Devon Pryor’s development is impacting the Texas rotation

The high-upside sophomore wing has taken advantage of increased playing time over the last three games by starring in his role.

As the Texas Longhorns return to the Moody Center on Wednesday against the Arkansas Razorbacks after a two-game road trip, head coach Rodney Terry’s team hopes to build on a 3-1 stretch amidst a three-game boost from sophomore wing Devon Pryor, a 6’7, 185-pound 19-year-old known as the team’s best athlete.

After training with NBA legend Tracy McGrady in high school, an experience that developed Pryor’s basketball awareness and IQ, the El Paso native and Houston-area product re-classified to the 2023 recruiting class as a late, developmental addition for Texas with enough upside that Terry spoke openly on Monday about the possibility that Pryor declares for the NBA Draft before exhausting his eligibility.

One pillar of Terry’s program is providing players with areas in which they can “star in their role” in practice and in games. For Pryor, that means providing energy defensively, crashing the glass on both ends, and taking open jump shots off the catch.

“I try to hone in on those particular aspects of the game so I could find my way eventually onto the court,” Pryor said on Monday.

As a shooter, Pryor said he’s most comfortable stepping into a mid-range jump shot, but he’s also expanding his range to the three-point line, making 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc against UAPB and hitting his only attempt in Saturday’s win over LSU.

Over the last three games, Pryor has taken advantage of his larger role in the rotation by scoring four points on three shots with one rebound and one assist in 14 minutes as the Longhorns overcame a 22-point deficit in the second half against the Aggies, notching six points on four shots with five rebounds and a block in 16 minutes in the loss to the Rebels in Oxford, and hitting 4-of-6 shots for nine points with six rebounds and an assist on Saturday.

That’s 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting (69.2 percent), 12 rebounds, two assists, and a block in 51 minutes over those three games.

Pryor’s athleticism is making an impact on the perimeter defensively, he was active enough to come up with four offensive rebounds against LSU, and he’s playing with efficiency on offense because he’s letting the game come to him by not forcing shots and shooting the open looks he has with confidence.

With effort glue guy Chendall Weaver still out indefinitely with his hip injury, Texas has an open spot in the rotation for a similar player; Pryor provides the Longhorns with increased height and length over the 6’3 Weaver that allow Pryor to more easily run the inside channels in transition hunting finishes.

“Definitely talked about the similarities with my abilities and, what can I bring to the court? I feel like I could bring just that,” Pryor said of the energy comparisons to Weaver. “That’s what’s helping me stay on the court.”

If Pryor’s breakout to becoming a star in his role represents a surprise to those outside the basketball facility, it’s not to Terry and his staff, who projected Pryor as an impact rotation player in his second season coming out of a strong summer that built on the 27 pounds of weight the Texas coach said Pryor gained after enrolling as a skinny, underaged freshman last year and playing just 25 minutes.

An early-season ankle injury disrupted that projection and kept Pryor out for nearly a month during the non-conference schedule, contributing to Pryor having to earn his way onto the court when SEC play started by starring in his role in practice.

In the instant-gratification era of college sports, Pryor waiting a year and half to earn regular playing time counts as patience. For Pryor, it was also part of the plan.

“I did understand the situation I came into with the older team that we had and the guys that were there before me. So coming in, I didn’t have an expectation to really play, but I just wanted to get a jump start on the physicality and the understanding and just to pick up the pace. So I think that decision is starting to pay off,” Pryor said.

Pryor almost surely won’t be able to maintain his current level of offensive efficiency, but if he plays with the consistent energy he’s shown over the last 51 minutes of basketball, he’ll help the Longhorns and earn more opportunities to expand his offensive game.

“I feel like my scoring ability can definitely be showcased later on in the future, as I get get better and things of that nature,” Pryor said. “But as far as the game, I’m just trying to keep it as simple as possible and trying to win.”