Texas State men’s basketball welcomed seven new players to its 2023-24 roster via the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.
As the team makes its way further into conference play, the new additions have tremendously impacted the hardwood thus far.
“I think at this point for every team in the country, the chemistry is a work in progress, especially for us when you have so many new players and the returners who are coming back from injury,” Texas State Head Coach Terrence Johnson said. “Our plays are changing a little bit, and our starting guard is out, so we’re going with a freshman, which is an adjustment with a new starting five.”
Of the seven new transfer players, junior guard Josh O’Garro has cemented himself as one of the leading scorers.
O’Garro began his collegiate year at the University of Oklahoma where he spent one season before transferring to San Jose State University. After one season with the Spartans, he transferred again to Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas. O’Garro started in 29 games at Colby, averaging 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
According to Johnson, one of the other transfer players, fifth-year forward Chris Nix, has brought a much-needed physical presence to the team.
“We’re looking for a more physical presence down low, and I think [Chris Nix] has been doing a really good job at that,” Johnson said. “He has a good soft touch, so we’re looking for him to be comfortable being able to score around the basket.”
Nix played at Columbia State Community College and the University of Tennessee-Martin before transferring to Texas State. According to Nix, the team’s culture and recent success in previous years were the main reasons he decided to become a Bobcat.
“Seeing how the team works together and plays [they are] more than just teammates [which] is something I’ve grown to want to really be a part of,” Nix said. “Two championships in three years, it was a no-brainer for me to come here.”
As an upperclassman Nix said some of the younger players have taught him a lot in the limited time he’s been with Texas State and have made his transition to the team much smoother.
“It was different for me once I got here,” Nix said. “You usually [have] upperclassmen trying to help each other out. Davion Sykes and Jordan Mason, who were freshmen last year, know so much about basketball at a young age. Listening to them is the smallest difference with me.”
Since their arrivals, both O’Garro and Nix acknowledge how San Marcos and the Texas State program are very different from what they’ve been accustomed to in the past.
“Everyone here knows their role, and nobody [is] arguing about their role,” O’Garro said. “Everybody’s focused on what they [have to] do, so that’s the major difference to me.”
Johnson said in order to win and compete for the Sun Belt title, the Bobcats need to continue to get better every day and drown out the distractions.
“It’s a journey. It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon, and it’s about us understanding that if we continue to take the steps every day to get better and bring culture to the floor every day then we’re going to get to where we want to be,” Johnson said.
