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Court action could clear pathway for UTSA’s Jordan Ivy-Curry and Justin Thomas to play

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Jordan Ivy-Curry. A&M-Corpus Christi beat UTSA 77-58 on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Developments in a West Virginia court case could crack open an opportunity for guard Jordan Ivy-Curry and forward for Justin Thomas both to play this season for the UTSA Roadrunners. As it is, both are sitting out under NCAA transfer rules, which are now being contested legally. Ivy-Curry is shown here in a photo from 2021-22. – File Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
News analysis for The JB Replay

Will UTSA basketball players Jordan Ivy-Curry and Justin Thomas be allowed to play this year? Will they perhaps make the road trip to play at Oregon State on Sunday afternoon? An athletics department spokesman says in a text that he can’t confirm the members of the traveling party.

Meanwhile, UTSA coach Steve Henson could not immediately be reached for comment.

Justin Thomas. UTSA men's basketball practice on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Justin Thomas averaged 7.3 points and 4.4 rebounds last season for a 22-win team at Milwaukee, of the Horizon League. – Photo by Joe Alexander

But after a motion in a West Virginia-based court case was filed Friday to request an injunction allowing for multi-time transfers to compete in games through the end of the season, I suspect that the wheels might be in motion for the Roadrunners to suit up both athletes.

If it’s not this weekend, then it might not be long afterward.

Over the past few years, NCAA rules on transfers have changed. First-time transfers were given the chance to play immediately. But it was announced this summer that athletes transferring for a second time or more had to sit out a year in residence. In response, seven states including West Virginia have challenged the multiple-time rule.

The initial decision by Judge John Preston Bailey on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order allowing multi-time transfers to play within a 14-day window. In the past few days, the states and the NCAA agreed to pursue an injunction that would extend the protections for athletes hoping to play while the case was being decided.

The NCAA said in a statement issued to ESPN and other media outlets Friday saying that, “given the unprecedented decision by the courts earlier this week, the NCAA has reached an agreement with the states to convert the temporary restraining order into a preliminary injunction through the remainder of the 2023-24 NCAA championship season.”

Apparently, the judge has not signed off on the request yet. But if it indeed happens, it could be a huge development for the Roadrunners. UTSA (5-5) is scheduled to play at Oregon State (6-3) on Sunday and at home against Army and Prairie View A&M by the end of the calendar year.

The program’s first season in the American Athletic Conference begins Jan. 2 at home against the UAB Blazers.

Ivy-Curry, who played at UTSA for two seasons from 2020-22 before transferring to the University of the Pacific last season, is a 6-foot-3 guard from La Marque. He’s an offensive firebrand who can hit the three and can slash to the bucket. He averaged double figures in scoring each of his last two seasons, one at UTSA and then another at Pacific in California.

The 6-foot-7 Thomas is a versatile player who averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists last season for a 22-win team at Milwaukee, in the Horizon League. The Baton Rouge, La., native hit 42.9 percent from three. He looks like he could play shooting guard, but he is apparently being viewed as a small forward or power forward at UTSA.

Multi-time transfers for the Roadrunners include Ivy-Curry (who has played at UTSA, Pacific, and UTSA again), Thomas (Division II Queens University, N.C., Milwaukee, Wis., and UTSA) and guard Juan Reyna (Alabama State, Campbell, S.C., and UTSA).

I do not think that Reyna, formerly of Antonian High School, will play at UTSA this season. He apparently enrolled with a plan to redshirt in 2023-24 to further some long-range academic goals, so he apparently will continue to practice with the team as a walk on, with a plan to start his Roadrunners playing career in 2024-25.

As for Ivy-Curry and Thomas, they both probably would have been on the floor this season had it not been for the NCAA rule that is now being contested. But when both arrived at UTSA this summer, they knew the only way they could get into games right away would be if they received a waiver.

Ivy-Curry applied for one but reportedly had it rejected by the NCAA a few weeks ago. Now, because of the lawsuit filed by seven states on behalf of some other college athletes, Ivy-Curry and Thomas now both could be in a position to resume their careers soon if everything falls just right.

The story broke on Wednesday afternoon that Bailey had granted a restraining order. UTSA coaches and players were already in Little Rock, Ark., when the news stories started to be published on social media.

That night, the Roadrunners built a 14-point lead in the first half and then faded, eventually losing to the Trojans, 93-84.

Naturally, since Ivy-Curry and Thomas weren’t eligible when the team left town, they weren’t on the trip. In addition, guard Adante’ Holiman wasn’t there, either. He stayed home because of concussion symptoms.

But the fact remains that the Roadrunners, who had won three straight, simply ran out of steam and lost a game they could have won.

Another unsettling issue as they returned home on Thursday centered on the restraining order and what it would all mean. Coaches and players around the nation were all left wondering.

Initially, there was both confusion and trepidation about what would happen if teams played athletes affected by the ruling. For instance, Little Rock apparently had one player who had been sitting out like Ivy-Curry and Thomas, and he was on site. But the Trojans, only hours after the judge issued the restraining order, did not use him.

Adante' Holiman. UTSA beat McMurry 125-84 in a men's basketball exhibition game on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023, at the Convocation Center. - Photo by Joe Alexander

Sophomore guard Adante’ Holiman has been out the last two games because of concussion symptoms. His status for Sunday’s game at Oregon State is uncertain. But he did work out on his own late Thursday night. – Photo by Joe Alexander

It might have had something to do with rumblings from the NCAA that athletes who played games during the 14-day period might face a loss of a year’s eligibility if the decision was reversed. The thought was that the court might reverse itself in a hearing that had been set for Dec. 27.

