Texas Basketball: 3 players to watch in voluntary summer workouts

The final name on this list will also be one of the most crucial experienced players returning to the Forty Acres for next season. Rising senior 6-foot-10 and 240 pound big man Jericho Sims had his best season in college yet during his junior campaign. This former four-star recruit and Minneapolis, MN, native is clearly expected to be in the starting five for Smart and the Longhorns next season.

Part of the reason why Sims needs to have such a productive offseason for the Longhorns is the fact that he was sidelined down the stretch last season with an upper-body injury. Sims missing the latter portion of the 2019-20 season didn’t mean as much as most thought it would’ve since the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled out the “Big Dance”.

But the Longhorns do need one of their most valuable big men healthy and ready to go for the looming 2020-21 season. Sims was key to their efforts in non-conference play, and at the beginning of the Big 12 slate last season. He played in 24 games (starting in all of them) for the Longhorns last season. Sims averaged 9.7 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks. He shot 65.8 percent from the field and 59.2 percent from the free-throw line.

Moreover, Sims was also one of the most efficient players on this Texas team last season. He registered a 6.6 box plus/minus rating, .191 win shares per 40 minutes, 3.1 total win shares, 65.3 true shooting percentage, 17.8 rebounding percentage, 4.6 block percentage, 22.7 player efficiency rating, and a 120.2 offensive rating/93.1 defensive rating.

Texas needs Sims back at full strength to be at their best next season.