Texas A&M WOMEN’S SCOUTING REPORTS UTSA

Texas

Coach: Vic Schaeffer (first season). Last year: 19-11, 11-7; third in Big 12. Outlook: Texas won the offseason by luring coach Vic Schaeffer away from Mississippi State after he had a remarkable eight-year run featuring consecutive trips to the national championship game. And Schaeffer, who retained his entire MSU staff, has two budding stars to build around in junior forward/center Charli Collier and sophomore guard Celeste Taylor. The addition of Duke graduate transfer point guard Kyra Lambert and Penn State big Lauren Ebo (still awaiting an NCAA eligibility waiver) injects valuable experience into a locker room that lost seniors Joyner Holmes, Sug Sutton, Jada Underwood and Lashann Higgs. It’s not national title-or-bust for Schaeffer in Year 1, but this looms as a critical foundation-setting season with a top-five 2021 recruiting class on the way.

Coach: Kristen Holt (22-65 in three seasons).

Last year: 6-23, 2-16; last in Conference USA and did not qualify for conference tournament

Outlook: Down to as few as six players late last season after a rash of injuries, coach Kristen Holt said the Roadrunners endured stretches in which they could barely practice. UTSA ended the year on a 15-game losing streak, falling by an average margin of 25.4 points per game. The team had the worst scoring defense, rebounding margin and 3-point shooting percentage in the conference but pins its hopes for improvement on eight returning sophomores who were pressed into action last season. Mikayla Woods is likely out until December with an ACL injury but should be UTSA’s most important piece, earning a spot on the Conference USA All-Freshman team last year after averaging a teamleading 15.0 points per game.