Tag: courtney ramey

Texas Basketball: Tre Mitchell leads Horns past Northern Colorado 62-49

The Horns bounce back as Tre Mitchell leads Texas past Northern Colorado 62-49.

Texas bounced back from their loss to No. 1 Gonzaga with a solid 62-49 win over Northern Colorado.

Tre Mitchell was the star of the show for the Horns tonight. He showed off his unique offensive skill set scoring 16 points with four offensive rebounds.

Mitchell got going early on this three-ball assisted by Courtney Ramey:

He was not the only member of the Texas frontcourt to have a big day. Timmy Allen had 10 points along with a team-high eight rebounds. Allen has now scored in doubles figures in back-to-back games.

Rebounding has been an issue during the first two games, but Texas showed improvement in that department tonight.

Winning the rebounding matchup was vital for Texas as they had a bit of an off-shooting night. The Longhorns shot a season-low 42% on field goals and were only 4-18 from behind the arc.

Despite the win, Chris Beard was disappointed in the second half performance. Texas was outscored 34-25 including a Northern Colorado 8-0 run with three minutes left in the game.

The new-look Longhorns are still trying to find an identity on both sides of the ball. Tonight was a step in the right direction.

Texas will now prepare to play San Jose State on Saturday at the Erwin Center.

Texas Basketball: Five takeaways from the first win of the Chris Beard era

Five takeaways from the first win of the Chris Beard era.

Texas cruised past Houston Baptist 92-48 on Tuesday night, a strong start for Chris Beard’s first year in Austin.

Texas fans and students showed out in support of this team. The energy in the Frank Erwin Center was as electric as it has been in years.

“Our guys were dialed in and played well tonight,” Beard said. “It was a great crowd. There was a buzz in our locker room. Special thank you to the students, they turned out.”

Senior guards Courtney Ramey and Andrew Jones paced the team with 13 and 11 points respectively, shooting a combined 7-11 from three-point range.

Minnesota transfer Marcus Carr controlled the offense well, finding his teammates for open shots and taking advantage of his own scoring opportunities. Carr finished with 10 points and led the team with five assists.

Both Texas big men had good debuts in the burnt orange. Christan Bishop and Tre Mitchell combined for 20 points and four blocks. Mitchell started slow but showed his offensive skill set scoring 10 points in the second half.

Here are five takeaways from Texas’ opening night victory over Houston Baptist.

Texas Basketball: Projecting the starting five

The Longhorns are going to look much different in 2021.

Texas’ basketball program was in utter turmoil after their third consecutive opening round loss in the NCAA Tournament. The shocking loss to Abilene Christian last March saw the end of the Shaka Smart era in which literally nothing besides a meaningless Big 12 Championship was accomplished.

Smart was unable to replicate the success he once had while at VCU. However, there is a new coach in charge for Texas now in Chris Beard. The first-year head coach wasted no time attracting legit talent to Austin via the transfer portal. While at Texas Tech, Beard led the Red Raiders to a National Championship game appearance (2019) and Elite Eight appearance (2018), both of which were the first time in school history.

Beard and the Longhorns are now done constructing the roster, and it is safe to say the starting five can be predicted. The only difference that has shaken up the roster is transfer Marcus Carr joining the squad, as a player of his caliber will find himself starting right away.

While there are a few players from last season that will see more significant playing time with the likes of Brock Cunningham and Jase Febres, it is unlikely that they find their way into the starting rotation. However, Beard was using up to nine players during the tournament, so the more depth pieces the better.

Let’s take a look who I believe could be the sixth man and starting five for Chris Beard in 2021. Obviously this is opinion based and arguments are welcomed.

Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.

Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.

For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.

Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.

Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.

Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.

Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.

For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.

Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.

Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.

Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.

Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.

For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.

Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.

Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.

NBA combine invitations suggest who could be heading back to the NCAA

We took a look at the participant list for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp to tell us who might return to their college team.

We took a look at the participant list for the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp to tell us who might return to their college team.

While there is nothing final about our projections, now that those lists are finalized we know the names of the most notable players who have declared for the draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility.

These prospects, who are all classified as “testing the waters” at this point, are the ones facing the toughest decision for their pro future but may have more clarity now than they did during the college basketball season.

Texas Basketball: Courtney Ramey will return for another season

Texas Longhorns guard Courtney Ramey has announced his intention to return to Texas.

After waiting for over a month, Texas Longhorn fans finally have an answer from one of the team’s best players. Guard Courtney Ramey announced his decision to return for another season under Chris Beard.

Ramey announced his decision via Instagram on Wednesday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COOimHfM4TX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Last season he earned third-team All-Big 12 honors, averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 38.3% from the field, 41.4% from three-point range and 83.1% from the free throw line.

While he’ll still go through the NBA Draft process, it’s all formality and he intends to stay on the team.

With the return of Ramey and Andrew Jones, as well as Kai Jones declaring for the NBA draft, only Jehrico Sims, Matt Coleman III and Greg Brown have yet to announce their plans for the upcoming 2021-22 season.

The hiring of Chris Beard and additions from the NCAA Transfer Portal have made Texas a much improved team. Bringing back Ramey gives the team another experienced player to go with the new-look Texas basketball team.

Texas Basketball: Predicting the starting five for the 2021-22 season

Here’s a way-too-early prediction of Texas basketball’s starting five next season.

Texas head coach Chris Beard has been on a roll despite the short amount of time that he’s been in Austin. Although the Longhorns lost a few players including Kai Jones (NBA draft) on top of Royce Hamm and Donovan Williams transferring to UNLV, Beard has gotten plenty more in return.

He’s assembled what looks like an elite coaching staff and has acquired plenty of talent in the process through the portal and recruiting. It also helps to have a player like Andrew Jones return for another season and lead this group of new faces.

It’s still too early to confirm who will be on the Forty Acres next season, but it looks like the starting five will feature several new names. Key players Greg Brown, Courtney Ramey, Matt Coleman III and Jericho Sims are still undecided on their futures at the moment.

Over the last two weeks, Texas acquired Timmy Allen, Devin Askew, Christian Bishop and Jaylon Tyson. Here’s who I predict could be a part of Texas’ starting five for the 2021-22 season under Beard. If Sims chooses to not return to Texas, Tyson would likely find his way into a starting role.

Predicting which Texas players will return after the Chris Beard hire

The Chris Beard hiring sent shockwaves around the NCAA. Now that he’s in, which Texas players will choose to stay?

Royce Hamm is on his was to UNLV and Kai Jones declared for the 2021 NBA draft, but there are still several players that haven’t quite decided which route they will take. Will they remain in Austin under new head coach Chris Beard?

This past season, Shaka Smart undoubtedly had the most talented team that Texas has put out on the court in years. Despite winning their first Big 12 tournament championship, the season abruptly ended in the first round for the third time in six seasons.

As always when a program hires a new head coach, it impacts many players future plans. However, it’s still possible we could see the return of most of the main 2020 core.

Beard brings a fiery, championship-level competitiveness to a Longhorns program desperate for an ounce of the success he had while at Texas Tech. His hire will have a huge impact on recruiting, but even more so on the players that are already in-house to take another shot in the NCAA Tournament.

Here are six players that I realistically believe could and/or should return for another season under Beard’s guidance.