Texas Basketball: Position grades through first half of non-conference slate
Centers
We’re going to classify the five spot for Texas basketball as two key players this season. Most of the starts went to one player while the other might be more deserving. Texas has an issue in the paint of late, and it could take a while to fix. In the process, at least the Horns do have two players that showed to be capable at times.
Those two players include sophomore Jericho Sims and freshman Jaxson Hayes. Sims has all six starts at center this season, but Hayes is playing more minutes per game. That could give insight into how Smart feels about the current situation down low, but also where Hayes is at in his development.
Hayes averages 21.7 minutes per game while Sims has 20.8. Sims was expected to take the reigns in the paint this season after showing flashes as a freshman. He’s been a letdown in terms of his scoring and rebounding ability. Sims also lacked the ability to defend the rim against any formidable big. That is highlighted by the fact that Hayes averages more than four blocks per 40 minutes and Sims sits at 1.6.
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The uptick in the role for Hayes is well deserved. That’s evident in the numbers he’s posting per 40 minutes, even outside of blocks. Hayes has 19.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per 40 minutes. His offensive rating is the highest on the team by far of any player averaging more than 20 minutes per game.