Now, with the request for the injunction, athletes approved to play nationally will have 20 games or so to compete, plus postseason tournament games It’s apparently uncertain whether the Dec. 27 hearing will even be held.

“This action provides clarity for student-athletes and member schools for the remainder of the academic year — any multiple-time transfer student-athlete who competes this season will be subject to the same eligibility and use of a season of competition rules as all other student-athletes,” the NCAA said in its statement published in Metro News of West Virginia.

The UNLV Runnin’ Rebels were among the first schools to take advantage of the reprieve.

UNLV played forward Keylan Boone, a multi-time transfer, in his first game of the season on Wednesday night shortly after the TRO was issued. Boone, whose twin brother is also on the squad, produced 10 points and six rebounds in the Rebels’ 79-64 victory over the eighth-ranked Creighton Blue Jays.

In the past few days, more teams including West Virginia have announced that previously ineligible players would become eligible to suit up for games.

As for UTSA, it’s not entirely clear what is going on in the Roadrunners’ camp. Apparently the call on Ivy-Curry and Thomas will be made collectively, decided by administrators, by the coaches and by the players and their families.

For Ivy-Curry and Thomas, the decision also needs to come fairly quickly. Because if conference play starts and a few weeks pass and their situations remain unsettled, then the two of them could be better off just waiting and starting over with a full slate of games in 2024-25.

I hope to learn more after a Saturday morning team practice.

Coach says Ivy-Curry ‘just felt like he need a fresh start’

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HIgh-scoring sophomore guard Jordan Ivy-Curry has left the UTSA basketball program and has entered the transfer portal in hopes of catching on with another team.

“We sat down and talked yesterday,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said Wednesday. “He’s been over to compliance, a pretty simple process. Went over to compliance and signed the paperwork, so he is in the transfer portal as of yesterday afternoon.”

The issue with Ivy-Curry, a starter and one of the team’s leading scorers, has emerged as the latest in a string of misfortune to befall the Roadrunners this year.

UTSA has lost two players to season-ending injuries, Adrian Rodriguez in preseason camp and Aleu Aleu at midseason. Starting power forward Cedrick Alley Jr., ruled academically ineligible, was another midseason casualty.

Guard Dhieu Deing left the team and sat out seven games before deciding to return in late January.

In addition, the Roadrunners have had multiple interruptions with players going in and coming out of Covid-19 protocols. Given all the adversity, it’s not surprising that UTSA is 9-19 overall and 2-13 in Conference USA.

Henson said Ivy-Curry remains enrolled in classes.

“He needs to do that for his sake,” Henson said. “He’s done a really good job the last couple of weeks and is in great academic standing. As long as he handles it and I think he’s planning on handling it, his next step will be affected by what he does in the classroom.”

The coach said he doesn’t know where Ivy-Curry is looking for another opportunity.

“I don’t think he’s got a place in mind, is what he told us,” Henson said. “I think he’s going to wait and see what opportunities are there. He’ll have a bunch. Those people will start calling right away.”

Ivy-Curry averaged 13.9 points in 21 games this season. He sat out six games in Covid-19 protocols and one with a sprained ankle. Ivy-Curry, nicknamed ‘Juice’ for his ability to bring the energy, had played in limited minutes off the bench in the team’s last two games but was not 100 percent.

He didn’t practice this week and then came to Henson after Tuesday’s practice.

“Just felt like he wanted a fresh start,” Henson said. “We’re going to support him, love him and wish him well. He did some great things for our program. He’ll have a lot of success at his next stop, wherever that might be.

“We’ll be pulling for him and cheering for him.”

Records

UTSA 9-19, 2-13
UAB 20-7, 10-4

Coming up

Thursday — UAB at UTSA, 7 p.m.
March 3 — North Texas at UTSA, 7 p.m.
March 5 — Rice at UTSA, 2 p.m.

C-USA tournament

March 8 — Southern Miss vs. UTSA, at Frisco
March 9-12 — TBA

Freshman fuels late run as FAU defeats UTSA, 73-64

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Freshman guard Alijah Martin scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half Saturday afternoon as the FAU Owls rallied for a 73-64 victory over the offensively-challenged UTSA Roadrunners.

Martin and Bryan Greenlee, who also scored 16, hit key shots in an 8-0 run for the Owls in the final three minutes of the ball game at the UTSA Convocation Center.

Steve Henson. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA coach Steve Henson worked the sideline Saturday as his team battled the FAU Owls. – Photo by Joe Alexander

During the Owls’ final push, the Roadrunners had several opportunities to turn the momentum in their favor but couldn’t get it done.

“Same story,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “Just can’t get the ball to go in the hole.”

After leading by three at halftime, the Roadrunners shot 25.6 percent in the second half and finished with 33.8 percent for the game. As a result, their percentage for the season dropped to 38.0, which ranks last in Conference USA.

Down by nine points with six minutes remaining, the Roadrunners started a charge that felt a little like Thursday night, when they rallied for a victory over the FIU Panthers.

UTSA, behind guard Darius McNeill, surged on an 11-3 streak over the next three minutes.

McNeill had seven points and an assist in the run. His jumper from just outside the paint brought the Roadrunners to within one, 65-64, with 3:18 remaining.

Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a long shot at the buzzer at the end of the first half. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry hit a long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer against Florida Atlantic. Ivy-Curry led UTSA with 19 points. – Photo by Joe Alexander

At that point, the Roadrunners couldn’t get a break or score another point for the rest of the afternoon.

After McNeill misfired on a three-point attempt that would have vaulted UTSA into the lead, FAU came down and missed on a Greenlee drive.

A clutch offensive rebound by forward Bitumba Baruti allowed the Owls another opportunity, and Greenlee delivered on a three from the wing that made it 68-64.

As the clocked ticked into the two-minute range, defenses tightened and both UTSA and FAU misfired on three-point attempts. Trailing by four, UTSA would have a chance.

But in one of the key sequences, the Roadrunners made an aggressive play that could have been a momentum changer, only to see it go awry.

Guard Dhieu Deing drove baseline and passed on a difficult maneuver under the basket to teammate Jacob Germany. As it turned out, the pass was low, and Germany couldn’t hang on to it.

Jacob Germany. Florida Atlantic beat UTSA 73-64 on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany had 11 points and 10 rebounds against FAU. The 6-11 center hit 5 of 11 from the field. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Owls advanced it the other way, leading to a driving layup by Martin and a 70-64 lead for FAU with 56 seconds left.

On the next possession, the Roadrunners kept shooting and rebounding and shooting again, coming up with nothing as they skidded to their 10th loss in their last 12 games.

UTSA is 1-8 in conference.

“We’re just too streaky right now,” Henson said. “Confidence, I think, probably is an issue overall. You know, shots going in becomes contagious. Shots not going in becomes contagious. We’re struggling.”

The Owls clearly had something to do with the Roadrunners’ problems. Unlike the Roadrunners, the Owls had several players who looked confident in their offensive games.

Martin, for instance, hit six of 10 from the field. He also nailed four of eight from 3-point territory. In an all-around solid performance, the 6-2 guard from Summit, Miss., was a handful on the glass with nine rebounds. He also passed for four assists.

Greenlee hit the big three at the end.

Junior guard Michael Forrest, FAU’s leading scorer, wasn’t great. He hit only two of six from the field and scored 12 points. But he stepped up and contributed in other areas. He knocked down seven of eight of his free throws, leading a 22 of 26 showing at the line for the Owls.

Freshman guard Johnell Davis led the Owls off the bench. The 6-4 freshman had 15 points and six rebounds.

Records

FAU 12-9, 5-3
UTSA 8-14, 1-8

Coming up

Feb. 3 — UTSA at Rice
Feb. 5 — UTSA at North Texas
Feb. 7 — UTSA at Middle Tennessee

Notable

UTSA hit two three-pointers in the final minute of the first half to take a 38-35 lead. In the second half, the shots didn’t fall. The Roadrunners made only 10 of 39 for 25.6 percent after halftime. They hit 33.8 percent for the game.

Jordan Ivy-Curry led UTSA with 19 points. But after playing 34 minutes on Thursday, Ivy-Curry didn’t seem to have quite the lift on his jumpers. He hit only seven of 24 from the field.

Germany, who played 35 minutes Thursday, was 5 of 11 from the field and scored 11. He had 10 rebounds. Dhieu Deing suffered a tough day in hitting only three of 14 shots. He scored eight points.

Roadrunners end six-game skid by downing the FIU Panthers

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Dhieu Deing. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA’s Erik Czumbel embraces Dhieu Deing after a play late in the game as the Roadrunners hold off the FIU Panthers 73-66 at the Convocation Center. Deing had 19 points in his first game back after leaving the squad in the first week of January. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The losing streak is over. UTSA ended a troublesome six-game skid Thursday night by battling from behind in the second half to take down the FIU Panthers, 73-66.

As a bonus, the Roadrunners notched their first win in Conference USA this season. “We needed it badly,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said. “There’s no secret about it.”

The streak was the longest in Henson’s six years at UTSA and the longest overall since the Roadrunners lost nine in a row near the end of 2015-16, which was the last season in Brooks Thompson’s tenure as coach.

Jacob Germany. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Playing against a 7-foot-1 center, UTSA post Jacob Germany scored 11 points and pulled down eight rebounds in the second half. He had 23 and 11 for the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In facing FIU, a big and physical C-USA East Division team with a winning record, 6-foot-11 center Jacob Germany produced a double-double with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Dhieu Deing added 19 points, including 15 in the second half. Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 17 points, four rebounds and three assists as UTSA won for the first time in 24 days.

It was Ivy-Curry’s first game since Jan. 8. He sat out the last four in Covid protocols. For Deing, it was his first game since Jan. 1. He left the team briefly and sat out seven games as he tried to decide whether to turn pro or remain in college.

The Roadrunners, fighting against an extended stream of adversity during the month of January, have seen the season come to an end for Cedrick Alley, Jr. and Aleu Aleu.

Alley is academically ineligible and Aleu has suffered a right knee injury that required surgery.

All that notwithstanding, two of the most severe blows to the team came with the loss of Deing and Ivy-Curry.

Without them, defenses keyed on Germany and clogged up the paint. Players who hadn’t been shooting the ball much were forced to look at the basket, with only mixed results.

Jordan Ivy-Curry. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jordan Ivy-Curry scored 17 points in his first game back after sitting out four in Covid protocols. He hit a three with five minutes left that helped to fuel a late UTSA rally. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The Roadrunners were 1-6 without Deing (the only win coming against Dallas Christian) and 0-4 without both Deing an Ivy-Curry.

