Trio of Longhorns Earn Preseason Honors as Opening Night Tip-Off Approaches
The Texas Longhorns men's basketball team tips-off in less than a month after a program-defining offseason.
"Program-defining" is a phrase that tends to get overused, but there's no reason to sugarcoat it in the case of this year's team. The hiring of new head Coach Chris Beard and a revamped roster of veteran transfers has officially brought back national championship expectations to a Texas basketball program that has underperformed in recent memory.
Accompanied with these expectations is preseason player hype, as a trio of Longhorns are already being recognized for what they could bring to this year's squad.
The Big 12 conference announced on Wednesday that Marcus Carr, Tre Mitchell, and Andrew Jones are selections for preseason All-Big 12 honors.
Carr, a senior point guard who transferred from the University of Minnesota, was announced as the Big 12's Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
Despite entering his name into the 2021 NBA Draft, Carr was one of the most sought-after transfers during this past offseason. He was also presented with an opportunity to play professionally in Australia, but Beard reeled him in instead.
Additionally, the Toronto native was revealed as a member of the Preseason All-Big 12 team. He joins the likes of Matthew Mayer (Baylor), Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Remy Martin (Kansas), David McCormack (Kansas), and Terrence Shannon (Texas Tech).
Mitchell, another highly-touted transfer from UMass, will join Jones as All-Big 12 honorable mentions.
Mitchell will look to be the centerpiece in the paint for a potentially potent Texas offense. His fluid offensive game allows him to stretch the floor in a variety of ways, something he'll look to build upon as he enters his junior year.
On the other hand, Jones will be returning for his sixth year of eligibility on the Forty Acres. He is one of four returners from last season (Courtney Ramey, Jase Febres, Brock Cunningham) and will undoubtedly be one of the most important leaders for the team throughout the season.
The Longhorns will begin their 2021-2022 season at the Frank Erwin Center on Nov. 9 against Houston Baptist. With the transfer talent that Beard has assembled, it's likely that more individual player honors are on the horizon.
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