Status check on Texas basketball before Big 12 play

Chris Beard's No. 17 Texas Longhorns men's basketball team faces two more non-conference opponents before Big 12 play begins. Alabama State is the next team on the ledger, replacing a Rice Owl team currently in a COVID-19 pause. Incarnate Word follows the Hornets before Texas begins conference play with the West Virginia Mountaineers on New Years Day. With the next stage of the season just around the corner, here are four things to watch going forward as Beard and company attempt to find success during his first season in Austin.