Tag: Chris Beard

Texas basketball ranks No. 12 in USA TODAY Sports’ Coaches Poll

Texas basketball checks in at No. 12.

College basketball season is just around the corner. With the 2022-2023 slate set to begin on Nov. 7, the preseason USA TODAY Sports’ Coaches Poll Top 25 was announced on Thursday.

Texas checks in at No. 12 in the rankings as they return one of the most experienced rosters in college basketball. Senior guard Marcus Carr and forward Timmy Allen are back, hoping to build off Texas’ round of 32 appearance a year ago.

Chris Beard’s unit has compiled one of the more demanding schedules in the nation. The Longhorns have nonconference games against the likes of No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 9 Creighton, along with the always difficult Big 12 gauntlet.

  1.  North Carolina Tar Heels
  2. Gonzaga Bulldogs
  3. Houston Cougars
  4. Kentucky Wildcats
  5. Kansas Jayhawks
  6. Baylor Bears
  7. UCLA Bruins
  8. Duke Blue Devils
  9. Creighton Blue Jays
  10. Arkansas Razorbacks
  11. Tennessee Volunteers
  12. Texas Longhorns
  13. Arizona Wildcats
  14. Indiana Hoosiers
  15. Auburn Tigers
  16. TCU Horned Frogs
  17. Villanova Wildcats
  18. Virginia Cavaliers
  19. Alabama Crimson Tide
  20. San Diego State Aztecs
  21. Oregon Ducks
  22. Michigan Wolverines
  23. Illinois Fighting Illini
  24. Texas Tech Red Raiders
  25. Dayton Flyers

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Five-star SF Andrej Stojakovic is down to four schools

One of the best basketball prospects in the class of 2023 is closing in on a college decision. 

One of the best basketball prospects in the class of 2023 is closing in on a college decision. Continue reading “Five-star SF Andrej Stojakovic is down to four schools”

Texas basketball announces charity exhibition game with Arkansas

Texas men’s basketball is set to host Arkansas in a charity exhibition matchup prior to the start of the 2022-23 season. 

Texas men’s basketball is set to host Arkansas in a charity exhibition matchup prior to the start of the 2022-23 season.

The two former Southwest Conference rivals will tip off at 3 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Moody Center in Austin. All reserved ticket sales are going to help out a pair of social justice and educational organizations. The game will be televised on Longhorn Network for those who can not be in attendance.

This exhibition provides a glimpse of what is expected to be two of the best teams in college basketball entering the new season.

ESPN ranks the Razorbacks as the No. 9 team in the country and Texas as No. 11 in its way-too-early top 25. Both squads qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago and have sights set on competing for a national title this season.

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Remembering when Texas stole Texas Tech’s football coach in 1987

Chris Beard isn’t the only coach Texas has stolen from Texas Tech.

David McWilliams coached for both the Longhorns and the Red Raiders in the 1980s. He lasted all of one year at Texas Tech before Texas stole their football coach.

To be fair, McWilliams was always a Longhorn. Prior to taking the head coaching job in Lubbock, McWilliams graduated from the University of Texas before serving as the Longhorns’ defensive coordinator.

As we have seen with Chris Beard, Tech fans don’t see returning to an alma mater as a good excuse for leaving their school.

In 1986, McWilliams led Texas Tech to a surprise 7-5 season in his first year at Texas Tech. Included in those seven wins was a victory over his alma mater, the Texas Longhorns. Tech won the game 31-23, catapulting McWilliams to one of the better jobs in the country.

McWilliams would go on to coach at Texas from 1987 to 1991. His time with the two schools is just one of many aspects that have shaped the in-state rivalry.

On Saturday, the two teams will convene for perhaps their final meeting in Lubbock at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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LOOK: Chris Beard and Texas host NBA star Ja Morant

Texas Men’s Basketball had a special visitor on campus this week.

Chris Beard and Texas men’s basketball had a special visitor on campus this week.

NBA All-Star Ja Morant made the trip down to Austin to hang out around the program. He put on a show at the Longhorns’ facilities while working on his game in Austin.

