmage yards and scored 5 total TDs for the Trojans in 2021, catching 22 balls. I tried really hard to get Ingram to say what went into his decision to leave Texas:
Q: What went into the decision to leave Texas and go to USC?
A: I just really wanted to make the best decision for myself at the time; I talked to my mom about it and we made the grown-man decisions and talked about it, had a good thought process about it, we just went with it at the end of the day.
Q: Did it have to do with the depth chart - Bijan, Roschon, etc. and wanting an opportunity for more touches?
A: Oh no sir. No sir.
Q: So what was the main impetus? A different kind of system that might fit you better?
A: I felt like for me to be the running back I wanted to be, I felt like that was the best decision to make and like I said, I talked to my mom about it. We made that decision, we came to an agreement and USC was the school we ended up picking.
Q: You had a couple of guys that also transferred - Jake Smith and Malcolm Epps, that was sort of an interesting situation, right?
A: They wasn't part of the reason I made that decision, they ended up coming along. Of course, I ended up being the guy that kind of persuaded them at the same time. Recently, I talked to them and they are doing fine. They like Lincoln Riley - a new coach, a new tradition, so yeah, they're just out there getting work in.
- I had to ask if Jake Smith was staying healthy and Ingram did at least give a definitive and straightforward answer on that - he has been healthy and not had any setbacks since hurting his foot last summer.
- Spokle with a Denver Broncos source who told me that former Longhorn OT Calvin Anderson is actually a player the Broncos like a lot and who gives them some versatile depth on the offensive line. This person thinks they will try to have him back, as he is set to be a free agent. The person noted that they feel good about bringing Anderson back because he is an ERFA (Exclusive Rights Free Agent). This means that the Broncos can keep Anderson, who fits the category of a player who has accrued two or fewer seasons and is on an expired contract (Anderson signed a two-year deal in 2020 averaging $540,000 a year, but seasons on the practice squad don't count as accrued seasons unless you have at least six games on the active roster) by simply giving Anderson a qualifying offer, which doesn't allow him to negotiate with another team. The qualifying offer has to be for at least the league minimum. If the Broncos were not to extend a qualifying offer, he would then be an unrestricted free agent.
For Anderson, if he does get another NFL contract with the Broncos or elsewhere, this would at least represent a pretty significant pay bump for the 2022 season: 1) because the minimum salaries got another bump in 2022; and 2) because he will have accrued his two full seasons this time around. The minimum for players with 2+ years in 2022 will be $860,000 as opposed to the $660,000 number for those with less than two years in the league. Not a bad chunk of change for a guy who contributed solidly during his short time at Texas en route to the league. That's enough to buy a lot of those Rubik's Cubes he loves playing with.
*****
Allen (TX) defensive lineman DJ Hicks is currently ranked no. 2 nationally in the 2023 recruiting cycle and is a huge target for the Texas Longhorns. Hicks projects best to play inside on the defensive line, but he offers enough versatility to slide outside and play some end, as well.
Texas DL coach Bo Davis has made Hicks a priority, and it is Davis that has made the Longhorns a factor in Hicks’ recruitment. Hicks trusts Davis, which is a big deal when he decides on the program that he ultimately signs with.
“I really have a close relationship with coach Bo Davis,” Hicks told Orangebloods earlier this week. “I like how he keeps everything real. I feel like he’s a real dude. He keeps everything real with you.”
Another factor that could help the Longhorns in the Hicks sweepstakes? Arch Manning.
Manning, of course, is the overall top priority for the Longhorns -- and several other programs around the nation -- in the current recruiting cycle.
Ranked no. 1 overall in the class, the quarterback out of Isidore Newman in New Orleans has connected with Hicks. Manning was the first player that Hicks mentioned to me about wanting to possibly play on the next level.
“Arch Manning,” Hicks said without hesitation about who he would like to play with on the next level. “He just texted me earlier. We just started really talking, so maybe we can develop a relationship.”
Texas is one of the programs that have been consistently in the mix for Manning, who is expected to visit the 40 Acres later this month. The 5-star QB is the kind of prospect that is capable of luring the elite of the elite talent to whichever program he ultimately chooses.
Other players that Hicks pointed out include 2024 Allen EDGE Zina Umeozulu and 2023 Cypress Ranch EDGE Ashton Porter.
Umeozulu is Hicks’ teammate and is the younger brother of 2022 Longhorns signee Neto Umeozulu. Porter is set to play in the UA All-American Game with Hicks and is a prospect that the Longhorns are in a good position for.
Texas has a difficult battle ahead of them in the Hicks recruitment, but these type of relationships certainly do not hurt the Longhorns’ efforts in recruiting the 5-star.
***
Speaking of Zina Umeozulu, the 2024 4-star Allen standout is on track to be among the best EDGE prospects in America for his class. Umeozulu possesses unique size, length, and explosive ability that make him a top prospect.
