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TommysTinyTowels

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  1. Texas basketball: Who is Devon Pryor, and how has he helped UT climb up SEC standings? When Texas basketball forward Devon Pryor graduated from high school a year early and enrolled in Texas at the age of 17, he knew that the decision would require some patience before he found steady playing time. But that time has apparently arrived for the 6-foot-7 sophomore, who grew up in El Paso and played high school basketball in Houston. His injection of length, energy and athleticism into the rotation has coincided with the recent hot streak for Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC), which has won four of its past six games in the nation’s highest-rated conference while playing its way off the bubble and into virtually every NCAA Tournament projection. After playing a total of two minutes in the first four SEC games, Pryor has gradually seen more court time in the last few weeks. Over the past three games, he’s averaged 17 minutes a game while posting 19 total points on 9-of-13 shooting to go along with 12 total rebounds. “I just have to play hard and play defense and focus on rebounding,” he said. “I try to home in on those particular aspects of the game so I could find my way eventually onto the court. And all that will open up a bigger role as I progress.” Rodney Terry: Team saw diamond in the recruiting rough Pryor, who just turned 19 earlier this year, apparently has a big role in the rotation right now. In Saturday’s 89-58 win over LSU, he matched a season-high with 21 minutes, pulled down a career-high six rebounds and came within one point of his career-high of 10 points scored in a December nonconference game against Arkansas Pine-Bluff . He also adds some juice off the bench that had been missing since guard Chendall Weaver went down with a hip injury early in January, said Texas coach Rodney Terry. Such development is all part of a plan that Terry and his staff envisioned when Pryor first made an unofficial visit to Texas as a raw, gangly 15-year old with more potential than recruiting stars. That plan accelerated when the Texas staff discovered that Pryor — a standout student in high school and at UT — had enough credits at Houston-area charter school PSAT-XEA Academy to graduate a year early and enroll at Texas for the 2023-24 school year. “Our thought process was, like, hey, this is a kid that has an incredible upside, with a great ceiling,” Terry said. “Let's go ahead and get him to campus right now, start working on his body and start trying to get him physically ready to try to play at this level.” Pryor, who’s now listed at 185 pounds, certainly did his part in the weight room and in Texas athletics’ cafeteria by putting on more than 25 pounds, according to Terry. Terry also said Pryor almost earned regular playing time as a true freshman during last season’s 21-13 campaign. But that squad had veterans such as Dylan Disu, Brock Cunningham and Dillon Mitchell in the frontcourt, which meant Pryor played a total of just 25 minutes in seven games. Even though he burned a redshirt with that limited action, Pryor understood why he spent more time absorbing some lessons from the bench rather than absorbing contact while battling for rebounds on the court. “I did understand the situation I came into with the older team that we had and the guys that were (here) before me,” Pryor said. “Coming in, I didn't have any expectation to really play; I just wanted to get a jump start on the physicality and the understanding and just picking up the pace. I think that decision is starting to pay off a lot.” Texas basketball rebounding better It’s certainly paying off for the Longhorns, who will try to even their SEC record Wednesday against visiting Arkansas in a renewal of a rivalry that stretches back generations in the old Southwest Conference. Pryor hasn’t quite yet reached the pest level of the 6-3 Weaver on the defensive end, but he comes close with his length and quick feet. And his ability to tip balls and get above the rim gives Texas a big boost on the boards; after losing the rebounding battle in each of their first five SEC games, the Longhorns have outrebounded three of their last four opponents. “He's playing terrific for us right now,” Terry said. “He brings a lot of energy and activity when he comes to the floor. And I think the best is yet to come with DP (Pryor).” That best will eventually include more points from Pryor, who gets to the rim and has shown a nice pull-up jumper. He’s also made three of his eight 3-point shots this season, a hint at what’s to come. But for now, Pryor wants to focus on defense, rebounding, the occasional bucket and making what Terry likes to call “winning plays.” “The coaching staff knows what I can do, and I know my ability,” Pryor said. “I feel like my scoring ability can definitely be showcased later on. But as far as the game right now, I'm just trying to keep it as simple as possible. I’m just trying to win.”
  2. Women’s Basketball’s Rori Harmon named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watch list Harmon on 15-player watch list for Defensive Player of the Year award. And another for Rori.
  3. Booker named Top 10 finalist for Cheryl Miller Award The Cheryl Miller Award recognizes the top small forward in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. More well deserved recognition for our ladies.
  4. Madison Booker, Rori Harmon and Taylor Jones earn spots on USBWA National Player of the Year Midseason Top 50 Harmon named Top 10 finalist for Nancy Lieberman Award Nice to see Taylor being nationally recognized.
  5. OU is in 8th place in the SEC at 4-5 Tech is in 12th place in the Little12 at 3-8 If she goes to SCAR she's just another cog in Dawn's machine, but if she comes here she could make history at Texas in her home state. C'mon Aaliyah, it's an easy choice.
  6. Pull Harmon and let Bryanna finish this out
  7. #5/7 Texas (21-2, 7-1 SEC) at Texas A&M (10-10, 3-5 SEC) Sunday, February 2, 2025 – 5:00 p.m. Central Reed Arena | College Station, Texas Cotton Holdings Lone Star Showdown TELEVISION: The game will be nationally televised on SEC Network. Sam Gore (pxp) and Andrea Lloyd (analyst) will call the game. RADIO: 103.1 FM, Craig Way (pxp) and Kathy Harston (analyst) will call the action. ____________________________ Head Coach: Joni Taylor 3rd year Kyndall Hunter: PTS 5.3 REB 1.6 AST 0.9 FG% 34.3 Texas A&M Regular Season vs Texas A&M-CC L 62-56 vs UTSA W 55-51 vs W Michigan W 86-38 @ #15 West Virginia L 83-62 vs N'Western St W 75-54 vs Villanova L 65-57 vs Ball State L 75-62 vs Southern Miss W 79-57 vs Syracuse W 57-45 vs #13 Kansas St L 89-50 vs Texas Southern W 85-60 vs Miss Valley St W 96-54 vs #15 Tennessee L 91-78 vs #25 Ole Miss W 60-58 @ #2 South Carolina L 90-49 @ #10 Oklahoma L 77-62 vs Georgia W 68-63 vs #11 Kentucky W 61-55 @ #5 LSU L 64-51 @ Arkansas L 72-51
  8. No, we have plenty of empirical evidence to prove that he is not. Given plenty of time he has not measured up compared to other coaches at the same program. He is now 56 years old, we know who he is. Does anyone think he's going to turn UT into a blueblood? That should be the goal even if we never quite make it. Could Tre/Pope/Kaluma go on a heater and get us to the elite 8 again? Sure. But that doesn't mean I trust Coach Terry with the long-term health of the program. Just the fact that the last guy worked his ass off to get the students involved and we get crickets from RT, and the last guy went to a program that had been perpetually bad and in two years has them ranked and doing better than they have ever done, should be enough.
  9. Jak is 4 for 4, 6 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 10 points…… and 6 turnovers
  10. Harmon needs to be able to hit a three. It’s a liability.
  11. Jak pacing us with 5 turnovers.
  12. Lee is bringing so much more than Holle right now.
  13. Got Rori’s dead ass out of there….. ha!
  14. Looks like the whole team has the flu
  15. Jak really stepping up for us with Moore and Carlton out. Very active
  16. The 5 is by far the most immediate concern with Jones leaving. Oldacre is a a great player but limited. We need an experienced 5 with height from the portal. For next year Rori and Laila returning seem like a win, but if it stops Chavez from coming that greatly effects our future.
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