2016 recruits

The latest in home meeting with Shaka was "thanks but no thanks" facetime. I think Allen's family wanted him to go to Texas. A lot of folks thought Texas was the no brainier destination. He's apparently now not coming here.

Which is fine with me. Lets move on. I've actually grown to question his work ethic and character anyway. Looking forward to James Banks developing as our go to big man.
 
COOK/WELLS: Texas hands out new hoops offers over the weekend

By: Campbell Hoops

With the college basketball season over for several weeks now, the focus of college coaches shifts entirely to recruiting as the live evaluation period gets underway. Texas coach Shaka Smart and his staff have wasted no time making their presence felt on the trail. For the second weekend in a row, Shaka and his staff were courtside to watch the best players in the country compete in Session II of the Nike EYBL circuit in Indianapolis, IN.

Where else can we start than perhaps the most important recruit for this cycle in Oak Hill PG Matt Coleman (team name: Boo Williams) who was offered by UT days after Smart took the Texas job. Coleman was his team’s leading scorer in every game this weekend while averaging around three assists per contest. His offensive game consists more of a mid-range/driving to the bucket game than a true shooter a la Trae Young. The fact he was his team’s leading scorer with so few assists per game as a pass-first PG could be cause for concern, but if his team could hit the open shots Coleman provided them, his stats would be that much better and Boo Williams could be looking at a winning record after Session II, instead of sitting at 3-4. Moreover, Coleman’s best attribute is his quickness and length. He’s easily the fastest PG in the country and he knows how and when to go from a standstill to full sprint, and back to a standstill on a dime. Add in the fact that he’s a willing defender with his 6-foot-7 wingspan and you have a guy that would be hellish in Smart’s system. He’s certainly in the argument for the best PG in the country.

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Jordan Goodwin. (prephoops.com)

One recent Texas offer I’d like to touch on quickly is SG Jordan Goodwin (St. Louis Eagles) who continues to blow up on the EYBL circuit. He capped off another strong session with two of the best games of any player in Indianapolis. Last night, in an OT loss to the New York Rens, the 6-foot-4 Goodwin had a monster 25 points (10-18) and 18 boards. Then to finish off his strong showing in Indy, Goodwin capped off his weekend with 20 points, 14 boards, and 4 assists in a 76-51 win over BABC (Boston, MA). This guy is quickly becoming one of the best players in the country. Plays with a motor and toughness that rivals that of Marcus Smart who is actually an apt comparison for Goodwin.

The 6-foot-6 wing, Charles O’Bannon (Las Vegas Prospects), is a name that Texas fans should be familiar with by now as he has held a Texas offer for some time now and is widely considered to be one of the best wings in the country. O’Bannon isn’t necessarily a guy that will do a ton of ball handling in college, but he is an elite off-the-ball wing. On a loaded Las Vegas Prospects team, O’Bannon is their go-to guy and for good reason. Yesterday against the undefeated PSA Cardinals (NY), the Prospects came up short, but O’Bannon was arguably the best player on the court. He finished with 26 points (8-8 FT). He also finished the session with 25 points (6-10 from three) against the Alabama Challenge.

  • There are few players helping their case more than Team Penny Combo Forward PJ Washington. Listed at 6-foot-7, 200 pounds, he’s actually stated that he’s now 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, and he looks every bit of it. He’s as physically ready to play in college as anyone in the country. His last two games in Indy go as follows: 21 points (9-11 FG) and 10 boards, and 30 points and 15 boards in a game where he was tasked with guarding 5-star PF Marvin Bagley III, and boy was he up for the challenge. Washington, who I liken to a more polished Damion James, can score from anywhere and he’s averaging a double-double so far on the EYBL circuit. He’s making a strong push for the Top 10 as he’s currently 6th in scoring in the EYBL.


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    Jarred Vanderbilt. (courtesy of VYPE)


  • 5-star Wing Jarred Vanderbilt of Houston Hoops has been great at times this summer, but he’s also struggled this weekend. Style-wise, this Lamar Odom-like player is perfect for Shaka’s system. He has all the talent in the world, but a motor that is either running at full throttle or not at all. I watched him score 22 points and pull down 15 boards in one game, only to follow that up with an abysmal 9-point, 6-board effort where he shot around 25% from the field. Not sure what to make of him yet, but he does indeed have a ton of talent.

    Lastly, while I watched Vanderbilt and waited for the light to come on, I was consistently more impressed with his Houston Hoops teammate Royce Hamm. Hamm is a 6-foot-8, 210-pound bouncy PF with a developing outside game. While I doubt he will ever be the true scoring threat Vanderbilt can be, he affects the game in so many more ways than Vanderbilt because of his impressive motor. While his offensive game is still developing, he does have a decent offensive skillset with nice touch and good rotation on his jumper so the shot will eventually come around. With a few years under Smart, this is a guy who could be an all-conference player by the time he’s done at Texas.


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I can't wait to see who ends up in the top 2....then who gets to be the 1st alternate and 2nd alternates, then the backup alternates.... Who cares, go to UH homeboy.

I'd take Sa and Gill with Banks all day over Allen. We don't need him. Let's get to work.
 
Isn't the recruiting deadline next Wednesday? Still no word on the Jarrett Allen front. It seems it's anyone's guess at this point...The KU message board has a long thread of people thinking he might go to KU, especially if Cheick Diallo doesn't return. Hoping he decides to stay in ATX!
 
Houston is still in the mix too, they could hire his AAU coach and has John Lucas, in their corner. Sampson has been known to pull some shady deals.

He might not sign and be like DeAndre Daniels, a few years ago.
 
If I was his father I would be 100% against Houston. I know enough about Sampson and wouldn't want my son around someone who can't fly straight.
 
Originally Posted by Chris Hummer
- The wait continues for five-star power forward Jarrett Allen, but there should be some sort of movement soon. Allen and his parents will sit down this weekend and have a "serious" discussion about his college decision. As of now, Allen does not have a decision date set, and that's certainly something that will be talked about. Right now, Texas, Houston and Kansas appear to be the schools out front for Allen. But honestly, after talking to quite a few people, nobody really knows what he'll do, including Allen.

- There are reports Romello White will be released from his LOI, but as I understand it that's not quite done yet. Once he is fully released, I do expect the Longhorns to pursue the Top 100 SF. Texas looked at White earlier in the 2016 process.


- As has been posted on the board, Arkansas Little Rock graduate transfer Mareik Isom is an option for Texas. He's an Austin native, so Texas has an edge there. Plus, there are plenty of minutes to go around. He averaged 5.9 points per game for Little Rock last season.

- Finally, 2019 Mansfield Summit shooting guard Grant Sherfield will be on campus for a visit tomorrow. The 2019 class is certainly a long way away, but he already holds early offers from Baylor and Oklahoma State. Here's his profile:


http://247sports.com/Player/Grant-Sherfield-91805
 
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