The younger Umeozulu watched his older brother sign with the Longhorns in December. He told OB that watching his brother fulfill his dream of signing to college football was awesome. He also took some things away from watching that recruitment.
“He basically just told me (to) listen to what other people have to say, but at the end of the day it is your decision,” Umeozulu said about what his brother, Neto, told him.
Umeozulu is high on what the Longhorns have to offer, saying that Texas has been recruiting him since he was a freshman.
“I like how they’ve been showing me love since I was a freshman,” Umeozulu said. “Texas has always felt like family to me. I really like them.”
Umeozulu says he communicates primarily with Longhorns defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski. Texas views him as an EDGE that can drop back into coverage. He feels like that suits him perfectly, although he obviously prefers pinning his ears back and rushing the passer.
Still early, but Texas is in a great spot here. Having Neto Umeozulu in the boat certainly helps. That said, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are two of the major programs making pushes, too.
***
Additionally, we provided an update on 2024 Lucas (TX) Lovejoy LB Payton Pierce this week. Texas offered Pierce last month, joining the likes of Arkansas, Baylor, SMU, and TCU on the offer sheet.
A state champion wrestler, Pierce has the chance to be a big-time prospect in his class.
He also has a close relationship with the Umeozulu family. Pierce told me that he has grown up with Zina and Neto and that he has visited the Texas campus with them. Package deals don’t always work out, but Pierce made it known that he would like to play with Zina if everything worked out that way.
***
Finally, quick note on 2023 Lucas (TX) Lovejoy WR Kyle Parker.
Parker has emerged as an important target for Texas in this year’s cycle. Brennan Marion has offered Parker at Pitt and now at Texas, and Parker is coming off a strong junior campaign.
Arkansas, Penn State, and Mississippi State are three other programs that Parker mentioned that are recruiting him and that he would like to visit this spring. However, if there is a team that is a real threat to Texas, it would be Louisville.
Parker is set to visit the Cardinals this weekend, his second trip to the campus this offseason. Parker is close with UL QB commit Pierce Clarkson, and that staff is selling on him playing alongside the Rivals250 signal caller up there.
I still like where Texas stands, but Louisville is trying its best to make things interesting and are certainly a threat to the Longhorns for the wideout of the Metroplex.
*****
(Zach)
Finally, we'll end tonight's War Room with a little baseball recruiting discussion, as Orangebloods had a chance to talk with Waxahachie HS signee Jared Thomas to get his thoughts on signing with the Longhorns.
Jared Thomas
Class of 2022
1B/LHP
6’2” 180
Bats/Throws – L/L
HS: Waxahachie HS
https://twitter.com/jaredthomas02
Q: What were your expectations about the recruiting process?
A: The dream of mine was always to play college baseball. I made sure to make it clear to myself that it would be division 1 baseball. Whenever Texas reached out and let me know that they were interested in me as a player, that was the best feeling ever.
Q. What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?
A. I wanted them to be a winning program and a program that developed players into big leaguers. I wanted to be able to have a coaching staff that felt like family, and with Texas, that’s something that stood out to me.
Q. What about Texas Baseball (staff, program, playing time, etc.) led you to choose Texas?
A: I grew up watching coach Augie win a lot of baseball games in the burnt orange. Texas was always a school that was just a dream of playing at, and now that dream is a reality. The coaching staff stood out to me the first time I talked to them. Phillip Miller was actually the first coach that I talked to from Texas. The first conversation was a pivotal point in the recruiting process. You would think that a phone call with your dream school would be a little nerve racking but it was just a normal conversation with coach Miller. He made it very clear thatI could reach out to him about anything at all. My family and I felt really comfortable with the staff and the development I would get at Yhe University of Texas.
Q: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you?
A: The recruiting process really took off during the summer after my sophomore year. That was the time that I really hit my growth spurt and started filling out a little bit. Texas first saw me play at Sam Houston State during the summer of my sophomore year. Coach Miller was at that game and actually got to see me play second base... even though I’m left handed. I think that’s really what made me stand out a little bit.
Q: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?
A: Some other schools included Sam Houston State, TCU, OSU, Texas A&M and DBU.
Q: You are one of the top ranked kids in the 2022 class and for good reason. You have excelled on both side of the ball. Do you have a preference in hitting or pitching? Have the coaches talked to you long term where they see you best fitting in?
A: This is a tough question. I love doing both right now, but in the future I’m going to have to give one up. I would prefer to hit and field rather than pitch, and I think as I grow and continue to get stronger, hitting is going to get me further in the game of baseball. I’m going to try and do both for as long as I can though.
Q: Any HS players or teams you are looking forward to going up against this season?