Deing, a 6-foot-5 junior transfer, said it “felt big” to earn the victory in his first game back.

“I prayed a lot on it,” he said. “I just felt like I couldn’t quit on my team like that. So, me, personally, I just (wanted to) do anything I could to win.”

Deing, who nailed three 3-point shots in the second half, said he thinks the difference down the stretch may have stemmed from the Roadrunners starting to learn how to play and pull together when the times get tough.

“Just, how are we going to fight adversity,” he said. “Basketball is about adversity, how are you going to fight it? We did it as a team, together.”

Deing actually had re-joined the team last week, but had to go into Covid protocols and ended up sitting out a couple of losses to the UTEP Miners, one on the road ane one at home.

Florida International's Clevon Brown is from San Antonio and Churchill High School. He had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 blocks on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, against UTSA. - photo by Joe Alexander

Former Churchill High School standout Clevon Brown had 12 points, three rebounds and three blocked shots for the FIU Panthers. – Photo by Joe Alexander

He described his return as emotional.

“I think they’re always going to be my brothers,” he said. “I apologized. I told him I was sorry I quit on ’em. I was just happy to come back and take some dubs with this team.”

In the aftermath of a road loss at UAB on the first day of the New Year, tensions mounted when the team got back home.

“I was just frustrated,” Deing said. “A lot of things going on. A lot of people in my ear. Just a lot of things going on. Just frustration.”

Deing sat out on Jan. 3 against Dallas Christian, and then UTSA released a statement on Jan. 6 saying that he wasn’t on the team and was looking at options in pro basketball.

In regard to his other options, Deing said he considered “a lot of things” but did not sign anything.

After FIU bell behind and trailed most of the first half, at one time by as many as 14 points, the Panthers gradually climbed back in the game after intermission and took the lead with 7:57 left.

With point guard Tevin Brewer orchestrating the attack, FIU continued to press the action and pushed the advantage to Five. A floater by Brewer made it 61-56 in favor of the Panthers with 5:26 remaining.

Darius McNeill. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Darius McNeill takes it to the hoop for the Roadrunners. – Photo by Joe Alexander

From there, the Roadrunners pushed back. Consecutive 3-pointers from Ivy-Curry and Deing vaulted UTSA back on top by one point.

Down the stretch, UTSA benefited from plays by Germany and Erik Czumbel, who hit another three.

Both Deing and Ivy-Curry, at the line with one-and-one situations late, came up big by knocking down two free throws in each instance.

“Teams high in the standings are often times playing a lot of close games,” Henson said. “They’re just finding ways to win those ball games. We needed to get this one to reinforce that, to get it off our back and build on it.

“Kind of the message here is, keep building.”

Records

FIU 12-8, 2-5
UTSA 8-13, 1-7

Coming up

Saturday, FAU at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Notable

Germany was aggressive in pulling down five offensive rebounds, and he was efficient in hitting 10 of 18 shots. Coming against a team with a 7-foot-1 center (Seth Pinckney) and a few other wide-bodied forwards, it was clearly one of his better efforts of the season.

Quotable

“That’s Jacob,” Deing said. “He can come in and score 20 any day he want.”

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Jordan Ivy-Curry celebrate after Addo-Ankrah grabbed the final rebound of the game. UTSA beat Florida International 73-66 on Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Isaiah Addo-Ankrah and Jordan Ivy-Curry celebrate after Addo-Ankrah grabbed the final rebound of the game. It was UTSA’s first win after 24 days and six straight losses. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With two scorers returning, UTSA hopes to end skid and beat FIU

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Another serious challenge awaits the slumping UTSA Roadrunners when they host the Florida International Panthers on Thursday night.

Riding high, FIU is coming off two Conference USA victories at home over the Marshall Thundering Herd and the the powerful Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Against Western Kentucky, the Panthers (12-7, 2-4) knocked down 16 three-point shots, including seven of them by players off their bench, and won 86-83.

But in the Roadrunners (7-13, 0-7), FIU may not see the faltering ball club that some might expect.

The Panthers likely will not encounter the player groupings that struggled so mightily to score last week in a pair of five-point losses, on the road and at home, to the UTEP Miners.

Losers of six straight, UTSA is expected to play both Dhieu Deing and Jordan Ivy-Curry after the two shot-making guards returned to practice this week. UTSA also will feature a rejuvenated Darius McNeill.

Decimated up and down the roster by Covid and sundry other issues, the Roadrunners called on McNeill to become a scoring threat against the Miners — and he delivered.

The senior from Houston averaged 19.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in the two losses.

McNeill, a transfer from SMU who started his career with two seasons at Cal, looked as confident and as aggressive as he has been all season.

UTSA coach Steve Henson said McNeill “just relaxed a little bit” and then benefited from increased playing time.

In getting McNeill to “take a deep breath,’ Henson said coaches “tried not to point out every little detail” in what they wanted from him.

“We tried to free his mind up a little more,” the coach said. “Just try to get him to go out there and relax and play.

“I think that started the process … Certainly, a lot of guys are more comfortable when they’re getting bigger minutes. That, certainly, helped him a lot.”

On Sunday, when the Roadrunners rallied in the second half, McNeill had the Miners on their heels, hitting 4 of 7 from the field and 6 of 7 at the free throw line.

“The opportunity for him to get to the rim was there,” Henson said. “The way they defended on the perimeter, it kind of opened up the paint for some driving opportunities.

