Texas men’s basketball got one last test before the regular season, taking on the St. John’s Red Storm in an exhibition game on Oct. 25.
The Longhorns struggled but showed a few bright spots in an 87-74 loss. The game won’t count toward the Longhorns’ record, but it gave Texas head coach Sean Miller a chance to see what his retooled roster looked like.
While much of the buzz focused on the transfers the Longhorns brought in and how they played in their first public showing, people were equally interested in how the Texas freshmen looked in their first real action.
Texas’ coveted freshman class received plenty of burn against the Red Storm, with four of them taking the court on Sunday. Forward Marcus Spears Jr. and guard Austin Goosby received the most minutes of the first-year players, with both playing a little over 22 minutes.
Behind Spears Jr. and Goosby, guard Bo Ogden got the third-most minutes among the freshmen, playing close to 14 minutes, while guard Joe Sterling got the fewest, with just over four minutes.
The four freshmen accounted for 21 of the Longhorns’ 74 points as they shot a combined 8-17 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc.
Spears Jr. made the leap to college a year early, and the 17-year-old did not look out of place.
The forward ended with nine points, the most of any Texas freshman, and was the Longhorns’ fourth-leading scorer, shooting over 50% from the field. Spears Jr. did much more than just score, with five rebounds — two of which were on the offensive side of the glass and a game-high three blocks.
While Spears Jr. showed promise and flashed his talent against St. John’s, Miller knows that the forward can still grow.
“I think you have to have an understanding that somebody like (Spears Jr.), his best days are in front of him. It’s up to us to get him there,” Miller said after the game.
Goosby’s performance was up and down over his 22 minutes. The guard finished with seven points, the second most of the first-year players, but shot under 30% from the field and was a perfect 2-for-2 from three.
Goosby looked like the freshman he is at times, struggling against St. John’s ball pressure and turning the ball over five times — the most by any player in the game. He also recorded just a single assist.
Ogden’s contributions were minimal, but he finished with five points in the second half, making both of his shots and hitting his only three-pointer. The guard added three rebounds, including one on the offensive glass.
Sterling didn’t have much time on the court and missed the one shot he attempted.
Miller knows that the Longhorns still have a long way to go, especially with the number of young players that will be expected to contribute this season.
“We don’t return five starters; quite frankly, there’s plenty of teams in this country that are older than we are, including St. John’s,” Miller said. “But I do think our ceiling and where we can end up will be, I hope, in a far better place than where we are here today.”
The four freshmen will play their first official game as college players when Texas opens the regular season against Chicago State on Nov. 2 at the Moody Center.
