Graduate guard Tramon Mark is now in his sixth and final year of collegiate basketball.
With the men’s basketball season now underway, Mark brings experience to the backcourt and provides a mixed range of scoring capabilities to help the Longhorns.
“(Mark’s) definitely a scorer,” head coach Sean Miller said on Wednesday after a win against Fairleigh Dickinson. “It was great to see him shoot the ball with so much confidence tonight.”
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Mark is an aggressive guard who looks for a lane to drive closer to the basket. His physical play allows him to finish through contact, either laying up under the hoop or floating in above the defender. When the lane he is driving through closes, the guard is also able to stop on a dime to take a pull-up jumpshot.
Mark is also a capable three-point shooter, averaging a career 32.5% shooting percentage. The graduate has also maintained at least a 30% three-point shooting percentage in his last three seasons across Houston, Arkansas and Texas.
“I’m mostly really aggressive, so that was my mindset — coming and being aggressive,” Mark said on Saturday after Lafayette. “Taking the shots I know I can make and doing what’s best for the team.”
Miller has also experimented with moving Mark to the shooting guard position and having senior guard Jordan Pope run the offense. Mark was initially a point guard coming out of high school and has played both positions throughout his collegiate career.
Last year, under then-head coach Rodney Terry, Mark primarily played at shooting guard. However, after a standout point guard performance against Texas A&M in the SEC tournament, he got to spend more time at the one.
“At the end of the season last year, I was playing the one, and I like being the one,” Mark said after FDU. “I like being around, bringing up the ball and running the show a little bit. But I can play both spots really well, in my opinion. So I’m comfortable either or.”
Against No. 6 Duke in the season opener, Mark started at the one but only managed two points, one assist and three rebounds. However, the switch led to Mark having a 20-point night against FDU on Wednesday, shooting an efficient 9-13 from the floor. However, this was against a non-power conference school.
On the defensive end, Mark also provides a presence against opponents, averaging 3.4 defensive rebounds and 0.8 steals per game last season. Off the court, Miller praises Mark for what his five prior years of college basketball will do for the team.
“Tramon’s been around the block. You don’t just show up here, trying to figure it out. You’ve seen things before, as you’re an older person and an experienced player,” Miller said. “And I think one thing I will say about Tramon, we’re relying on his leadership. We’re relying on his play, and he’s certainly going to be a double-figure scorer for us.”
Mark and the Longhorns will return to the Moody Center on Saturday to face the Kansas City Roos with tipoff set for 12:00 p.m.
