UTEP men's basketball starts practice: These are 5 players to watch

The task in front of the UTEP men’s basketball team is large.

The squad, which had its first “official” practice Monday after a summer of off-season workouts, returns one starter and two other lettermen, as it looks to replace 12 departing players with 13 newcomers.

Those 13 newcomers include three freshmen and 10 transfers in this new era of transfer portal basketball.

“It's a challenge,” second-year UTEP coach Joe Golding said. “Sometimes you take two steps forward, then one step back. But I'm proud of their effort, we haven't had to coach effort yet, that's encouraging with this team.

“Obviously we have a lot we're trying to do on both sides of the ball, and to be honest, we're trying to keep it simple right now. We don't want to overcomplicate things, get too far ahead of ourselves. We want to build this the right way.”

Here are five players — a returnee and four newcomers — to watch this season, which begins Nov. 7 at the University of Texas.

Jamari Sibley, 6-8 sophomore forward

The transfer from Georgetown averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds last season as a power forward, his first at UTEP, and is making the transition to small forward this year while taking on a leadership role that his seniority dictates. He is the only returnee who played double-digit minutes last year.

“Its a new group of guys so I have to lead them, show them what coach wants to be done,” Sibley said. “They are picking up quickly on that. That leadership role is making me a better person, too.

“It was hard (losing so many players from last year) at first, but we're building a family again. We know the process.”

Said Golding: “He's making an adjustment. He's making a move from playing (power forward) to playing the perimeter, there's an adjustment to that.

“He needs to be more consistent but the talent is there. He's really trying to work and he's had his best week since he's been here. Those are encouraging signs.”

More:UTEP men's basketball schedule could feature three games against NMSU

Shamar Givance, 5-10 senior guard

A four-year letterman and two year starter at Evansville (he was good friends with Burges alum and star Juwaun Newton), Givance averaged 13.7 points and 3.9 assists last season.

That assist total was second in the Missouri Valley Conference, where Givance was second-team all-conference.

“Having played four years of Division I basketball, my job is to be a leader on the team, show the young guys what to expect and be a leader,” Givance said. “As a point guard facilitate, then be that guy for these guys.”

Said Golding: “He's going to play around better players than he had at Evansville so he's learning to trust.”

Tae Hardy, 6-3 junior guard

The transfer from Southern Miss is coming off an injury that limited him to seven games last year but he was good when he was healthy, averaging 13.7 points for the Golden Eagles.

That included outings of 30 and 23 points against William Carey and Lamar. He was a Conference USA player of the week in the 2020-21 season after a big game at Florida International.

“It's a different defensive scheme as far as my previous school,” Hardy said of his adjustment to UTEP. “It's higher intensity, my passion for the game correlates to this team so it's been easy.”

Calvin Solomon, 6-7 junior forward

The two-year starter at Stephen F. Austin averaged 9.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 52 percent last season. His 32 blocks led the team.

“He has a ton of experience, he’s very skilled,” Golding said. “With him and Jon (Dos Anjou) we’re going to be better at the (power forward) position this year.”

Jon Dos Anjos, 6-8 junior forward

The Brazilian represents the other kind of transfer, as he was at Florida Southwestern College last year in the junior college ranks.

He averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 56 percent shooting for a team he twice led to the state tournament. His junior college teams went 42-11 in his two years.

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP men's basketball starts practice: 5 players to watch