Sean Miller knows Chendall Weaver can be more than just a 'glue guy' for Texas basketball

The term glue guy is thrown around a lot in college basketball. When you Google a definition, it spits out this wordy answer:

“An individual, often in sports, who holds a team together through positive intangibles like communication, encouragement, and teamwork, rather than relying on high individual statistics or star-level talent.”

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Basically, it’s a guy who helps gel a team together without the need to be the best or flashiest player.

Glue guy can often be thrown around in a negative way, similar to the term “game manager” for football quarterbacks. It can be a way of diminishing an individual player’s talents down to the idea that they’re no more than a morale player who can steer the ship, not one who can make individually impressive plays. In Texas basketball terms, Brock Cunningham became a bit of a meme with his consistent glue guy minutes.

But the 2025-26 Texas basketball glue guy is not like Cunningham. Instead of an unathletic three-point specialist who’s scrappy and loves the program, the Longhorns have a high-flying, fast-break outputting defensive anchor, one who the Longhorns wish they could’ve gotten more of last year.

“I would say Chendall Weaver is one of our best players,” Texas head coach Sean Miller recently said. “I don’t know if the outside world really understands the talented basketball player he is because he missed so much time last year.”

Weaver is entering his third year at Texas after transferring from UT Arlington to play in former head coach Rodney Terry’s first full year with the program. He made an immediate impact for the Longhorns, totaling the seventh-most minutes as a sophomore transferring from a mid-major. Last season, he was Texas’ go-to sixth man, but a hip injury led him to exit early in two games while missing 15 more.

“When we were preparing to play Texas in the spring, in the tournament, there were two different teams,” Miller said. “There was the team that you watched without Chendall, then there was a team with Chendall, and you could really see how he impacted winning.”

The Xavier version of Sean Miller was relieved to have Weaver on the sideline. The shooting guard is one of the most energetic players you’ll see on the basketball court, putting his body on the line for loose balls and finding ways to force turnovers, whether it be from quick hands or his tremendous vertical.

“It’s not points per game with him. It’s not, you know, 25, although I do think he’s a capable, consistent scorer,” Miller said. “It’s everything else he does. His ability to make plays on defense, a steal, a block, fly around the court and impact a lot of different plays. I think he’s best in transition. The faster the game gets, the more offensive plays he can make.”

Weaver had mostly been a role player over the last few seasons for Texas, averaging 6.3 points per game on below 30% three-point shooting. While Weaver is still expected to be one of the best in terms of generating steals and defensive rebounds from the guard position, Miller is putting some onus on the veteran to improve those shooting numbers.

“He’s worked, and I think if you asked him, he’s been tirelessly working on his three-point shot,” Miller said. “A lot of times, as players settle in and get older, their shot settles in. And my hope is that Chendall can really have a great year from behind the arc as well, but it’ll be hard for us to keep him off the court, because he’s such a great two-way player, and he impacts the game in so many areas.”

Miller mentioned that Weaver is 10 pounds heavier and will be more prepared to take hits and play physically in SEC play. He’s one of the few players Miller mentioned as making significant strides in the weight room.

Weaver is still going to be Texas’ glue guy for 2025–26. He may not even start, given the veteran offensive skill of the likes of Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope, but he will be one of the most important players in Texas’ rotation. The hope for Miller is to keep him healthy for a full year and to generate even more highlight plays with his hustle, bounce, and determination on the court.