Texas Depth Chart, 2021-2022

Let the juggling begin

If there is one attribute that everyone agrees on regarding this staff, it is their ability to quickly accumulate talent. Beard has been better than most of his high-major brethren over the past few years at utilizing the transfer process, and though others are starting to catch up he is still very adept at sliding into DMs all over the country. If his tenure ends up being more successful than Shaka’s, the quick start on the recruiting trail/transfer portal will be a primary factor why. The roster went from a glorified 4-on-0 shell drill to 11-strong in the space of two months thanks to Beard and his cadre of recruiting rainmakers blitzing the transfer portal for talent.

This presents a separate problem, though: how does the staff take players who combined for 289.2 minutes/game last season and fit them (and freshman Jaylon Tyson) into the 200 minutes available in each game? Six current Longhorns averaged 30+ minutes/game last year, including two who were wearing burnt orange last season, and there’s a seventh player who averaged 29 MPG. Some people are going to have to get their minutes cut, in many cases pretty substantially. How the Texas staff decides to dole out minutes will be interesting, especially with as many incoming transfers as they have. Last season, Texas saw two players transfer out halfway through the season due to minutes issues, but that team was full of players who had yet to use their one-time transfer option and on top of that, many of the incoming transfers are upper-classmen so they could be running low on eligibility to burn unless they feel like redshirting somewhere or hoping for NCAA waivers. In other words, a disgruntled Longhorns role player might be stuck riding the bench here whether they like it or not. Beard has a history of churning his roster more than most high-major coaches, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see a raft of new faces on the team a year from now; maybe his choice of transfers - 3 seniors, 2 juniors, and a sophomore, plus whatever the hell Avery Benson is (does ‘roadie for a Keith Urban cover band’ count as a classification?) - will mitigate this more than some other years, but it’s also entirely possible Tyson decides to jump after his freshman season. Beard tends to run his youngest players off at a high rate as well, just ask Nimari Burnett, Andrei Savrasov, Russel Tchewa, Josh Mballa…I could go further back, but you get the point.

One of the things Texas fans will need to adjust to under Beard is wholesale roster changes each season; Tech’s “minutes continuity” ranking in KenPom going back the last 5 years: 241st, 313th, 277th, 243rd, & 98th in Beard’s first year when he was a relatively late hire. (Texas those 5 years: 3rd, 130th, 102nd, 269th, 280th.) That’s not to say the roster churn will always be a negative (he tied for the Big 12 conference crown with that 277th ranking) but it does mean Beard and his staff have to work harder on recruiting than your traditional program-building and they have to spend more time re-teaching their systems to new players. You will likely see very few Texas players here for 4 seasons; the next Cunningham Mountain will be more like a Cunningham Ski Lift. It has definitely been an adjustment for me, I’m watching tape on more random teams than normal trying to get up to speed on all the new faces. So let’s talk about what I’ve learned.

Marcus Carr (Senior, 6-2)

There’s going to be a regular refrain in my writing where I wonder if Chris Beard’s motion offense is going to work all that well, and accompanying that refrain is a caveat that it might not really matter that much if the guys who can go get their own shot reliably bail out the offense. The primary caveat is 6-2 and Canadian; Marcus Carr is the latest in an intermittent series of Texas guards who can create something out of nothing with 5 seconds left on the clock. (He’s also part of a reopened Canadian pipeline that seems to magically manifest itself when Rodney Terry is on staff.) I don’t know what Carr’s eventual pro potential is - he was in the G League combine this summer and didn’t get called up to the NBA combine, so he has some work to do to be drafted at all - but he’s fast like Isaiah Taylor, unafraid to take the shot, and makes more of them than most. KenPom will give rough analogues of a player’s seasons to previous players in the database, and coincidentally Marcus Carr’s junior year closely resembles junior year J’Covan Brown. If Carr is able to harness some peak J’Onions magic, the Texas offense will probably be alright even if the motion isn’t working well. I have some questions about his defensive prowess and off-ball offensive commitment; when I watched Minnesota games Carr either had the ball in his hands or floated around the perimeter, and the next screen I see Carr set will be the first. That said, he is going to be the primary ball-handler and will probably contribute enough on offense that any unanswered defensive questions will be somewhat minimized. This team will not reach its ceiling without Carr playing his best basketball.