The Grizzlies guard was one of college basketball’s best players from 2017-2019. Morant averaged 19 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds for Murray State in his NCAA career. He would get selected as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

His collegiate success immediately carried over to the professional level. Morant took the NBA by storm, winning rookie of the year and leading Memphis to the playoffs in both of the last two seasons.

Texas men’s basketball tweeted out a picture of Coach Beard and Morant on Wednesday.

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Texas men’s basketball up to No. 11 in ESPN preseason poll

Chris Beard’s Longhorns are locked and loaded ahead of the 2022-23 season. 

Chris Beard’s Longhorns are locked and loaded ahead of the 2022-23 season. Continue reading “Texas men’s basketball up to No. 11 in ESPN preseason poll”

Report: 2024 five-star SG Tre Johnson sets Texas official visit

One of the nation’s best prospects is set to take an official visit to Texas.

One of the nation’s best high school prospects, Tre Johnson, has set an official visit date to Texas on Sept. 17.

The Dallas native is listed as the No. 1 player in the state of Texas and the No. 3 player overall in the 2024 recruiting class according to the 247Sports composite. Johnson is a can’t miss talent with offers from all over the country.

247Sports recruiting analyst Brandon Jenkins has glowing remarks about Johnson in his scouting report.

A long and lean perimeter prospect who shows a sweet stroke, Johnson is as true of a shooting guard as there is the 2024 class. He is trememdously skilled with an advanced game for his age. Johnson is a very good jumpshooter of the catch or utilizing the rhythm dribble and he loves the mid range game. He knows how to play and has a good feel for the game. I would like to see him improve as a ball handler and decision maker versus pressure in the backcourt to one day gain ultimate confidence in that area. Adding to that area of his game will only increase his versatility as a scorer but nevertheless Johnson is a polished high major talent with a tremendous upside.

Keeping a talent like Johnson in-state would be a monumental victory for Chris Beard and the Longhorns program. Texas will get to make the first impression for the five-star shooting guard.

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Texas men’s basketball adds Brandon Chappell as assistant coach

Chris Beard has finalized his coaching staff with the hire of Brandon Chappell from UNLV.

Chris Beard has finalized his coaching staff with the hire of Brandon Chappell from UNLV. Continue reading “Texas men’s basketball adds Brandon Chappell as assistant coach”

Texas basketball coach Chris Beard interviews Steve Sarkisian

Both the football and basketball program stand to gain by each other’s successes.

Texas basketball coach Chris Beard interviewed Steve Sarkisian on Thursday. In their short visit, they discussed Sarkisian’s path to Texas, the current team and what to expect in the 2022 season.

In their fireside chat, Sarkisian reminisced on playing baseball for blue blood powerhouse USC, transferring to a junior college and subsequently going on to have a good quarterback career at BYU.

Sarkisian discussed his famous domination of Texas A&M’s secondary at BYU, where in one game he threw 536 yards passing and six touchdowns.

Chris Beard’s emphasis since returning to Texas has revolved around uniting the school around the athletics program.

Both the football and basketball program stand to gain by each other’s successes. At the program’s peak, the basketball team competed in the Final Four, while the football team competed for championships.

In his first season at Texas, Beard helped win the basketball program’s first tournament game since 2014. Sarkisian is looking to take football program higher than it has been during that same span.

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Texas Men’s Basketball releases full 2022-23 nonconference schedule

Chris Beard and his squad are set to battle it out against some of the nation’s best.

Texas Men’s Basketball has announced its full nonconference schedule for the 2022-23 season. Chris Beard and his squad are set to battle it out against some of the nation’s best.

The nonconference slate is highlighted by home matchups against Gonzaga and Creighton, along with a trip to Madison Square Garden to face off against Illinois.

Texas opens the doors to the new Moody Center in the season opener against UTEP on Nov. 7.

The Horns will take the trip to Dallas for the Pac-12 Coast-to-Coast Challenge at American Airlines Center on Dec 18.

For the second straight season Texas is hosting a game at historic Gregory Gym on Nov. 26 against UTRGV.

Here is a full look at Texas’ nonconference schedule for the upcoming year. The Big 12 lineup has yet to be released by the league at this time.

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