Buzzer beaters are graduate guard Tramon Mark’s signature move.
In the last three seconds of the Texas A&M rematch, Mark entered the paint and easily slipped a layup through the defense to take Texas’ first lead of the game.
“It’s not really a play call, it’s just playing off instincts,” Mark said afterward. “I (saw) the whole left side open. I drove it and scored right through the big man.”
It wasn’t the first time Mark executed under pressure.
Over a year ago, he had done nearly the same thing while playing for Arkansas. With 1.1 seconds to go on the Jan. 16, 2024 game against Texas A&M, Mark hit another game-winning basket.
Now, about to play his former team, Mark will have to take the defensive measures he strengthened at Arkansas and reapply them.
“What Tramon has done (for us), he’s gotten back to playing hard on defense,” head coach Rodney Terry said. “You know, he’s always been a guy that has had great length and could be a really good defender. … That’s really giving him an opportunity to play the way he’s playing right now.”
Before his tour around the south, Mark was 247Sport’s No. 6 player in the Texas 2020 class and No. 67 nationally by ESPN. By the time he reached his high school senior season, Mark averaged about 29 points per game — double from the 15.1 of his freshman year.
Mark signed with the University of Houston to start his collegiate career. With the Cougars, Mark played in all 32 games and had four starts, taking Houston to the Final Four with a 28–4 record during the 2020-21 season.
Mark started his sophomore year of college with high hopes but ended up playing seven games total after a season-ending injury.
Originally injuring his left shoulder during a preseason scrimmage, Mark missed the first three games. However, during the first half of the Cougars’ game against No. 9 Alabama, Mark aggravated the injury and missed the rest of the season.
That December, Mark underwent surgery. Less than five months later, he entered the transfer portal and moved to Arkansas.
Within a year, Mark became the Razorbacks’ leading scorer. Reaching double digits in 25 out of 31 games, Mark averaged 16.2 points per game and tied for second for assists with 57.
Mark’s year could have ended on a high note. He had already completed his undergraduate degree at Arkansas and was predicted to be a second-round NBA pick. But on April 7, 2024, Mark entered the transfer portal and committed to Texas in his last year of eligibility.
Now on the Forty Acres, Mark is averaging 9.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Texas’ winning streak has been shaky at best this season, but with three wins out of five games in the past two weeks, Mark has been instrumental in opening up the offense.
Mark will open up the offense and play hard on defense against Arkansas in Austin on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 8 p.m.
