Longhorn sophomore point guard, Varez Ward, will almost certainly transfer to Auburn. Orangebloods.com reported last week that Ward wants to be closer to home and his mother, Sharon, who has a heart condition. Ward will have to sit out the coming season before he is eligible to play for the Tigers. Luckily, he was recently granted a medical hardship for another year of eligibility after suffering a season ending injury while warming up for a November game against Pittsburgh. Once eligible to play, Ward will have 3 years of eligibility remaining.
With Ward’s departure, the Longhorns will be left with Dogus Balbay, Jai Lucas, J’Covan Brown, and heralded incoming freshman, Cory Joseph at the guard positions. How will Barnes divide up the minutes now? Ward was almost certain to get a lot of playing time. Last season, Balbay went down with a season ending knee injury, Lucas looked overwhelmed, and Brown showed flashes of brilliance but wasn’t consistent. That said, I expect Cory Joseph will likely play a lot of minutes this coming season. If Balbay is fully healthy, he should see a lot of time as well. Regardless, the Longhorns should rotate all their guards early in the season to get a feel for the pecking order.