Texas Basketball: 3 biggest transfer targets Beard missed out on

A busy offseason thus far for new head coach Chris Beard and the Texas basketball program saw a lot of movement both in terms of this NBA Draft class and the NCAA Transfer Portal. Even the recruiting trail saw a lot of volatility for the 2021 Texas hoops class since the departure of former head coach Shaka Smart, and the subsequent hiring of the former Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Beard.

Texas athletic director Chris del Conte had the hiring of Beard as the Longhorns next men’s basketball head coach to replace Smart back on April 1. It was Smart that bolted from Austin back on March 26 to take over as the next head coach of the Marquette Golden Eagles to replace the departed Steve Wojciechowski.

While it seems like a long time ago that Smart left the Forty Acres in favor of hiring Beard, six weeks is really all that makes up that span of time. Texas had a lot of changes to the program since then, and hopefully more positive progression is just around the corner.

Chris Beard putting in work for Texas basketball in the transfer portal

However, there can’t always be nothing but success in the transfer portal and through the NBA Draft. It wasn’t all upside for Beard since getting hired to be the Longhorns next head coach. Texas did have some notable misses in the transfer portal since Beard was hired more than one month ago.

It can’t go without saying that Texas can’t some big additions to the program in the form of to-be sophomore guard Devin Askew, junior power forward Dylan Disu, and senior forwards Timmy Allen and Christian Bishop. But the transfer portal movement might be far from over for the Longhorns.

In a week where we’re reflecting on what’s happened for the Longhorns in the transfer portal up to this point, it’s also worth taking a look back on the downside of pursuing top targets in the space.