After finishing the previous season with a 12-19 overall record, UTSA men’s basketball coach Austin Claunch is far from where he wants to be. He has repeatedly stated that he sees remarkable potential in the program and has claimed that UTSA can win big in the short term. For a coach as ambitious and smart as Claunch, a record below .500 is simply unacceptable.
Now, in year two of his five-year contract, the head coach will look to drastically improve on last season’s struggles. The team has gone through a complete overhaul, including players, coaches and staff members. Claunch will look to once again implement his schemes and philosophies with the hopes of turning UTSA into a respectable basketball program. The second-year head coach, thanks to an influx of new talent, will lead the Roadrunners to a winning record and give fans a season worth remembering.
Though there were numerous issues with last year’s team, some of the biggest were its size and ability to score down the stretch. The previous roster had an average height of 6-foot-4 and struggled to initiate Claunch’s offense in late-game situations. Drastically needing to address the issue, UTSA fought hard in the transfer portal over the summer. The ‘Runners now possess an average height of 6-foot-6 and a collection of veteran talent and skillful players. The addition of numerous double-digit scorers will allow Claunch to resolve most of the previous issues he ran into.
Though UTSA lost numerous one-score games last season, it was never due to Claunch’s coaching methods. Opposing teams consistently exploited UTSA’s smaller guards, trapping them and creating turnovers. With both of his primary scorers being under 6-foot-3, Claunch struggled to execute his desired offensive plays. That will likely change this year due to the team’s addition of big guards Jamir Simpson, Vasean Allette and Austin Nunez. Their arrival will significantly help Claunch’s ability to coach in the clutch. With a solid-sized backcourt, Claunch will no longer have to worry about opposing guards exploiting mismatches. Instead, he can now focus on creating detailed schemes that will help his team execute and win games late.
This roster turnover gives Claunch all the tools needed to succeed. He now has the athletes to run an efficient offense for a full game. While last year proved to be subpar at best, the upcoming season will be one of Claunch’s best. He will lead UTSA to its first winning record in six years and bring respect back to the men’s basketball program.
