Watch for these players when Texas takes on Illinois on Tuesday, 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
Texas will face its first test away from the Moody Center on Tuesday. The Longhorns (6-0) travel to Madison Square Garden to compete with the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini (6-2).
Chris Beard’s team is still battle tested after securing Top 10 wins over the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Creighton Bluejays. Nevertheless the Illinois game will be a different challenge altogether.
Aside from the neutral site test, Texas will have the unenviable task of stopping Terrence Shannon. Chris Beard’s former Texas Tech player is averaging over 19 points per game on the season.
Baylor transfer Matthew Mayer is another familiar face on the Illini. The defensive pest is struggling this season on the offensive end, but could give the Longhorns trouble with suffocating defense.
Illinois would be the cherry on top of a No. 1 seed caliber nonconference resume for Texas, but the Longhorns’ opponent will have other plans.
Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr announced he will not return to the program. With UNC ties, the Tar Heels could be an option.
With the 2021-22 season in the books and roster turnover expected for every program in college basketball, UNC now turns to the transfer portal to potentially fill some needs for next season.
It is expected that both [autotag]Caleb Love[/autotag] and [autotag]Armando Bacot[/autotag] will at the very least go through the NBA Draft process and test their stock. The Tar Heels will definitely be losing [autotag]Brady Manek[/autotag] from this years roster and there is still a decision to be made for versatile wing [autotag]Leaky Black[/autotag] — who has the option to use a fifth year under the Covid rules.
Also, with the expectation that [autotag]Dawson Garcia[/autotag] ends up not returning to the program — which is assumed — after leaving mid-season to return home with family health issues, North Carolina will need some help on the perimeter and at the hybrid forward position.
One player with Carolina ties is Texas Tech transfer [autotag]Terrence Shannon Jr[/autotag]. Shannon made it official and announced on Thursday that he will be leaving Texas Tech. He would have two years of eligibility remaining.
Coming out of high school in the 2019 class, Shannon had a top six of North Carolina, DePaul, Georgetown, Florida State, Illinois and Texas Tech.
In three years at Texas Tech he had a career average of 11.0 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He also has shot 35.1 percent from three on 205 career attempts (2.5 per game). This season he shot a career best 38.4 percent from three.
At 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Shannon has been a very versatile wing who played and guarded a few different positions, from the ‘2’ to the ‘4’ at Texas Tech.
Shannon played with Bacot at IMG Academy in high school.
With Hubert Davis looking to continue the trend of a non-traditional lineup with more versatility out of his forwards and wings, Shannon could be a fit for the Tar Heels next season.
He is expected to be one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal this offseason and someone who will make an immediate impact wherever he decides to go.
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