Tre’ Mitchell (Junior, 6-9)

Mitchell reminds me a bit of Dedric Lawson, which may be a bit of an odd comparison since Lawson was more of a stretch-four who played with Udoka Azuibuike whereas Mitchell is likely to be the starting center for Texas. One of my concerns with Beard going motion with this squad is that I have yet to see Beard really feature a big who can shoot from deep, as Mitchell can. Mitchell isn’t an elite outside shooter, but he makes a solid percentage and his ability to play both close to and far away from the basket is a significant advantage that the motion Beard uses doesn’t really maximize without some significant tweaks. Mitchell in a pace & space ball-screen offense could really shine, or even in the McKillop motion I referenced previously. If Beard didn’t react to ball-screen offenses like they slapped his large, disheveled son Avery Benson in the face, a two-man game with Carr & Mitchell could be deadly. Hopefully Texas uses Mitchell as more than just a low-post presence & off-ball screener - maybe roll out some tape on what they did with TJ Holyfield as a starting point - because properly utilizing Mitchell could unlock a lot of interesting offensive options.

Timmy Allen (Senior, 6-6)

I’m a bit surprised Allen was named first-team all-conference last season; what I saw was a good player who shouldered a heavy burden on a mediocre Utah team, and I wonder if some of the votes came from him putting up big numbers because he had to. I watched Utah play USC; Allen might have been the fourth-best player on the floor and the only one of the four wearing a Utah jersey. He’s kind of - and this is going to sound bad, but roll with me here - a better Dylan Osetkowski? He has better handles than Dylan did, but he has a somewhat similar below-the-basket craftiness, great rebounding instincts, and suspect three-point numbers that remind me a bit of DO. He can be a good tertiary ball-handler and he’s another guy like Carr who can create shots in sub-optimal positions that will come in handy in late-clock situations. I don’t mean to be too harsh, this is a player you definitely take if he wants to commit to your program, I just kinda wonder if people are expecting a bit too much out of him. Out of all of the high-usage transfers who have come to Texas, this might be the one player who is most able to effectively settle into a more complementary role and focus on what he does well because his game seems suited to facilitate & rebound as much as score.

Dylan Disu (Junior, 6-9)

I am not-so-secretly more interested in seeing what Disu can bring to the team than any of the transfers, Carr included. Our latest Pretend We’re Football podcast recording - which should come out any day now - revealed that both Jeff Haley and Tim Preston were similarly enticed by Disu’s game. He might be the best rebounder on Texas - I watched him snag 16 rebounds against Kentucky’s length - he has good touch near the basket, and his three-point shot looks good for a guy his size; if I had to pick a player on the team who sticks in the NBA the longest, Disu might be my pick. I liked what I saw from him defensively as well. Disu can fit into either small-ball or larger lineups without issue. The question with him is what he looks like coming back from knee surgery. It sounds like the staff is taking it super slowly with his return (in the same way bringing Jase along slowly helped with minutes issues last year) so it may be a bit before we see Disu’s full arsenal, but time will tell; if his knee is fine he should be no worse than the 6th man in the rotation, and personally I’d start him.

Christian Bishop (Senior, 6-7)

This is the first of two guys who have to feel like they got recruited over in the transfer market; while his transfer was announced on the same day as Allen, I’m fairly sure he was in the fold first and probably wasn’t expecting Allen to be followed by both Disu and Mitchell. Bishop could have stayed at Creighton and played 30 minutes/game, but now he’s at Texas and might get 10-12 minutes? At this point his near-the-basket skillset overlaps with at least three other players without him being significantly better than any of them at any one thing. He might be fine with being a bench piece - at least publicly he’s saying the right things - but I do have to wonder if you told him who would end up at Texas after he committed, would he still be here. This kind of depth is great for Texas as long as he’s invested in contributing off the bench, and if he’s been promised that he’s not going to play the five then he’s battling with several other players for time.

