With the Texas basketball season well underway, sophomore guard Chendall Weaver has made himself a more prominent force, and fans are beginning to notice.

The 6-foot-3-inch guard from Mansfield is a transfer from the University of Texas at Arlington, which marked the Longhorns’ third transfer commitment, along with his teammates graduate guard Max Abmas and graduate forward Kadin Shedrick, under head coach Rodney Terry for his first full season. At UT Arlington, Weaver was named WAC freshman of the year while starting in 25 out of 32 games where he averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds. 

At the beginning of the Longhorns season, Weaver was not seen as much on the court, averaging around 10 minutes of playing time and putting up two or three points a game. However, sophomore forward Dillon Mitchell said that Weaver’s absence from the box score means little and he actually controls most scoring plays for the Longhorns.

“He pushes everybody on the team to go hard,” Mitchell said. “If you look at the box score, sometimes you may think Chendall’s not doing anything, but he makes more winning plays than anybody on the court.”

During the challenging game against No. 8 Marquette in early December, Weaver had a breakout performance, accumulating 10 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. Despite the 86-65 loss, head coach Rodney Terry noticed his fearless mentality and described Weaver as a player who “plays the way that (they) have to play to win the Big 12 championship.”

A pattern of Weaver’s game this season has been playing up to his opponents. In matchups against top-ranked teams like Marquette, Oklahoma and BYU, Weaver displayed some of his best performances so far. 

While Weaver is being displayed more and more in the box score, arguably his best asset in his play is on the defensive end. He has a commendable man coverage that has allowed Terry to match him with the top scorers of their opponents. Weaver’s quick movement, intense energy and ability to attack the glass are also key factors that make Weaver such a weapon on the court.

“We established roles at the beginning of the year and what we need guys to do,” Terry said. “He was a guy that was a star in his role early in the season, when he wasn’t even showing up in the box score. This guy kept us in the game and (took) care of his business. He doesn’t turn it over. He makes simple plays. He impacts winning on both the offensive end and the defensive end.”

Weaver said that while playing, he doesn’t care if the ball gets to him, rather it’s about the team’s success and knowing that his players have his back the way he has theirs. Terry has already enjoyed a great impact from Weaver this season by giving confidence in the guard’s capabilities, and Texas fans hope that he will continue to grow and be a huge asset to Texas basketball.

“Just be me. He tells me to be me, do my thing,” Weaver said. “And that’s what I do.”