One brings the competitive spirit. The other approaches the game like a coach.
With the offseason looming before the 2019-20 season begins, Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart wants guards Courtney Ramey and Matt Coleman to become the focal points for a team looking to build on an NIT title run as Smart faces the most critical season of his coaching career.
“We’re going to go as those guys go, now and as long as they’re here,” Smart said after Texas beat Colorado in the NIT’s third round.
Hanging unspoken in the air of the Erwin Center media room in late March was an unmistakable reality — Smart’s tenure at Texas, now featuring four complete seasons, may also go as far as Coleman and Ramey can take it.