Devin Askew (Sophomore, 6-3)

Askew has had a fall from grace that makes Will Baker blush; he was a borderline five-star guard with offers from everybody under the sun, committed to Kentucky, and reclassified to get an early jump on his college career. The decision to reclassify…

Askew was the starting point guard for the majority of Kentucky’s worst season in a couple of generations, and while he wasn’t the sole problem boy did he not help. His turnover rate of 25.4 was worse than the season Texas let Snoop Roach (22.1) & Andrew Jones (21.5) play point like a pair of guys who were only allowed to dribble with their feet, and by the time the season was ending he was so reluctant to shoot Ben Simmons was aghast. Two of his last three games at Kentucky ended with an offensive rating of zero, which is honestly impressive considering he was still playing 20-ish minutes a night. Kentucky fans soured on him like he was offering free Pfizer shots, and a change of scenery was necessary for everyone involved.

Askew probably imagined he would start at Texas, and if Carr hadn’t come along he might have; at least for a bit, especially if Ramey had moved on. I have concerns about Askew’s ability to control a game, and there have been a couple of rumblings about how well he reacts to tough love coaching which leads me to wonder if Devin ever watched a single Tech game or like, DMed anyone who ever played for Beard. That said, with Carr on the team and Ramey still around, Askew’s development or lack thereof shouldn’t play a big role in how this season goes. I don’t see him getting a ton of minutes unless he makes a big leap in the off-season. The staff may need to sell Askew on the idea his minutes will take a leap the season after this one to keep him around, since he’s a sophomore he has plenty of eligibility and a redshirt to burn if he wants to jump to another program for more minutes.

Andrew Jones (Redshirt Senior, 6-4)

Andrew Jones could really benefit by being the third option in a Texas offense, like a Dominic Toretto American muscle car version of Davide Moretti on Beard’s Final Four squad. His quick trigger combined with a general lack of need for him to create on his own - his handle is still one of the weaker elements of his game - should allow him to be his most efficient self. If he can run off screens, get his feet set, and square up for a good shot, he’s going to have a good year. I’m not sure how many shots will be there for him considering the pace of the offense but if Carr is penetrating like he’s capable and the bigs are setting screens like they should, AJ1 will have his openings on which to capitalize.

Speaking of shots, Beard’s teams over the last 5 years have averaged a touch over 56 shots a game. The projected starting five of Carr/Mitchell/Allen/AJ/Disu averaged nearly 62 shots a game last year, much less adding in Ramey/Bishop/etc. Everyone on this team* - both starters & bench players - is going to need to substantially adjust their expected scoring chances if this is going to work.

*(Well, maybe not Askew.)

There will probably be an article later where I openly muse about if Beard knows how to mesh multiple high-usage players while shitting on McClung’s Tech year, which is something I would immensely enjoy. McClung could save my mother from a hostage situation and I’d still kinda want to punch him in the face while thanking him for his help. Kyler Edwards is at Houston now and might drive to DFW to hold McClung down for me.

Courtney Ramey (Senior, 6-3)

I’m not sure there’s a man on Earth Courtney Ramey is afraid of, and I can’t decide if super-intense Ramey being coached by super-intense Beard is going to work out beautifully or explode into a supernova halfway through the year, but it’s going to be fascinating to watch. If Vegas laid odds on those two getting into an argument on the sidelines I might fly to Vegas just to bet on it. Well, and eat at a buffet. And play roulette. And maybe take in a show. I guess what I’m saying is I need to travel again. (Please go get the shot so we can all start doing normal things normally.) Ramey is probably going to be the backup ball-handler for Carr and spend some time off-ball as well; his usage rate and minutes are almost definitely going down, but that may help his efficiency if he stays bought in. I do not question his work ethic or his desire to perform, but is there a player on this team/state/planet you think is more likely to tell Beard to eat shit? I don’t.

