Who does junior guard Chendall Weaver think are the best shooters in the Texas men’s basketball team? Freshman guard Tre Johnson, junior guard Jordan Pope and … himself.
Despite being one of the notable faces of the team in the 2023-24 season, shooting was not Weaver’s greatest strength. It took hard work over the spring and the summer to get to where he is now.
After transferring from UT-Arlington as a sophomore in 2023, Weaver played in 34 games with six starts for the Longhorns and scored 57 out of 77 free throw attempts, a success percentage of nearly 74%. But there was room for improvement on field goals. Weaver had a success rate of 49% in field goals and only 24% in three-pointers.
“Chendall (Weaver) did a great job this spring attacking his ball handling and his shooting,” head coach Rodney Terry said. “He’s improved so much in those areas … A lot of shooting comes down to you (putting) the work in, (then) it’s the confidence level. I think he’s a confident player.”
Weaver averaged 12 points each game in NCAA tournament play, showing up for the team both in defense and offense.
“Chendall Weaver is the hardest playing player we have,” graduate forward Kadin Shedrick said. “He plays his role really well, and I’m excited to see his role expand this year.”
Going into his second year at Texas and looking at a significantly different team, Weaver is confident his experience and talent will push him to a role similar to what former Longhorn center Dylan Disu held on the team.
“Dylan Disu was a big part of our offense last year,” Weaver said. “He spaced the floor (and) drove. He’s a good communicator and I feel like, as an older guy this year, I can take on that role.”
Weaver has plenty of role models to look up to and perfect his game. In addition to the older players at Texas, Weaver’s sister Chennedy Carter played at Texas A&M for three years and was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft for the Atlanta Dream.
“Growing up, I would always watch her,” Weaver said. “She kind of inspired me to play basketball, so I give all my greatness to her.”
Now, with four freshmen and six newcomers out of the portal, it will be Weaver who’ll set an example for the younger players.
