We have never seen an offseason like this in the NCAA Transfer Portal for the Texas basketball program, head coach Chris Beard is looking to put together a talented roster of NBA-caliber talents ahead of the 2021-22 season. Texas has already added three key players out of the transfer portal this offseason, as they’ll look to have a dramatically different roster for next season.
It all started for Beard and the Longhorns earlier this week when they landed a commitment from the former Kentucky Wildcats freshman guard and ex-five-star recruit Devin Askew. As a Texas recruit out of high school two recruiting cycles ago, Askew is a nice get for the Longhorns out of the portal.
Within the same span of 24 hours, Texas got another commitment out of the transfer portal from the former Utah Utes junior forward Timmy Allen. Allen was one of the best players available in the transfer portal this offseason, and that was a really solid get for Beard.
Latest addition for Texas basketball out of the transfer portal
The most recent addition that Beard and the Longhorns got out of the transfer portal this offseason came entering the weekend, with former Creighton Blue Jays junior small forward Christian Bishop. The commitment came a bit earlier than anticipated for the Longhorns by getting Bishop out of the portal, but it’s all good news for this program.
#hookem pic.twitter.com/DsPb7CWmIk
— Christian Bishop (@Chris_Bishop32) April 16, 2021
The announcement that Bishop will be taking his talents to the Forty Acres came courtesy of his Twitter timeline on the evening of April 16. Texas is really starting to see the roster come together of late, and it’s exciting to see where things could head next.
Here’s a look at three names to watch that could be the next potential addition for the Longhorns out of the portal this offseason.
Mac McClung, G
There’s a lot of former Texas Tech Red Raiders players that wound up putting their names in the transfer portal this offseason after Beard left Lubbock to take the head coaching job opening on the Forty Acres. And one of the most high-profile (if not the most overall) to leave the Texas Tech program this offseason is the former three-star recruit and junior guard Mac McClung.
This is the second time that McClung’s name is showing up in the transfer portal in his college career to date. He originally started out his college career with the Georgetown Hoyas in the Big East. But after two years playing for Georgetown, McClung up and took his talents to Lubbock to join Beard and the Red Raiders.
An initial thought for where McClung could take his talents to next could start with Beard and the Longhorns. Since he already picked to join Beard out of the transfer portal once, following him to Austin might not be the worst move for all parties involved. Texas did lose some depth in the backcourt rotation early this offseason.
During the 2020-21 season, McClung played in 29 games for the Red Raiders, and eventually garnered All-Big 12 honors. He averaged 15.5 points per game, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks. And McClung shot 41.9 percent from the field, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.3 percent from the free-throw line.
De’Vion Harmon, G
Another potential guard transfer target for Beard and the Longhorns that could bring a good amount of intrigue to the Forty Acres is the former Oklahoma Sooners floor general and junior former four-star recruit De’Vion Harmon. After the departure of former Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger and the subsequent hiring of former Loyola-Chicago head coach Porter Moser, Oklahoma saw some roster attrition of their own this offseason.
Harmon is the latest entrant to the transfer portal out of Norman. And he is one of two that former Sooners that are huge names to enter the portal thus far. The other was the former standout forward and senior Brady Manek. But Manek wound up committing to the North Carolina Tar Heels out of the portal on the same that Bishop joined the Longhorns.
Moreover, Harmon is both a former elite blue chip recruit and in-state product. Texas was one of the schools that offered Harmon out of high school. He ranked as the nation’s No. 47 2019 high school prospect, No. 5 point guard, and No. 7 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranked him as the nation’s No. 52 high school prospect, No. 5 point guard, and No. 7 prospect out of Texas.
In 25 games played with the Sooners last season, Harmon averaged 12.9 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, and no blocks. And he shot 47.7 percent from the field, 33.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 73.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Harmon’s game improved in nearly every regard in the season that was. Another year of improvement could be ahead for Harmon next season, and the Longhorns might be able to get in on the action.
Oumar Ballo, C
There’s going to need to be some help that arrives in the frontcourt for the Longhorns at some point this offseason. Considering that they’re likely to lose the trio that includes sophomore breakthrough power forward Kai Jones, freshman power forward and former elite five-star recruit Greg Brown, and standout senior center Jericho Sims, the frontcourt rotation clearly is thin.
A good place that Beard and the Longhorns could look for help with their frontcourt rotation this offseason is in the transfer portal with one former Gonzaga Bulldog. After falling short to the Baylor Bears in the National Championship Game earlier this month, Gonzaga still looked to be one of the stronger rosters projected ahead of the 2021-22 season.
But one key piece of their projected roster for next season left with the former blue chip recruit and to-be sophomore big man Oumar Ballo putting his name in the transfer portal this offseason. Ballo should have a number of suitors after him out of the portal in the near future, but Texas should be one of those schools after him.
During the 2020-21 campaign with the Zags, Ballo averaged 2.5 points per game, 1.5 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.2 steals, and 0.3 blocks. And he shot 62.9 percent from the field and 55.2 percent from the free-throw line.
The playing time of Ballo was mostly limited last season, which shows in the fact that he averaged 15.9 points per 40 minutes, 9.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks.