Finishing the season with a record of 10-22, the UTSA men’s basketball team experienced a rather disappointing season, to say the least. The Roadrunners, led by head coach Steve Henson, look to drastically improve their team for the upcoming season next year. Though attempts have been made to recruit through the transfer portal, the university has ultimately fallen short. With nine players already entering the transfer portal, including star point guard Japhet Medor, it is hard to see a 2024 season in which UTSA men’s basketball finishes with a record above .500.

With this being the third year in a row the team has shown a record below .500, many are questioning the true ability of the men’s UTSA basketball team. The most important of those questions happens to be Japhet Medor, the university’s top point guard and leading scorer. Despite averaging 13.7 points and 3.8 assists, the guard’s outstanding play did little to help the team in overall wins. Frustrated with the team’s play, Medor decided to take his talents to the transfer portal, where he would eventually commit to Fordham University, despite NIL offers from UTSA. Medor is just one of many players refusing UTSA’s NIL deals in hopes of finding better in the transfer portal. As a plethora of players depart from the university, little to none find themselves returning.

What seems to make matters only worse for Henson and his staff is their inability to recruit through the portal using NIL deals. As it stands, only four players are returning to the team for the 2023-2024 season. While the coaching staff does have incoming high school freshmen to add to the roster, their portal recruitment has been abysmal. Simply put, many players within the portal do not want to come to UTSA. As a program that has finished each of its last three seasons under .500, the destination is less than appealing. Although NIL deals have been offered to players, the school has failed to recruit big-name players to their program.

The failings of recruitment fall on none other than head coach Steve Henson and his staff. In entering the final year of his contract, Henson has proved unsuccessful in attracting star talent to the university. Even with the addition of NIL deals, the school finds 12 of its 2022-23 roster players departing. If the 2023-24 season is anything like the past three, it is hard to see a future in which UTSA can recruit star talent to add to its roster. As it looks right now, the future is extremely dim for the men’s basketball program.