Following a tough season-opening loss in Las Vegas to the Ohio State Buckeyes, Texas basketball and head coach Rodney Terry have refocused, sharpening their efforts on both ends of the court in their last two non-conference matchups.
Texas Basketball Aims to Make a Statement with Emerging Star Power in Non-Conference Play
As anticipated, Texas delivered commanding performances against the Houston Christian Huskies and Chicago State Cougars in a pair of non-conference warm-up games at the Moody Center in Austin this past week. During the home opener, freshman shooting guard Tre Johnson showcased his potential with another stellar 28+ point performance in a dominant 90-59 victory over Houston Christian.
Texas put up a dominant performance against Chicago State, scoring over 100 points in a decisive 105-58 victory on November 12.
Now, the focus for head coach Rodney Terry and the Longhorns is on building confidence and cohesion on the defensive side while maintaining their strong ball movement and offensive scoring. Terry noted that his team is still working on developing better chemistry and finding its identity as they prepare for their next non-conference game on November 16 against the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils.
Offensively, the Longhorns have little to complain about. Texas has scored over 90 points in each of its last two games and is averaging just over 89 points per game this season through three contests.
Here are three Longhorns players putting up impressive numbers after the first three games of the regular season:
Kadin Shedrick, C
There’s a strong case to be made that senior center Kadin Shedrick is Texas’s most crucial player in the frontcourt rotation. Not only does the team need Shedrick to log more minutes than last season, but he also brings valuable presence in the paint on both ends. The 6-foot-11, 215-pound big man is an effective rim protector, rebounder, and inside scorer. Early this season, Shedrick has already demonstrated the impact he can have in the post on both sides of the ball.
Shedrick has been a consistent source of frontcourt scoring, reaching double figures in each of the first three games. He has also become a key offensive rebounder and rim protector. In the opening two games against Ohio State and Houston Christian, Shedrick grabbed seven offensive rebounds and averaged six total rebounds. Over the last two games, he also blocked a team-leading five shots.
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