Preseason MVP: Jhivvan Jackson might be the most exciting player in the country that not enough people know about. A game can swing in minutes if he catches fire from 3-point range.

The Ceiling: With a pair of dynamic scoring guards in Jackson and Wallace, the Roadrunners have the profile of a team that can catch fire, win Conference USA and make a run to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. An improved frontcourt makes the road even more realistic. 

The Floor: If UTSA can’t shore up the defensive issues its had for the past few season or replace the collective rebounding it lost to graduation, the Roadrunners could end up in the middle of the pack in Conference USA and waste the last season of its star backcourt.

Game of the Year: Western Kentucky

Projected Starting Five

Jhivvan Jackson
G | 6-0 | Sr. | Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Keaton Wallace
G | 6-3 | Sr. | Dallas, Texas

Erik Czumbel
G | 6-3 | So. | Verona, Italy

Eric Parrish
G/F | 6-6 | Sr. | Cypress, Texas

Jacob Germany
C | 6-11 | So. | Kingston, Okla.

Steve Henson
Head Coach

Impact-First Year Player: Senior G/F Eric Parrish

Season Preview:

About half an hour after Jhivvan Jackson set UTSA’s career and single-season scoring records last year, he stepped back onto his home floor at the Convocation Center for some extra shots.

Through all the success Jackson has enjoyed in three seasons at UTSA, he’s worked to earn even more. He ranked second in the NCAA in scoring last year with 26.8 points per game, but coach Steve Henson has seen Jackson devour film, launch hundreds of shots in the gym and commit to the weight room, searching for that added edge.

Entering his senior season, Jackson is expected to become a more prominent passer, improve his 35.4 percent shooting clip from 3-point range and earn more trips to the free-throw line — major reasons UTSA is optimistic about a bounce-back season after last year’s group went 13-19, including a 7-11 mark in Conference USA.  

“He’ll be even better,” Henson said. “It’s crazy to say a guy who scored 27 points per game will be better, but he will be.”

Henson points to three keys to Jackson’s scoring prowess: speed, shooting ability and “extreme confidence.” Listed at 6-foot and 170 pounds, Jackson last season led the NCAA with 342 3-point attempts, ranking tied for second in makes with 121.

He holds UTSA’s all-time scoring record with 2,053 career points. If he duplicates last year’s 856-point output, he’ll crack the top 15 scorers in NCAA history.

Jackson and fellow senior Keaton Wallace were the most potent backcourt scoring duo in the nation last year, with Wallace adding 18.8 points per game.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Wallace shot 39.5 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from 3-point range — a step back from a sophomore season during which he averaged 20.2 points on 42.2 percent shooting and 38.2 percent from outside.

Henson said Wallace took too many hard shots last season as he struggled to thread the needle between triggering the offense and creating his own looks.

“No concerns about Keaton at all,” Henson said. “Keaton’s percentages will jump right back up there. He’ll have another great year.”

Transfers Eric Parrish and Cedrick Alley Jr. provide more reason for optimism.

Parrish, a 6-foot-6 swingman, comes to UTSA from Nevada, where he was recruited as a top JUCO prospect after starting his career at Akron. Henson said Parrish’s length and athleticism make him a versatile defender.

Alley, a 6-foot-6 forward who played two years at Houston, stands out because of his strength and defensive effort, Henson said.

“There are stretches last year that we had two guys on the court that opponents were not overly concerned with,” Henson said. “That's not going to be the case. Those two guys can go make plays.”

Center Jacob Germany, a 6-foot-11 sophomore, returns as a rim-runner who posted the team’s fastest 20-yard sprint in workouts, Henson said.

Falling short of projections to finish near the top of Conference USA last year, UTSA was one of the league’s worst defensive teams. Henson hopes to shore up that area with less switching this season while maintaining the up-tempo offense that has become the Roadrunners’ calling card.

“We feel like we have the potential to be our most talented group yet,” Henson said. “We definitely feel like it has a chance to be our best defensive team. … This group here, on paper, has the potential to be really, really good.”