Led by Dailyn Swain, the Texas basketball team draws some high grades midway through the SEC schedule. But there's still plenty of low marks on the midseason report card.
Midway through its SEC campaign, Texas basketball has produced mixed results under first-year coach Sean Miller. Sure, the Longhorns (13-9, 4-5 SEC) picked up a trio of wins against ranked opponents with triumphs over Vanderbilt, Alabama and Georgia. But they also dropped a home game to lowly Mississippi State in the conference opener and sleepwalked through a 14-point loss at Tennessee.
And don’t overlook a forgettable nonconference schedule that included four losses in five games against Power Four programs.
Here are grades for each Texas player who has appeared it at least 20 games midway through SEC play:
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Texas basketball: Midseason SEC player grades
Dailyn Swain, forward: A
A 6-foot-8, 220-pound wing who followed Miller from Xavier, Swain has blossomed into one of the league’s top players. He leads the Longhorns in multiple categories: 30.5 average minutes, 17.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He’s shooting 57.9% from the floor and has emerged as the team’s go-to player on both ends of the court even though he still needs to cut down on his team-high 58 turnovers.
Matas Vokietaitis, post: B+
The 7-foot sophomore transfer from Florida Atlantic makes some youthful mistakes, but has also shown he belongs among some of the best competition in college basketball. He ranks second on the team with 14.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting 64.2% from the floor. He also draws fouls; Vokietaitis ranks second in the SEC with 179 free-throw attempts and shoots 69.3% from the stripe. If he can trim his fouls (3.2 per game) and turnovers (2.2), he’ll contend for an All-SEC spot.
Chendall Weaver, guard: B+
Stats can’t measure the impact of the 6-foot-3 senior, the only player in the rotation who’s been at Texas at least three seasons. Weaver averages 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.9 minutes, but his energy off the bench often changes the tone of a game. He still doesn’t shoot efficiently from long distance — he makes 21.6% of his 3-pointers — but has connected on two of his three shots from behind the arc over the past two games.
Tramon Mark, guard: B-
The 6-foot-5 sixth-year senior carries a heavy load on both ends of the court, averaging 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.4 minutes a game, but he’s shown surprising inconsistency considering his experience. In SEC play, Mark has reached 20 points four times but has also scored a total of eight points over the past two games.
Jordan Pope, guard: C+
Much like Mark, the 6-foot-1 senior has endured a roller-coaster of a season; he went scoreless in a loss at Tennessee but followed that with a 28-point explosion in a win at Alabama. He’s shooting 40.8% from the floor yet remains the biggest threat from long distance while leading the team in 3-point attempts (144) and 3-point makes (51). Pope may not be a natural point guard and averages just 2.3 assists in 28.9 minutes, but he takes care of the ball (just 15 turnovers all season).
Camden Heide, forward: C
The 6-foot-7 junior transfer from Purdue shoots 57.6% from the floor and a team-best 52.9% from 3-point range. Unfortunately for Texas, he doesn’t shoot often even though he’s been a starter for most of the season. In 21.6 minutes a game, Heide averages 7.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and attempts just 4.1 shots.
Lassina Traore, forward: D+
Like Weaver, Traore’s impact can’t be measured by stats. The 6-foot-9 senior, another Xavier transfer, provides steady interior defense and adds a physical presence off the bench. But the numbers can’t be ignored; he averages just 3.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 15.6 minutes a game while shooting 46.8% from the floor, and he has as many turnovers (22) as buckets this season.
MORE: Midseason All-SEC basketball team includes Dailyn Swain. Who else?
Simeon Wilcher, guard: D
Until scoring 10 points in Saturday’s win over Oklahoma, the 6-foot-4 St. John’s transfer had been the missing man on the stats sheet. The junior had scored just nine total points in the previous six games, and he entered the Oklahoma game shooting 7 of 40 in SEC play. Wilcher remains a part of the rotation with 19.9 minutes a game because of his steady defense.
Texas Longhorns: Midseason SEC coaching grade
Sean Miller: B-
Texas has shown loads of inconsistency — often in the same game — and can’t seem to defend without fouling. In fact, no team in the SEC has given up more free throws than the 527 allowed by Texas. Ultimately, those team flaws fall on the shoulders of Miller and his staff. But Miller has also brought a highly efficient offense that has led to a scoring average of 85.5 points, the highest since the 1994-95 squad posted 92.9 points per game.
And the team seems to have responded to the tough love Miller shows, particularly concerning his players' propensity to foul; aside from a 14-point loss at Tennessee, the Longhorns have been within six points in every other SEC loss despite a schedule that has included six of the nice SEC teams that are .500 or better in league play.
Category: General Sports
