Longhorns seek bench boost
Depth becomes biggest question with Big 12, NCAA tournaments looming
AUSTIN — Devin Askew entered Monday night’s game against third-ranked Baylor averaging exactly two points on fewer than two shots per game.
That’s probably why it felt like a bolt of lightning struck the Erwin Center once Texas’ 6-foot-3 sophomore guard started roasting the reigning national champs.
Askew opened the personal 6-0 scoring spree with an evasive spin and push-shot finish in the lane over Baylor forward Matthew Mayer. On the ensuing possession, Askew grazed a pass intended for Bears guard Adam Flagler, then raced for the steal and fastbreak lay-in. A couple minutes later, Askew, a hesitant shooter, halted Baylor’s swift 7-0 run with a buttery pull-up jumper from the right elbow to give Texas the halftime lead.
The shock of Askew’s electric three-minute stretch fizzled in the second half. He didn’t score or even shoot again, playing only three minutes in the second half of a 68-61 loss to Baylor, which held the Longhorns’ bench scoreless on one shot attempt.
“Looking back, would have been nice to get Dylan (Disu) some more minutes because I thought he’s playing really well,” Beard said Monday. “And I thought young Devin played great in the first half.”
That’s the thing about Askew, though. Moments like that have been unpredictable. The sentiment extends to the rest of the Longhorns’ bench, too.
There’s talent there, no doubt.
Askew turns in close to handful of jaw-dropping moves every week. Super senior Jase Febres is the team’s best spot-up shooter. Disu averaged 15 points and 9.2 rebounds for Vanderbilt last year before undergoing season-ending knee surgery. And redshirt junior Brock Cunningham frustrates opposing teams.
“The power of our bench, like I’ve said from day one, and my tune’s not changing: I think our depth can be an asset,” Beard said Jan. 25. “It’s not always pretty, especially early, you know, first year kind of getting things together. But there’s no doubt about it, I think we’re built to be a team that can overcome some adversity. And you gotta have that, you gotta have some depth to win in this league.”
But roster depth, once thought to be a strength, is questionable these days for Texas.
Losing freshman forward Jaylon Tyson (transfer) in late December and UMass transfer big Tre Mitchell (personal reasons) in mid-February sapped some of this team’s reserve power. Still, most coaches would gladly take a roster featuring five starters with veteran reserves on the bench.
And as No. 21 Texas (21-9, 10-7 Big 12) prepares for both Saturday’s regularseason finale against No. 6 Kansas (24-6, 13-4) at Allen Fieldhouse and next week’s Big 12 tournament, how Beard’s subs perform will be vital.
“There’s different ways to win the game,” Beard said Feb. 23 after his starters accounted for all but two points in a 75-66 win over TCU. “Certainly, I think we’re at our best where we got balance and we got some really good players coming off that bench.”
Texas doesn’t necessarily need the reserves to score.
That once was the case, when Mitchell and sixthyear senior guard Andrew Jones were coming off the bench. That pair scored 27 of the Longhorns’ 32 bench points in their 79-76 home win over Kansas on Feb. 7.
With Mitchell gone and Jones back in the starting lineup, there’s less scoring punch sitting on the bench. But Texas still needs its reserves to influence the game through other means.
Disu, as the team’s lone remaining “big” at 6foot-9, will be needed against Kansas center David McCormack, forward Jalen Wilson and any other taller players the Longhorns might encounter in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. Cunningham’s physical edge and rebounding will be key in that regard, too.
Febres has made strides of late, averaging 6.5 points, 1.5 3-pointers on 37.5 percent shooting and 17 minutes per game during his past six appearances. And Askew’s playmaking potential has only grown in importance for a team without a true point guard and an offense prone to stagnation.
“We’re continuing to develop the bench,” Beard said. “That’s a process. I think if we can get those guys playing as well as they can play, they’ll just make our team better.”