Texas Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Longhorns

KANSAS CITY, MO - MARCH 09: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Texas Longhorns reacts from the bench alongside players during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the West Virginia Mountaineers at the Sprint Center on March 9, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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MORGANTOWN, WV – FEBRUARY 20: Yancy /

Key Reserves

SO James Banks

The 6’10” big didn’t make as much of an impact as he may have liked to last season. As the primary reliever for Bamba, his role will be to sustain the frontcourt’s production while on the floor.

SO Jacob Young

The 6’2″ guard will have to compete with a lot of different players for playing time in the backcourt. He had a rocky freshman season but it would not be a surprise for him to breakout in his second season.

FR Matt Coleman, Jase Febres, Royce Hamm, and Jericho Sims

All four freshmen are top-100 players and will get lots of time to prove themselves. Coleman and Febres are guards while Sims and Hamm operate more in the post. One problem for Smart was a lack of depth and rotation options, especially after Mack’s dismissal. The added depth will make the Longhorns more than a one-dimensional team this year.

The easiest way for any of these guys to get playing time is shooting well, as Smart and staff will look to not waste Bamba’s stint is the similar way that happened to Allen last year. The added competition will also benefit the returning players, forcing them to step up their games.

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