Everybody Eats at Terry's Texas Longhorn Table
From the moment Rodney Terry took over as head coach of the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team last March, he has preached the same mantra: "Everybody eats."
For Terry, a former Longhorn point guard who was named interim coach after Chris Beard was fired in December, this means giving everyone on the roster, from the starters to the walk-ons, a chance to contribute.
"We're going to play 10 guys," Terry said at his introductory press conference. "We're going to play a lot of guys. We're going to try to get everybody involved. Everybody deserves to eat."
And so far, Terry has been true to his word. In the Longhorns' first two games under Terry, 12 different players have seen action, and 10 of them have scored at least one point.
This is a significant departure from the way things were done under Beard, who often relied on a seven-man rotation. As a result, the Longhorns were often gassed by the end of games, especially on the defensive end.
Terry knows that he can't win consistently in the Big 12 with a short bench, so he is committed to playing as many players as possible. This will help keep his team fresh and prevent them from getting injured.
It will also give the Longhorns a chance to develop depth, which will be crucial if they want to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, playing 10 guys is not without its challenges. It can be difficult to get everyone enough minutes, and it can sometimes lead to inconsistency.
But Terry is confident that he can make it work. He has a veteran coaching staff, and he has a lot of talented players on his roster.
If Terry can find the right mix of players and minutes, the Longhorns could be a surprise team in the Big 12 this season.
## How Terry's "Everybody Eats" Mantra Benefits the Longhorns * **Increased depth:** Playing 10 guys will help the Longhorns develop depth, which will be crucial if they want to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. * **Reduced risk of injury:** By playing more players, Terry can help reduce the risk of injury to his starters. * **Increased consistency:** Playing a larger rotation will help the Longhorns avoid the inconsistency that can come from relying on a small group of players. * **Improved team chemistry:** When everyone on the team feels like they are contributing, it can lead to improved team chemistry. ## Challenges of Playing 10 Guys * **Finding the right mix of players:** Terry will need to find the right mix of players and minutes in order to make his "Everybody Eats" mantra work. * **Avoiding inconsistency:** Playing a larger rotation can sometimes lead to inconsistency. Terry will need to find a way to keep his team playing at a high level even when different players are on the court. * **Keeping everyone happy:** It can be difficult to keep everyone happy when they are not playing as much as they would like. Terry will need to be able to communicate with his players and make sure they understand their roles on the team. ## Conclusion Rodney Terry's "Everybody Eats" mantra is a bold one, but it could pay off for the Texas Longhorns. By playing 10 guys, Terry can increase his team's depth, reduce the risk of injury, and improve team chemistry. Of course, there are challenges to playing a larger rotation, but if Terry can find the right mix of players and minutes, the Longhorns could be a surprise team in the Big 12 this season.