Texas Basketball: Final Grades for the Longhorns' 2014-15 Season

An eight-point loss to Butler in the NCAA tournament ended Texas' season much more quickly than it had hoped.

The Longhorns came into the year ranked No. 10 in the preseason polls before having a solid though unspectacular nonconference schedule. As the Big 12 season wore on, though, they continued to lose and ended up barely getting an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

With the season now behind us, it's important to look back and reflect on the performance of the team as a whole as well as each contributor on an individual level. Which players lived up to expectations? Which ones helped cause the disappointing year?

Here is a look at grades for every member of the rotation based on how each fared based on preseason projections.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: B

Losing Isaiah Taylor to a wrist injury was a big turning point of the season, and it's possible the point guard was never truly able to get back to 100 percent.

When he was at his best, he showed the quickness that allows him to drive into the lane almost at will and finish in the paint. He is a quality distributor who can set up teammates for easy baskets in the post and still has the potential to be a star at this level.

The problem is he still lacks efficiency, which you can see from his shooting numbers. You have to like his aggressiveness, but too often during the year he settled for bad jump shots when there were better options elsewhere.

He remains the best go-to scorer on the roster, but he will need better shot selection in the future in order to succeed.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: A

Demarcus Holland's stats were very comparable to those from last season, averaging exactly the same number of points and assists per game. However, the difference was his ability to choose his spots and become a much more efficient player.

The guard only took 56 attempts from three-point range, but his 46.4 mark from deep would have led the Big 12 if he had enough shots to qualify. He simply deferred to others on offense and came through when he got his chance.

Additionally, Holland was great defensively with his ability to slow down opposing guards on the perimeter. The conservative Texas defense prevented him from racking up steals like other top defenders, but he made a big difference in slowing penetration.

Good programs need glue guys who fill their role and contribute, and Holland does that as well as anyone on the team.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: B-

Kendal Yancy had an up-and-down year that was heavily tied to the health of Isaiah Taylor. The sophomore saw a lot more playing time when the starter went down with his injury and then went back to the bench when Taylor returned.

Still, the final month of the year showed what he is capable of offensively. He scored 29 points in a competitive loss to Iowa State and reached double-digit points in six of the final 11 games.

Yancy will need to get better at creating his own shots if he wants to be a go-to option offensively, but he certainly helped out as an extra scorer this season.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: C+

After an impressive sophomore season where he averaged 11.6 points per game, Javan Felix took a big step back this year. He saw his minutes decrease due to inconsistent play on both ends of the court and ended up coming off the bench for much of the season.

On the positive side, Felix doesn't force as much while becoming a better catch-and-shoot type of guard. He was the team's best bulk three-point shooter and was often asked to make the big shot from deep.

However, he was extremely unreliable at times as he finished with zero points in three of his final seven games. When he doesn't contribute much on the defensive end, there is little reason to keep him on the floor.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: B

Connor Lammert generally provided what was expected of him on a daily basis.

He was extremely limited offensively, but he was a solid defender who worked hard on the glass and finished second on the team with a 19.6 defensive rebounding percentage, according to KenPom.com.

One of his more disappointing aspects this season, however, was his poor three-point shooting. Lammert hit 34 percent of his shots last year, but that number dropped to 29.5 percent this season on 88 attempts. Instead of being a stretch 4, he ended up just hurting the team with wasted possessions.

Still, his production and defensive help were enough for this year.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: A-

A loaded frontcourt limited Prince Ibeh to just 10.6 minutes per game, but the junior generally took advantage of his time on the court and made the most of it.

His 1.4 blocks per game is truly incredible considering his time on the floor, and it was a big reason Texas was so good at defending the post. According to Sports Reference, Ibeh led the team in defensive plus/minus at 10.8, acknowledging the positive impact he made per 100 possessions on that end of the court.

The 6'10" center is a hard worker who did his job this year and will hopefully be rewarded with more playing time next season.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: C

Cameron Ridley understandably lost playing time as head coach Rick Barnes tried to get all of his talented players on the court as much as possible. However, the junior was almost invisible at times down the stretch.

In the final 10 games of the season, Ridley finished in double figures just once when he totaled 14 against Texas Tech. He also averaged just 3.8 field-goal attempts per game during this stretch as Texas went 4-6.

The 6'9", 285-pound center has proved to be a physical mismatch for most college players, capable of bullying his way to rebounds and easy layups in the post. This just wasn't seen enough this year.

Even with some solid defensive efforts, Ridley rarely had the intensity that made him a force to be reckoned with during the 2013-14 season.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: A-

No, he wasn't quite Kevin Durant as a freshman. Yes, he did take some ill-advised shots and was wildly inconsistent over the course of the season.

That being said, Myles Turner was clearly the Longhorns' most talented player this season, and he showed it with a pretty impressive first year at this level. Even though he struggled to get onto the floor at times, he finished the year with an average of 18.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per 40 minutes.

He also finished second in the Big 12 behind only Rico Gathers in win shares per 40 minutes, according to Sports Reference.

There is a very good chance this will have been Turner's only year at Texas before moving on to the NBA, but the forward was almost as good as advertised during the course of the season.

Final Statistics (per game)

Final Grade: B-

A lot was expected out of Jonathan Holmes this season, and the forward didn't exactly live up to expectations.

On paper, Holmes is a great mismatch as someone with the size and athleticism to score inside while also having the touch to shoot from deep. Still, the execution wasn't always great, especially when playing out of position as a small forward instead of a power forward.

The senior could have been a first-team All-Big 12 player, but he will end his career with nothing but a disappointing season.

Although the fact he was still the best player on the floor many times this year will keep his grade respectable, the year could have been so much better.

Final Grade: F

There are always several different factors in every season that decide whether it ends up being a successful or unsuccessful one. However, the buck always has to stop at the coach.

The fact remains the Longhorns—ranked No. 10 in the preseason polls—were way too talented to barely make the NCAA tournament and lose in the round of 64. The program has now gone seven years without reaching the Sweet 16, and things seem to be getting worse.

No one seems to do less with more year in and year out than Barnes.

One major issue was the team finishing with a 3-6 record in games decided by five points or fewer. You can see this as bad luck or realize it's a team that makes mental errors in key situations, which once again reflects on the coach.

When asked about returning for next season, the coach responded by saying, "I have no reason not to think that. No one has talked to me about anything otherwise," per Chris Hummer of 247Sports.

Whether he stays or goes, few people will give him credit for a strong season.

Final Grade: C-

The season could have definitely been worse. Playing in arguably the toughest conference in the nation from top to bottom while dealing with various injuries throughout the year could lead any team to just collapse.

Considering Florida dropped from No. 7 in the preseason polls to missing out on the NCAA tournament with a losing record, there were bigger disappointments than the Longhorns.

That said, this was clearly a year to forget for a team that had high expectations. This was supposed to be the team capable of knocking Kansas off its pedestal in the Big 12 with Isaiah Taylor running the show along with an elite frontcourt.

Unfortunately, close losses to great teams kept it from truly reaching its potential. Going one-and-done in the NCAA tournament, following a 20-14 regular-season record, is not what this program comes to expect, especially with a roster with this much talent.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.