Texas Basketball: 3 most efficient Longhorns returning next season

2. Matt Coleman, Guard

The backcourt rotation should once again be the make-or-break force for Smart and the Longhorns in a key 2020-21 season. The combination of Coleman and Ramey decided a lot of games last season for the Longhorns, and not always in the best way. But other times saw those two deliver classic performances and game-winning shots (I.E. Coleman’s buzzer-beater three-point shot against the Oklahoma Sooners).

Coleman received his first All-Big 12 honors last season as he came out of the gates on fire. He has also steadily improved both his advanced metrics and per game stats in each of his three seasons on the Forty Acres. If that trend continues to improve heading into his senior season, then watch out for what he’ll do in the Big 12 in 2020-21.

Last season, Coleman played in 30 games for Texas (starting in every single one of them). In fact, Coleman has never missed a start in the 101 games he’s played in during his career at Texas. Last season, he averaged a career-best 12.7 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks. He shot a career-high 44.1 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.7 percent from the free-throw line.

That amounted to a 5.4 box plus/minus rating, .135 win shares per 40 minutes, 3.4 total win shares, 2.4 steal percentage, 22.1 assist percentage, 389 points produced, 54.5 true shooting percentage, and a 16.6 player efficiency rating. Most of the advanced metrics and per game stats that Coleman produced last season were career-highs.