“In the transition game, he had several bust outs on long rebounds or quick outlets when he was able to get down there and attack.

“A few weeks ago, he was finally taking a breath and relaxing. Our approach to coaching him maybe changed a little bit.

“Then I think just the extended minutes and having the ball in his hands a little more helped him.”

For the season, McNeill is shooting 44 percent from the field and is averaging only 6.6 points.

UTEP coach Joe Golding said McNeill caused problems with his athleticism and determination.

“Good player,” Golding said. “(He’s) obviously talented and has played at some high levels. You can tell he wants to win. You can tell he’s invested, and it means something to him.”

Coming up

Thursday — FIU at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Saturday — FAU at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Records

FIU 12-7, 2-4
UTSA 7-13, 0-7

Notable

UTSA traveled to El Paso last Thursday with eight players, six on scholarship. The Roadrunners got two players back from Covid protocols for the rematch in San Antonio on Sunday.

By Tuesday, they had Deing and McNeill on the floor together for the first time since December.

Deing had been away from the team for the last seven games as he tried to sort out whether he wanted to turn pro or remain as a college athlete. Ivy-Curry has been out the last four in Covid protocols.

Skid hits six

The Roadrunners haven’t won since Jan. 3 when they defeated Dallas Christian, 101-48, in a non-conference game at the Convocation Center.

Since then, they have lost to Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech (at home), Old Dominion and Charlotte (on the road) and to UTEP twice (on the road last Thursday, and then at home on Sunday).

The six-game skid is the longest in Henson’s six years as head coach. Previously, his teams suffered five-game losing streaks to start the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

It is the longest losing streak for a UTSA men’s basketball team since the Roadrunners dropped nine in a row near the end of the 2015-16 season, former coach Brooks Thompson’s last year at the school.

Scoring threats Deing, Ivy-Curry return to practice for UTSA

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Dhieu Deing. UTSA came from behind to beat IUPUI 60-57 on Wednesday at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Guard Dhieu Deing has returned to practice with the UTSA Roadrunners. UTSA coach Steve Henson says it’s uncertain whether Deing will play at home Thursday night against the FIU Panthers. – File photo by Joe Alexander

Was that an air of optimism in the UTSA Convocation Center on Tuesday?

Or, was it just that confounded draft blowing through the old basketball arena when someone would enter through the doors on the north side of the building?

It might have been a little of both. But, whatever it was, the slumping Roadrunners had more players on the gym floor for practice than they’ve had in awhile.

Dhieu Deing (left) and Jordan Ivy-Curry go through drills at practice Tuesday afternoon. — Photo by Jerry Briggs

One of them was streak-shooting junior guard Dhieu Deing, who has been absent from practices and games for a little more than three weeks, reportedly not a part of the team as he considered options in the professional ranks.

Another player returning was sophomore guard Jordan Ivy-Curry, who has been out two weeks in Covid protocols.

UTSA coach Steve Henson said Ivy-Curry is expected to play when the Roadrunners, losers of six straight games, host the FIU Panthers Thursday night.

Whether Deing will play against the Panthers remains to be seen, the coach said.

“I can’t say on Dhieu yet,” Henson said. “Juice will play. I’m sure Juice will play. Unless something happens. We expect Juice to play as much as he can handle. We’ll see how it goes in the next 48 hours with Dhieu.”

A game in Alabama against the UAB Blazers on Jan. 1 seemingly sparked some tensions in the UTSA program. In the team’s Conference USA opener, the Blazers routed the Roadrunners, 87-59, and Deing was held to 0-for-11 shooting.

After returning home to San Antonio, emotions apparently were still running high.

Asked if Deing’s departure was a disciplinary measure, Henson said, “He was just frustrated. We were having a team meeting. We were discussing some things. And he stepped out … The next day, I think there was a lot on his mind at that point, a lot of pressure.

“He was just coming off the rough game against UAB. As a team, we were frustrated. We struggled as a team in that ball game. I just think there was a lot on his mind. He made a rash decision.

“We kind of had to let it settle down a little bit.”

First, Deing sat out a Jan. 3 non-conference home game against Dallas Christian. Next, UTSA announced on Jan. 6 before a C-USA home game against Southern Miss that he was no longer part of the program.

Even after the announcement, Henson said he continued to talk to the former North Carolina prep standout. Pretty soon, the talk turned to the possibility that he could re-join the team.

“He basically said he didn’t want to leave his team that way,” Henson said. “We just had to work through all the details on it and make sure we were comfortable with it. (We) continued to think about what impact it would have.

“Just felt like it was the right thing to do, at least give him a chance to come back to practice.”

A possibility existed that Deing could have come back to practice last week, but the plans were scuttled when he went into contract tracing protocols, Henson said.

Instead, the 6-foot-5, shot-maker made his first appearance at practice since late December on Tuesday afternoon.

“A couple of weeks ago, I made a mistake,” Deing said in a statement released by the athletic department. “I was frustrated on the court and lost my focus. I made a quick emotional decision, and I regret it.

“My coaches were very supportive of me, and I am grateful for that. I apologize to my team and our fans. I hope to come back and help our team in any way I can.”

Deing started in UTSA’s first 13 games. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds, while shooting 35.4 percent from the field.

Hot and cold with his jump shot, Deing was at his best when he was most selective, scoring 20 or more points four times.

Ivy-Curry, meanwhile, sat out two games in December and then missed the last four, both times because of Covid issues. The sophomore from Houston is averaging 15.1 points in 14 games.

