NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team backcourts for 2021-22 season

The Longhorns played well throughout the regular season, reaching a 19-7 record, but a first-round loss to Abilene Christian in the NCAA Tournament quickly erased any positive thoughts. A quick transition saw head coach Shaka Smart leave for Marquette and Texas replacing him with rival head coach Chris Beard of Texas Tech. The move was huge for various reasons, but it instantly helped to shore up the Longhorns roster ahead of the 2021 season.

Beard did a tremendous job building the Red Raider program and his efforts have translated quickly to doing the same in Austin. The new headman was able to retain guards Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey, and Jase Febres for another season. Jones and Ramey were 1st and 3rd on the team in scoring respectively last year and create a strong base for Beard to work from. The departure of guard Matt Coleman also gives Febres a shot to eclipse the 10-points per game mark in 2021 and locking down a more prominent role with the team.

The move also helped to flip Texas Tech commit Jaylon Tyson to the Longhorns, following in Beard’s footsteps. Tyson has the skillset to carve out a role on next year’s team, however, this battle may take a little longer to unfold given the overall strength of this year’s group. The arrivals of proven collegiate guards Marcus Carr (Minnesota) and Timmy Allen (Utah), as well as former 5-star Devin Askew (Kentucky), limit opportunities to immediately break through the rotation.

Carr and Allen have each averaged ~15 points per game in their respective 3-year college careers. Their additions drastically elevate this group’s abilities, as well as the team’s outlook entering the season. At their previous stops, both players were in situations where they could operate as volume scorers. However, with the depth of talent on this year’s team, this duo will look to match their yearly production with increased efficiency.

Askew on the other hand will be looking to kickstart his collegiate career after a season of missed expectations at Kentucky. The former Mater Dei star by no means played badly but appeared timider on the court than previously advertised. Askew has the means to thrive at the college level and pairing his development with the likes of Chris Beard and the talented staff he assembled is a great fit.

Texas will have huge standards to live up to this season, not only competing for the Big 12 crown but on a national scale. This team will garner Final Four talk and maybe even as a national title contender given the mass additions they received throughout the roster. If they are to pull it off though, the backcourt will undoubtedly lead the way.