Tag: Chris Beard

Texas announces the firing of head basketball coach Chris Beard

Texas fired Chris Beard for cause on Thursday,

Texas is parting ways with head basketball coach Chris Beard. The University announced it would fire Beard for cause after an alleged anger-filled and violent tirade landed him in jail.

The University wrote the following to the former head coach about the news.

The University of Texas at Austin is terminating (Beard’s) employment. … as noted in (his) contract, all obligations of the University to make further payment or provide any other consideration will cease as of January 5, 2023.

Texas was criticized for how long it took to make the move. Albeit, it should be commended for giving due diligence in its thorough investigation.

More encouraging is that they were willing to make the move after a 116-103 loss to Kansas State. Making the morally right decision should trump on-court results. It appears the University is making that statement.

Texas moves forward with Rodney Terry as acting head coach and still plenty to play for in 2023.

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What the next three games will reveal about Texas basketball

Texas basketball must avoid a letdown early in conference play.

The Texas Longhorns are 12-1 following a huge road win over the Oklahoma Sooners. After navigating a tough nonconference schedule the team is about to face a new test altogether. Continue reading “What the next three games will reveal about Texas basketball”

No. 2 Texas earns resounding win over Arkansas Pine Bluff, 88-43

Bishop, Mitchell and Cunningham combined to make 18 of 22 attempts.

The Texas men’s basketball team got back in the win column on Saturday. The victory erased the sour first loss the team endured against No. 17 Illinois earlier in the week.

The win was a more complete team effort than usual as multiple players saw game time. Christian Bishop led the Longhorns in scoring with 16 points, while Dillon Mitchell and Brock Cunningham both added 13. The trio combined to make 18 of 22 shots from the field.

Freshman forward Alex Anamekwe made both of his scoring opportunities with 5 points in nine minutes of game time.

Elsewhere in college basketball, No. 1 Houston and No. 8 Alabama clash on the court. Memphis hosts No. 11 Auburn while No. 6 Kansas renews its hoops rivalry with Missouri.

The Longhorns will look to navigate a handful of under-the-radar games for the remainder of the month. The next big challenge for Texas will be a trip to Norman to face the Sooners on New Years Eve.

Texas is now 7-1 on the season.

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Power Rankings: Where Texas basketball ranks among Big 12 teams

Texas tops the Big 12 basketball power rankings.

The regular season is over for Texas football, but it’s barely underway for Texas basketball.

Through six games, the Longhorns are 6-0 and one of only two undefeated teams in the Big 12 conference.

Kansas and Baylor entered the season as the primary challenges for the Big 12 conference. Both have played well this season despite each suffering a borderline blowout loss.

Iowa State and Oklahoma have had up-and-down performances, but each secured quality nonconference victories in the early going. Iowa State defeated both Villanova and preseason No. 1 North Carolina, while Oklahoma earned a win over Seton Hall.

Kansas State is the surprise team of the league after a 6-0 start. The Wildcats’ better wins came against LSU, Nevada, California and Rhode Island.

Let’s rank the top teams in the conference through the first few games.

Texas Basketball: Five-star guard AJ Johnson commits to the Longhorns

Chris Beard has Texas’ basketball program rolling.

Chris Beard has Texas’ basketball program rolling at the moment. Less than a week following the Longhorns’ statement victory over Gonzaga, Texas just hit a home run on the recruiting trail.

Five-star guard AJ Johnson announced his commitment to Texas on Monday afternoon. He chose the Horns over the likes of Lousiville, LSU and professional opportunities.

“I chose Texas because I have seen what they do every day and the people around them. I just feel like it’s where I’ll be the most comfortable. Also, I chose Texas because of how they let their guards go and their fan base. The city of Austin is lit.”

Johnson ranks as the No. 2 combo guard in Calif. and the No. 15 overall player in the 247Sports composite. He joins fellow five-star Ron Holland as the second top-15 recruit for the Longhorns in the 2023 class.