If both of them can return to form, it could make quite a difference for the Roadrunners, who rank last in the conference, averaging 66.7 points as a team.

UTSA played short-handed with several players missing in recent days against the UTEP Miners, losing twice in low-scoring affairs decided by five points apiece.

On Sunday afternoon at home, the Roadrunners were boosted by the return of Christian Tucker and Josh Farmer, but the Miners pulled it out, 59-54.

Henson gave his players the day off on Monday, and on Tuesday, they gathered again. For the first time in weeks, Deing and Ivy-Curry were back on the floor together, and the energy picked up.

“It’s so helpful,” Henson said. “You can practice a little longer that way. Certainly we were able to get guys more reps at the right positions.”

Notable

If Deing gets back into the playing rotation, and it’s likely he will, the Roadrunners remain short-handed with 11 conference games remaining on the schedule.

Reserve center Adrian Rodriguez, a senior, retired from basketball with knee problems during preseason camp. UTSA announced last week that junior forward Aleu Aleu was also out for the season. Henson said he had surgery on his right knee.

In addition, Cedrick Alley, Jr., has been ruled academically ineligible.

Coming up

Thursday — FIU at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Saturday — FAU at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Records

Florida International 12-7, 2-4
UTSA 7-13, 0-7

Homecoming

FIU forward Clevon Brown, a grad transfer from Vanderbilt, grew up in San Antonio. He played at Churchill High School. Brown played four seasons with Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference. Now at FIU, he’s averaging 7.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots for the Panthers.

UTEP’s second-half shooting stops UTSA’s upset bid

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Down by 11 at halftime and struggling on offense, the UTEP Miners heated up with seven 3-pointers after intermission and finally subdued the UTSA Roadrunners, 69-64, on Thursday night at the Haskins Center in El Paso.

UTEP, paced in the second half by long-distance shooting from Jorell Saterfield, handed UTSA its fifth straight loss and kept the Roadrunners winless in Conference USA. The Miners have won two in a row and three of their last four.

Dogged by injuries and Covid-19 issues, the Roadrunners played only seven players — six of them on scholarship, plus walk-on forward Isaiah Addo-Ankrah. Division I basketball programs are allowed up to 13 scholarships.

Notable

The Roadrunners, sparked by Addo-Ankrah’s nine points off the bench in 17 minutes, stayed in the game through much of the second half until the Miners took over.

Quotable

“We’re not going to let our guys off the hook,” UTSA coach Steve Henson said on the team’s radio broadcast. “We had enough guys to play, and we had enough guys to win. We just didn’t make enough plays down the stretch. Need to be a little tougher.

“Yeah, there was some fatigue. Some guys had never played big minutes (in college). Especially the young guys who had never done it … Isaiah, for him to go in there in that setting and do what he did, was pretty impressive.”

Germany’s big night

Junior center Jacob Germany led the Roadrunners with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He hit 9 of 18 from the field, including some long jump hooks. Senior guard Darius McNeill added 19 points, 5 rebounds and an assist. Both McNeill and guard Erik Czumbel played all 40 minutes.

Phoenix Ford had 11 points off the bench for the Roadrunners, who shot 63 percent from the field in the first half but only 28 percent after intermission.

For the Miners, Souley Boum scored 22, Saterfield had 18 and Jamal Bieniemy 11 points. Saterfield hit six of the Miners’ 10 three-point shots. Bieniemy also totaled 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

First half

Playing without Jordan Ivy-Curry for the third straight game, the Roadrunners shot 63 percent from the field and rolled to an improbable 38-27 lead before intermission. UTSA hit its first six shots for a 12-3 lead to set the tone.

The Roadrunners also finished strong by hitting its last three before the half. Germany, a 6-foot-11 lefthander, led the way with 14 points on 7 of 8 shooting. McNeill started and scored 10.

On the defensive end, UTSA was just as effective, holding UTEP to 33 percent (10 of 30 afield), with Boum scoring 13 to keep his team in the game.

The Roadrunners started with a lineup that included McNeill and Erik Czumbel at the guards, Lamin Sabally and Lachlan Bofinger at forwards and Germany in the post.

Notable

The UTSA men’s basketball program announced that the following players would not be available for Thursday night’s road game against the UTEP Miners: Aleu Aleu is out with a season-ending injury. Also, Josh Farmer, Jordan Ivy-Curry and Christian Tucker are all in COVID protocols.

Within the past few weeks, the Roadrunners have also lost guard Dhieu Deing, who left the team to turn professional, and power forward Cedrick Alley, Jr., who is academically ineligible. Both are expected to be lost for the season. Deing was the team’s leading scorer and Alley was the leading rebounder.

Records

UTSA 7-12, 0-6
UTEP 10-8, 3-3

Coming up

Sunday — UTEP at UTSA, 3 p.m.
Jan. 27 — FIU at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Jan. 29 — FAU at UTSA, 1 p.m.
Feb. 3 — UTSA at Rice, 7 p.m.
Feb. 5 — UTSA at North Texas, 5 p.m.
Feb. 7 — UTSA at Middle Tennessee, TBD

Old Dominion blows out UTSA, 83-51, in Norfolk

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The Old Dominion Monarchs hammered the short-handed UTSA Roadrunners with a 19-2 run in the second half Thursday night en route to an easy 83-51 victory in Conference USA men’s basketball.

