Lack of true size upfront
This is the most glaringly obvious takeaway from last night’s game. It was made clear from the start, as Drew Timme had 11 points in the first 4:15 of the game.
Beard decided to stick with his starting five from the opener vs Houston Baptist. Here are the heights of those five players:
PG Marcus Carr: 6-2
G Courtney Ramey: 6-3
G Andrew Jones: 6-4
G/F Timmy Allen: 6-6
F Christian Bishop: 6-7
Going up against a 7-0 unicorn in Chet Holmgren and the 6-10 Drew Timme, I assumed that Texas would double-team the post. They did not (for the vast majority of the game). This left a 6-6 wing in Timmy Allen guarding the Preseason National Player of the Year one-on-one in the post. Timme finished with 37 points on 15-19 shooting from the field.
One of the major concerns here is the fact that Texas does not really have a true big man—they generally lack size in the frontcourt. As for true forwards, Texas really only has three.
The first is the 6-7 Bishop, who is typically a solid defender and rebounder, although undersized. The second is 6-9 UMass transfer Tre Mitchell, who is not a great defender and tends to have a more perimeter-oriented offensive game. The third is Dylan Disu, who is one of the best rebounders in the country, but again, probably not a reliable defender in the low-post. Disu has also missed the team’s first two games but should return fairly soon as he is fully practicing.