Johnson is a true three-level scorer with a knack for hitting clutch shots. Chris Beard and the staff are ecstatic for Johnson to join the program.

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CBS Sports releases updated college basketball Top 25, where does Texas land?

Texas skyrocketed in CBS Sports’ Top 25 rankings this week after the blowout win over Gonzaga.

No. 11 Texas convincingly defeated No. 2 Gonzaga in Austin on Wednesday evening. Continue reading “CBS Sports releases updated college basketball Top 25, where does Texas land?”

Opposing fans make sense of No. 11 Texas’ win over No. 2 Gonzaga

It was a tough night for critics of Longhorns basketball.

Texas had an objectively impressive win on Wednesday night. There isn’t much to nitpick against the Longhorns’ performance but some fanbases tried their best.

Leading up to the game, many believed the Gonzaga Bulldogs would roll the Longhorns. After last year’s performance, another Gonzaga win was the reasonable expectation.

As it turns out, Texas is a much better basketball team than many anticipated. Not everyone could accept that fact following the dominant win by Chris Beard’s team.

Texas is now among basketball’s top contenders after not only winning, but winning soundly. If it isn’t abundantly clear in Beard’s separation with Texas Tech, the Longhorns head coach is winning the divorce.

Here’s a look at how the Longhorns’ naysayers took the news.

Social media reacts as No. 11 Texas topples No. 2 Gonzaga

Texas’ win over Gonzaga sparked tons of excitement.

Texas’ 2022-23 college basketball season is off to a fantastic start with a statement victory over No. 2 Gonzaga. Chris Beard’s squad proved themselves as a legitimate contender on the big stage with the win.

The Moody Center was rocking behind an inspired Longhorns performance.  Every shot Texas made from start to finish was responded to by an erupting crowd reaction. A pair of Dillon Mitchell dunks toward the end of the game had the roof ready to fall off.

It was a dominant showing for Texas at every position group but guards Tyrese Hunter and Marcus Carr led the charge. Hunter finished with a career-high 26 points in this premier matchup. Carr added 16 points of his own as the Texas backcourt looks like a force to be reckoned with.

Texas’ victory over Gonzaga sparked tons of excitement on social media. Here is a look at some of Twitter’s best reactions to the Horns ‘massive win on Wednesday night.

Measurables for Texas basketball vs Gonzaga on Wednesday

Texas basketball must keep Drew Timme away from the basket.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs do not back down from a fight. That fact is apparent looking at their loaded schedule.

Following a win over basketball powerhouse Michigan State, the Bulldogs begin a gauntlet of ranked games.

No. 12 Texas begins a nonconference slate that includes No. 4 Kentucky and No. 5 Baylor. In addition, the Zags will face Pac-12 power Washington and No. 20 Alabama.

The game will mean a great deal for many Gonzaga players, but certainly for Drew Timme who returns to his home state. The Richardson product is a surprise returnee after a dominant season last year. Timme will be the elephant in the room, standing tall above the Longhorns’ diminutive front court.

Let’s look at what Texas will need to accomplish to have a performance in which they can take pride.

HOOKED: Texas lands 2023 five-star PF Ron Holland

Chris Beard and the Texas Longhorns strike gold again on the recruiting trail.

Chris Beard and the Texas Longhorns strike gold again on the recruiting trail.

2023 five-star power forward Ron Holland announced his commitment to Texas on Saturday morning. He chose the Horns over the likes of Arkansas, Kentucky, UCLA and others.

Holland is listed as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Texas and a top 10 player nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings.

The Duncanville product is uber-athletic and can play on both ends of the court. He helped lead Duncanville on a state championship run in his junior season. With room to improve his outside scoring ability, Holland has the potential to be a future NBA lottery pick.

Texas landed five-star Arterio Morris and Dillion Mitchell in the class of 2022. Coach Beard is having no issues getting big-time talents to Austin.

Holland’s commitment sparked a massive reaction on social media. Here is a look at some of the best tweets following the news breaking.