Brock Cunningham (Redshirt Junior, 6-4)

I think I’ve said on the podcast that Cunningham is basically Beard’s ideal role player - okay, I might have said he’s Beard’s Viagra - a guy who will dive for every loose ball in the arena, take charges, and generally aggravate the shit out of the opposing team every second he’s on the floor. In other words: Beard was an early patron of Cunningham Mountain, and now he has a chance to coach him. Beard will send Cunningham out on the court for three-minute intervals where he will create havoc (we’re allowed to use that word again) and basically do his 110% effort thing for short spurts while the starters get a rest. Maybe he’s spent the off-season figuring out how to shoot a three like he did in high school, by which I mean not look like the Double Dribble guy while side-spinning the ball into oblivion. If so, found money. If not, he’ll take three charges and poke the ball out of a guard’s hands while he’s calling a play, then act offended when a ref calls him for an illegal screen he definitely knew was illegal. I’m not really worried about Cunningham finding a role with this staff, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a GA for them in a couple of years.

Jase Febres (Super Senior, 6-5)

Febres was likely coming back regardless of how the season ended, and having him around was an early priority for a coaching staff scrambling to fill chairs. Even with all of the incoming transfers, a guy who can go super-Saiyan from deep is a valuable chess piece to have, and if there’s mid-season roster churn or injuries then having a guy who could start at a lot of programs is a luxury for this staff. I’m not entirely sure where Febres fits into the rotation, but the staff would be dumb not to get him onto the floor to see if he can get hot. His defense has improved every year he’s been at Texas and if he gets going from three it makes life easier on everyone. There are a lot worse ideas out there than a penetrating Carr kicking out to an open Febres, and unlike most Beard wings he knows not to lift out of the corner after the first pass.

Avery Benson (Senior, 6-4)

Why

Can CDC not get Beard a dirt weed hook-up in Austin

Is there a shortage of Austin guys who look like a FBI most wanted poster from 1973

Are there no Austinites who can catch catfish with their teeth

Seriously, why

Jaylon Tyson (Freshman, 6-6)

I’m going to type Jylon Tyson approximately 50 times this season. I can see a typographical pothole like that coming a mile away and it won’t matter, I’ll still run right the damn hell over it because my brain will be thinking about help defense or Jessica Nigri feet pics instead of focusing on Tyson’s first name.

Tyson probably won’t get a ton of minutes due to all of the transfers ahead of him, chances are he’ll play spot duty or fill in if wings get into foul trouble. But most of the previous sentences are just me filibustering before showing everyone that the guy played high school basketball while wearing a mask on & played well enough to get a scholarship to both Texas Tech & Texas. If you’re looking for another piece of video evidence that masks don’t cause breathing issues, behold Jaylon Tyson playing competitive basketball with one over his mouth:

Tell your weird uncle to load that clip in his “personal choices” vape pen and smoke it. He’ll probably do it if you tell him it’s a Joe Rogan podcast.

Gavin Perryman (Freshman, 6-0)

You know a good way to get ahead of other schools on finding shooters when you’re the head coach at Texas? Locate a nearby shooting coach, preferably one who played at Texas, and invite his son to walk-on for the Longhorns. Maybe mention it’s possible the son can get a scholarship a year or two as the numbers allow so you’re saving the guy a bunch of money on a degree while you’re at it. It’s not the worst way to network.

I give Beard a lot of shit for his hacky “unite the Texas basketball family” shtick - and he’s earned that shit - but this kind of maneuver is exactly the kind of politicking that can help a coach down the road. Brandy Perryman may not be KD, but he’s got contacts throughout the basketball skills academy game and having him on your side pays dividends. Recruiting is almost as much about politics as it is identifying talent, and if Beard is using his walk-on spots to make connections for identifying talent early then it’s a good gamble.