A: I’m really looking forward to playing Tavion Vaughn and Cedar Hill. He’s committed to Oklahoma so we can get the Red River Rivalry started early. Another couple guy I’m looking forward to playing against is Caleb Bergman(Baylor) and his Plano east team.
Q: It is early, but there will be interest from the MLB. Have you given much thought to how you will approach the draft?
A: Me and my family have done a lot of thinking on the draft. I think it is a win-win situation with the draft or Texas. We’re going to really focus on having a good spring and let the final decision be up to God.
Q: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?
A: I think the most memorable point in my career was the phone call I had to coach Miller about committing to Texas. He was so fired up about it. The big hugs I got from my parents and my little brother after the call was really eye opening. This showed us that all the money and the hard work was worth it.
*****
(Womack)
Here are some of the things that stuck out to me from today's media availability with Chris Beard and Marcus Carr.
Marcus Carr
“What are your takeaways from the Baylor loss?”
MC: The focus has always been and will continue to be us getting better. Through watching that game, certain glaring plays…it was the little things that kind of piled up and became the big things that ultimately cost us the game…Credit to them, they made shots down the stretch, and were able to get it done.
“If someone had never seen Texas basketball, and you told them, we will do well if we do the following. What would that be?”
MC: Simply, defend and rebound. When we’re locked in on the defensive end and we’re able to control the glass, we can control any game that we’re playing in. I feel like as long as we do those two things, everything else will take care of itself.
“Is there a different energy when March comes?”
MC: Yeah. Growing up playing, this is the time you dream to be playing in. March is the month you want to be playing in. Coming here talking to coach, ever since summertime, throughout the year…everything has always been about March…It’s very exciting…I don’t think it’s a nerves thing at all. It’s something we’re embracing.
“You and Andrew [Jones] didn’t get to the free-throw line against Baylor. Was it something they were doing?”
MC: For me, I wasn’t being aggressive enough, or getting downhill. I should’ve done a better job of doing that for sure.
“What kind of opportunity does Kansas present in a way to get where you want to go?”
MC: It’s an opportunity in front of us. Obviously, Kansas on their home floor is a difficult team to beat…It’s a challenge we’re looking to take on. They’re obviously a great team. We have to look at the things we did well in the first game, and the things we didn’t do so well and clean those up, and just try to have a strong performance.
Chris Beard
“Do you anticipate adding players in the portal in 2022?”
CB: Oh yeah. It’s 2022. There are unsigned players across the country that we’re recruiting. There will be waves of change, whether that’s a coaching change…Recruiting is just getting started.
“Have you discussed coming back with your senior players?”
CB: We’ve got great open dialogue with these guys. We started the journey early on by talking about this super-senior deal. We know that Jase can’t play college basketball as it sits today…With the other guys, I feel like we’re on the same page. We haven’t talked about it for a minute, nor will we talk about it for a minute until this season ends.
“The next couple of weeks could change plans for some of these players. What do you think?”
CB: Yeah, good or bad. I’d love to make a run and watch a couple of these guys sort of springboard where they’re at in their future plans, so to me that’s what it’s all about. I’m not a guy that sits around and thinks about next season. Right now, we’ve got some great opportunities. You couldn’t ask for a better last game. It’ll be a tough environment, they’ll be playing for the Big-12 regular-season title. We’ll have to play our best game of the season. But that’s no different than what’s coming up in March. I think we’ll play TCU in the first round [of the Big-12 Tournament]. I think we’ll have to play our best game of the season then, too. They’re one of the hottest teams in college basketball right now. I think when you’re in the NCAA Tournament, you have to play your best game of the year. Even in the first round, you don’t advance by bringing your B-game or C-game.
“Have you noticed a renewed focus and energy in your team with the Baylor loss and what’s around the corner?”
CB: Absolutely. These guys are great. It started Monday night. We had a really active group text, conversations, phone calls, even a couple of face-to-face meetings. We felt like we left some stuff on the court against Baylor. That’s frustrating. Give them credit, I think they’re one of the best teams in the country. We had to play really well. It’s a tie game with five minutes left…we got five shots right around the basket, you guys were there…[We recovered] pretty quickly from that home loss…We haven’t had much of a hangover. We’ve been popped around a few times like everybody has. The guys do a good job of rebounding and bouncing back. There’s a lot of internal optimism in our program; we feel like we’re primed and ready.
“What do you like most about this team?”
CB: I think they’re together. They’re very connected. There are 11 players on the active roster right now, and I think we’ve got two of the best guys in college basketball with Tristen [Licon] and Avery [Benson]. They’re two guys who aren’t necessarily in the rotation right now, but they’re guys who absolutely are ready if called upon. There’s teams around the country that will beat themselves, but we will not be one of those teams. If you want to beat Texas in March, you’re gonna have to beat us.
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