In the game played at Norfolk, Va., the Roadrunners were playing without starters Cedrick Alley, Jr., and Jordan Ivy-Curry and still were within 13 points with 16 minutes left.

The Monarchs answered by turning up the intensity behind Jaylin Hunter and C.J. Keyser to push the lead to 30, at 61-31, with 10:38 remaining.

From there, UTSA was doomed to an 0-4 start in conference, with one loss by 32, one by 28 and another by 16. Old Dominion shot 62 percent from the field on the way to a 2-0 C-USA record.

The Roadrunners shot 39 percent from the field. They hit only 1 of 13 from three-point range. Erik Czumbel scored a season-high 16 for UTSA and Jacob Germany 12.

For the Monarchs, Austin Trice had 19, while Hunter and Keyser added 16 apiece. Combined, the threesome hit 22 of 32 shots from the floor.

“Never got any rhythm going offensively, and defensively, it was pretty disappointing,” UTSA coach Steve Henson told the team’s radio broadcast.

Records

UTSA 7-10, 0-4
Old Dominion 7-8, 2-0

Schedule

Saturday — UTSA at Charlotte, noon

Pre-game

When the Roadrunners stepped on the court against the Monarchs, they were without two starters, power forward Cedrick Alley Jr. and guard Jordan Ivy-Curry.

A UTSA spokesman said in a text that Alley is out for the year because of academic eligibility. Ivy-Curry is in Covid protocols, he added.

Alley played 15 games and started 14 for the Roadrunners. He averaged 9.3 points and a team-leading 6.8 rebounds. With Alley out, it means that the Roadrunners have lost two starters for the season in the last two weeks.

Last week, UTSA announced that Dhieu Deing was no longer on the team and planned to pursue a professional career. Deing was UTSA’s leading scorer with 15.3 points per game.

Ivy-Curry apparently did not travel, so he will be out a minimum of two games, against Old Dominion and against Charlotte on Saturday. It’s the second time that Ivy-Curry, the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 15.1, has been in Covid protocols this season.

He also sat out two games in December.

The game at Old Dominion marked the first of three straight for the Roadrunners in conference away from home.

First half

Old Dominion built a 33-21 lead in the first half. Perhaps predictably, the Monarchs jumped on the Roadrunners early, forging leads of 7-0 and 16-2. Outside of scoring bursts from Erik Czumbel and Jacob Germany, UTSA trailed by double digits for most of the rest of the half. Forward Austin Trice hit 7 of 7 shots from the field for 15 points to lead the Monarchs. As a team, ODU hit 15 of 25 for 60 percent. UTSA was 7 of 25 for 28 percent. Czumbel hit 5 of 7 for 11 points.

With C-USA play looming, UTSA is set to get three players back

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Starting point guard Jordan Ivy-Curry and reserve center Phoenix Ford are set to re-join team activities Sunday night, and reserve forward Aleu Aleu is expected to return on Monday as the UTSA Roadrunners prepare for the start of the Conference USA schedule later this week.

UTSA coach Steve Henson delivered the news in a telephone interview Sunday afternoon, saying, “We anticipate everyone being ready to go. Aleu has some Covid protocols to finish up (but) I anticipate having him tomorrow. Everyone else should be good to go tonight.”

The Roadrunners (6-6) are set to pay at Middle Tennessee State (9-4) on Thursday and at UAB (10-3) on Saturday. Both are afternoon games.

It’s been an up-and-down ride for the Roadrunners in the pre-conference phase of the schedule. Early on, they were blown out at Oklahoma and then were beaten at home by Division II Texas A&M-Commerce.

But just as they started to play better, winning five of seven in one stretch, Henson learned late in the evening on Dec. 15 that Ivy-Curry and Aleu had been placed in health and safety protocols, both of them dealing with issues related to Covid.

Both were unavailable for the team’s last two games, at home against UT Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 17 and on the road at Illinois State on Dec. 21, both losses. Ford also did not travel for the Illinois State game, as he was dealing with a personal matter.

But he, too, has returned after the birth of his first child on Christmas Eve, said Henson, who gave all of his players the last 3 and 1/2 days off for the holiday break.

After Sunday night’s workout, scheduled to consist of weights, an hour-or-so on the court and film study, the Roadrunners were set to get back into their normal routine starting Monday.

For Ivy-Curry and Aleu, the workouts will be important as they try to strengthen their legs and their bodies after 10 days in isolation.

“Oh, for sure,” Henson said. “That’s always the concern for the whole group (after) 3 and ½ days off. Those guys had a longer break. It’ll be a concern.

“Sometimes there (are) positives with that,” the coach added. “Guys are banged up and bruised up. For Aleu, that was not the case. He was just starting to come into his own and get back into good shape. He certainly didn’t need that kind of setback.

“With Juice, I don’t think it’ll be a big deal for him. I expect him to get right back in there. But the timing of it was unfortunate. There’s never good timing to be shut down in the middle of the season.”

Before the Covid issues hit, the Roadrunners had been on an upswing, winning three out of four, while gradually starting to work some of the kinks out of their offense.

But without Ivy-Curry on the floor, the progress stalled, with UTSA hitting only 25 percent from the field against UTRGV and 37.9 percent against Illinois State.

Teams around the country have been plagued with Covid-related problems, so Henson is trying to take the setback in stride.

“Just like you do, I see games getting canceled and postponed and rescheduled and all that,” Henson said. “Right and left, teams are dropping out. In the (football) bowl games. (Also) in that Christmas (basketball) tournament in Hawaii.

