Texas Basketball: Why UT Will Be National Title Contender in Two Years
Texas Basketball is not close to competing for a National Title. But, in two years, the Longhorns will be.
After listening to head coach Shaka Smart in his weekly press conference on Monday, it’s clear that the principles of how he wants to run a college basketball team are starting to set in with a very young group of Longhorns. But, the execution continues to fail. Or, players quickly lose confidence.
Plus, the two players that can actually help this year’s team are not available until next season.
In his press conference, Shaka Smart surprisingly identified sophomore transfer Dylan Osetkowski as the rallying person for this team. The problem is that Dylan cannot jump on the court and make a difference after transferring from Tulane.
Smart also talked about in-game struggles for ballhandlers Kerwin Roach and Andrew Jones, which certainly was the case Saturday against TCU. But, help is coming next year when highly touted PG recruit Matt Coleman arrives in Austin.
Shaka Smart Reveals Interesting Dynamic of Current Longhorns
Coach Smart was very candid about the lack of on-court general this season. He said he’s been around some teams that have been successful without a dominant figure that everyone looks to. But, he said the best teams he’s been around have one particular player to steer the ship.
Matt Coleman is expected to be that guy next season. At least, in terms of being the primary ballhandler as the point guard.
But, the role of Dylan Osetkowski is what will make Texas a National Title contender.
Fast forward to the 2018-2019 season. This current group of young Longhorns will be juniors and seniors, Coleman will be a sophomore if he stays beyond his freshman year, and Osetkowski should be a dominant force in the point.
But, it’s the intangibles that Osetkowski will bring to this team as the floor general that will make Texas a title contender.
“I see some younger guys on our team that could become that in time. But, you have to gain a level of self-assuredness first. Probably the best candidate, to be honest, is Dylan,” Smart said.
“He’s not playing right now. But, I think long-term, he’s a guy who is not afraid to speak up. I think guys know that he cares. That’s big when you have someone like that.”
Coach Smart’s Culture Will Be Ready in Two Years with Dylan Osetkowski
Right now, Shaka Smart’s winning culture is not in place. It’s not something you can put in the microwave and quickly heat up, as this frustrating season has shown. Instead, it will take players like Dylan Osetkowski, Matt Coleman, and the current Longhorns who mature into leaders to make sure Texas plays high-level basketball.
Too often this season, the Longhorns have had long stretches where they can’t score, they can’t defend, or they turn the ball over on multiple possessions. In two years, those stretches will be much less frequent. And, there will be a player or two who makes sure the team quickly breaks the funk.
Coach Smart identified a simple thing like the huddle in-between plays as a sign of whether the team is feeling good or has lost confidence.
“You’re going to play your best when you have good body language, own the team plan, and make the guys around you better,” Coach Smart said.
“It’s little things like when our team has tight huddles – five guys together really communicating well – we play better. When guys are kinda off on their own page, obviously we don’t play as well.”
Those little things will tighten up next year when Coleman takes over as PG and Dylan Osetkowski finally gets to play. It will make Texas a Big 12 Title contender in 2017-18. Then, in Coach Smart’s fourth year at Texas, the Longhorns should be ready to compete for a National Title.
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The Horns just need those two difference-makers to complete the roster and help build the culture that Shaka Smart is looking for at Texas.