The Texas Longhorns are eager to start a new chapter after a stunning March Madness exit and coaching change. Chris Beard is the new man in charge, succeeding Shaka Smart after six years. Beard arrives following a five-year Texas Tech stint that included a 2019 national title appearance and 2018 Elite Eight.
A Texas alumnus himself, Beard is tasked with recharging a Longhorns program that hasn't recorded a March Madness victory since 2014, the school's longest drought since the 1980s. Fortunately for Texas fans, his first offseason in Austin has surpassed many expectations.
But just how quickly can a brand-new staff and overhauled roster make waves in a treacherous Big 12? Let's take a look at three things Chris Beard must navigate in order for Texas to live up to expectations.
Ease the new talent into the rotation
Even before analyzing the roster, Texas' coaching staff needs to be highlighted. Chris Beard snatched two head coaches in UTEP's Rodney Terry and UT Arlington's Chris Ogden to join skilled assistants Jerrance Howard and Ulric Maligi on the Texas bench. It's an elite coaching staff, checking boxes that include player development, recruiting savvy and years of head-coaching experience.
Based on the sum of its parts, Texas is deserving of its seat among 2022 national title contenders. Few teams across the country can rival the Longhorns' wealth of both talent and depth.
The backcourt features senior All-Big 12 honorees in Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey. They will join forces with Minnesota transfer Marcus Carr — possibly the biggest portal name of the spring — and former Top 30 recruit and Kentucky transfer Devin Askew. Elsewhere, ex-Utah wing Timmy Allen brings his scoring prowess after averaging better than 17 points per game the last two years.
As for the frontcourt, Tre Mitchell (UMass) and Dylan Disu (Vanderbilt) add versatility and can help stretch the floor on offense. Both players are exceptional rebounders and make a habit of contesting shots as well. They both averaged above 15 points, seven rebounds, one block and one steal per game last season while shooting over 36 percent from deep. Christian Bishop, another double-digit scorer, arrives after three years with Creighton.
The individual pieces are certainly tantalizing. But can all of these high-usage players adjust to smaller roles without chemistry issues? Jones (12.2 field-goal attempts per game), Ramey (10.3), Carr (15.6), Allen (13.3), Mitchell (12.3) and Disu (10.6) are all used to being the star. Now, at least one of them will be coming off the bench. Beard's ability to allocate these roles could make or break Texas' season.
Tab Marcus Carr as the go-to guy
Even though he was the final piece to the offseason puzzle, Carr needs to possess the ball more than any other Longhorn. He is the team's best shot-maker and creator and his skill set aligns with Beard's 2018 and 2019 Red Raider attacks.
Beard's most successful Texas Tech squads featured playmakers who could create for themselves, especially in crunch time.
In 2018, uber-athletic guard Keenan Evans was the primary outlet. Despite standing 6-3, 35.2 percent of Evan's attempts were at the rim, per Hoop-Math, in which he converted 100 of his 145 tries. His ability to drive often led to free-throw trips as well. He finished 18th nationally in attempts with over 30 percent of his total points coming from the line.
The following year, Jarrett Culver stepped into the go-to role. Culver averaged 14.5 field-goal attempts per game, dwarfing Matt Mooney's 9.6 attempts as the team's No. 2 option. Only 29.5 percent of Culver's made field goals were assisted, showcasing his ability to score in isolation or late in a possession.
But with Mac McClung in the No. 1 role this past season, Texas Tech had its ups and downs. His isolation drive helped seal the December win at Oklahoma and no one can forget the Texas game-winner three weeks later. Overall, though, McClung's inconsistency is how Texas Tech's 2021 season unraveled. Trailing 68-66 with 19.3 seconds remaining against Arkansas, McClung couldn't shake loose from his defender and never touched the basketball in a disastrous final possession of the year.
Carr can thrive as the go-to guy. Per Hoop-Math, just 24.2 percent of Carr's makes at Minnesota were assisted, including 53.6 percent of his made 3-pointers compared to McClung's 71.1 percent last season. Even if he doesn't average 19.4 points again, he should be especially lethal next to an improved supporting cast.
Pick up the pace
Dating back to his time at Little Rock, Beard's teams have never ranked higher than 231st in KenPom‘s tempo metric. However, Texas will be too athletic for Chris Beard to actively pursue half-court battles like he did at Texas Tech.
After implementing a havoc-style approach during his time at VCU, Smart opted to slow things down when he took over the Longhorns in 2015. Despite March's tournament exit, Texas was far more dangerous offensively in 2020-21 than the previous five years. Its tempo rose from 292nd to 146th nationally with improved perimeter shooting and an NCAA-leading 17.1-percent dunk rate, per BartTorvik.
Chris Beard should turn things loose as well. Based on talent alone, Texas will be able to overwhelm many opponents. Few teams can simultaneously limit Carr and Allen without getting beaten by Mitchell and Disu. With more possessions, the Longhorns will be able to expose these mismatches.
Texas will enter the year with sky-high expectations following a busy summer. The Longhorns are poised for a lengthy tournament run so long as their incoming talent puts the team first and adapts to new roles. Chris Beard has a challenging task on his hands, but it's a ship that any coach in the country would love to steer.
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