“Of four games to be played in Hawaii on Christmas Day, two of them were shut down, including the championship game. But, (the virus) is here, and everyone’s dealing with it.”

Coming up

Thursday — UTSA at Middle Tennessee State, 4 p.m.
Saturday — UTSA at UAB, 3 p.m.
Jan. 6 — Southern Miss at UTSA, 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 — Louisiana Tech at UTSA, 3 p.m.

Notable

Even at full strength, Henson knows that the Roadrunners will need to improve both offensively and defensively in order to finish in the upper half of the C-USA standings.

“It’s going to get tougher in league play,” he said. “We know that. Our league is really, really good. So we got to keep improving.

“We got to put those last two games behind us. Get back to the things we were focusing on going into the Grand Canyon game, (and in) the Sam Houston game … getting the ball moving more, taking quality shots.

“In the Sam Houston game, they forced us to go make plays, but we did. We liked the direction we were taking heading into those two games. We’ve got to recapture that. Build on that. We’ve got to get better this week. That’s the bottom line.”

UT Rio Grande Valley buries short-handed UTSA, 68-50

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Steve Henson. UT Rio Grande Valley beat UTSA 68-50 on Friday, Nov. 17, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA guard Dhieu Deing and coach Steve Henson had a rough night Friday as the Roadrunners lost at home by 18 points. With two UTSA players sidelined in health and safety protocols, UT Rio Grande Valley won 68-50 to snap a five-game losing streak. – Photo by Joe Alexander

With two players sidelined in health and safety protocols, the UTSA Roadrunners experienced a horrible start and an even worse finish to a basketball game played on their home court Friday night.

Objectively speaking, though, the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros had a lot to do with Roadrunners’ misery both early and late.

The Vaqueros held the home team to 3 of 17 shooting in the game’s first eight minutes, and then they hit 57 percent from the field themselves in the second half to claim a 68-50 victory at the UTSA Convocation Center.

UTRGV’s determined play notwithstanding, the Roadrunners clearly missed starting point guard Jordan Ivy-Curry.

Both Ivy-Curry and reserve forward Aleu Aleu were forced to sit out in protocols designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Against slumping UTRGV, the Roadrunners failed to make up for what Ivy-Curry gives them as a scorer, as a defender and as a floor leader.

“We just missed some real, real easy (shots) early in the game, and then forced some things,” UTSA coach Steve Henson told the UTSA radio broadcast. “Didn’t get any rhythm.”

After falling behind by 13 points in the first half, the Roadrunners briefly found a spark, surging behind Jacob Germany to pull within one at intermission.

Cedrick Alley Jr. UT Rio Grande Valley beat UTSA 68-50 on Friday, Nov. 17, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Cedrick Alley Jr. came off the bench to produce 15 points and seven rebounds. Alley played 28 minutes despite missing a few practices earlier this week with an illness. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In the second half, they played well early, forging a 34-28 lead at one point. But after that, the Roadrunners just couldn’t hang on against a team intent on breaking a five-game losing streak.

The Vaqueros went on a monster 29-5 run to blow the Roadrunners out. During the streak, the Roadrunners went scoreless for nine agonizing minutes.

Associate head coach Mike Peck told Henson that UTSA went 15 straight possessions without a basket.

“You can be pretty good defensively, and you go 15 straight trips without putting the ball in the hole … at some point, it’s really, really going to stress your defense,” Henson said.

For the Vaqueros, the win was sweet. It was their first victory since Nov. 23 when they registered a 72-67 decision over Cal Fullerton. The Vaqueros had lost five in a row since then, falling in difficult road games at Illinois and at Texas along the way.

Coming into the game, UTSA was just starting to find a rhythm on offense. The Roadrunners had won five of seven games. In their last game, they hit 47 percent of their shots from the field in a five-point, neutral site victory over Sam Houston State.

Against UTRGV, the Roadrunners were held to a chilly 25.7 percent from the field. With the Vaqueros packing their defenders inside to stop the 6-foot-11 Germany, UTSA couldn’t capitalize, making only 2 of 21 from three-point territory.

Records

UTSA 6-5
UT Rio Grande Valley 5-7

Coming up

Tuesday — UTSA at Illinois State, 2 p.m.
Wednesday — Our Lady of the Lake at UTSA, 7 p.m.

Individuals

UTRGV — Forward Marek Nelson produced a team-high 13 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Guard BJ Simmons scored 12 and Xavier Johnson came off the bench to add 11. Both knocked down three, 3-point baskets. Justin Johnson, UTRGV’s leading scorer, was held to four points on 2 of 10 shooting.

UTSA — Center Jacob Germany had 16 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Cedrick Alley Jr. went for 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Dhieu Deing, UTSA’s leading scorer, had his toughest night of the season with only seven points to break his string of 10 straight games in double figures. Deing was held to 3 of 18 shooting.

Notebook

The UTSA trainer delivered the news to Henson about Ivy-Curry and Aleu late Wednesday night. On Thursday, the two players were not at practice, and Henson acknowledged their status. Henson said he wasn’t sure how long they would be out. UTSA opens Conference USA play on Dec. 30 at Middle Tennessee State.

Jacob Germany. UT Rio Grande Valley beat UTSA 68-50 on Friday, Nov. 17, 2021, at the Convocation Center. - photo by Joe Alexander

Jacob Germany scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds. In his last four games, Germany has averaged 16.5 points and 7.8 boards. – Photo by Joe Alexander