Cole Bott (Freshman, 6-6)

Look at this guy:

That’s a NBA 2K create-a-player preset. Look at that made-up high school name. Massachusetts isn’t the name of a real state; this coaching staff isn’t even trying to hide what they’re doing. I see you.

Tristen Licon (Senior, 6-0)

Licon is the second all-time leading scorer at Sul Ross, trailing only…I’m going to say, Steve…Weathervane? Let’s go with Steve Weathervane. I’m making up a name because I can’t find any real records on the Sul Ross site, and every word of this sentence up to this point isn’t a surprise now that I’m typing it out. They have a one-page ‘records’ PDF which doesn’t even mention Licon because it talks about a guy who played in 2017, and if you look at their stats archives it stops in 2018. I know they can’t have that much else to do in Alpine, it’s a town full of shit-kicker rednecks and artists dropping DMT before they paint a mural yep okay they don’t care about basketball, good point. Licon is probably going to get some minutes in a blowout against one of the 25 terrible non-conference opponents Beard scheduled, and he’s probably going to nail enough threes in those garbage minutes that somebody on a Texas forum is going to ask why he isn’t playing 15 minutes/game. It’ll probably be Steve Weathervane.

Let’s Talk Minutes

As mentioned earlier, minutes are going to be tough for a lot of players to come by. Carr, Mitchell, and Jones are the most likely players to average 30 minutes/game especially given they’re the players who can most capably bail Texas out in late-clock situations. Having said that, there are a lot of egos to manage and even more off-season recruiting promises to fulfill, and I’m not sure the coaching staff will be able to check every box along the way. Eight players on this team were starters last year, and it will be up to the staff to sell the new bench players on why they should be happy with a smaller slice of the pie. They might be able to do it, we will see soon enough.

Let’s Not Talk Recruiting

Instead of me inserting barely-researched opinions on recruits - Arterio Morris, the next LeBron or the next Phil Forte? Opinions vary! - I’m going to do my yearly dodge and tell you to rely on people like Kevin Flaherty, Andrew Slater, and Jeff Borzello for better information. I was hard-pressed to learn about uncommitted players during Barnes & Shaka, much less a coach like Beard who is just as likely to fill his roster through transfers, meaning spending cycles on these young men is arguably even more fruitless than ever. I have a day job, people.

Arterio Morris & Dillon Mitchell are the only 2022 commits as of this writing, but here are some other names to keep an eye on in the coming months. Texas has offers out to the following players:

Anthony Black

Chandler Jackson

Cason Wallace

Eric Dailey, Jr.

Sam Murray

Adrame Diongue (24/7 needs to update their offer list)

Beard may hit on some of them, he may not; recruiting is an arcane skill that few ever truly master. He blitzed the transfer portal this year, but his recruiting out of high school thus far has been decidedly more mixed. It is a small sample size though; if we’re still talking about him whiffing on 2/3 of his high school recruits in the ‘23 or ‘24 cycle maybe then we can start being concerned about his hit rate. You can’t view it in a vacuum though, the recruits see what he’s doing in the transfer portal and take it into account. Luring a 5-star point guard into Austin is more difficult if he sees guys like Marcus Carr joining up; it doesn’t mean Beard is failing at recruiting, he’s just succeeding with guys who are closer to legal drinking age, which tracks because he seems like a good person to hang out with at a bar. I bet he’s a Golden Tee assassin.

Please remember to check out Pretend We’re Football; our show will return to a more normal schedule when the season begins. We also have a Twitter account, which may be useful for those of you who want only my/our sports opinions. As always, I have a Patreon if you want to tip me for annually tilting at windmills.

Upcoming preview pieces:

11/01 - Non-Conference Preview

11/04 - Big 12 Preview