Texas Basketball: 5 best transfer portal targets at shooting guard

Kenan Blackshear, SG

Another true hidden gem that Beard and the Longhorns could find from a non-power conference school in the portal this offseason is the former Florida Atlantic Owls sophomore 6-foot-6 and 215-pound shooting guard Kenan Blackshear. The former under-the-radar two-star recruit had a really solid season for the Owls during the 202-21 campaign.

With the improving shooting ability and overall length that Blackshear brings to the table out of two seasons with Florida Atlantic, it’s hard to believe he couldn’t effectively at least fill a reserve role with a major conference team. Texas could definitely find a role for him in their two-guard and/or wing rotation starting next season.

The pace at which Blackshear has improved his game over the course of the past two seasons could make him a threat to earn a true starting role at his next landing spot, though. Blackshear averaged 9.4 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, an impressive 1.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks. And he shot 46.0 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 74.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Blackshear’s box plus/minus rating improved by a mark of more than 4.0 from his freshman to sophomore campaign, and his player efficiency rating was up by more than 10.0 points. That’s not to mention his true shooting percentage rising up by a margin of 14.9 percent. This level of progression is unmistakable and something that Beard could get in on now.