Big men

[p_town_horn]

Please forgive my horrible ignorance of our basketball team/recruiting right now but I have been mired down in football recruiting (which was amazing).

A quick stroll down our roster and recruiting reveals a concerning lack of big men. We are losing Ridley, Ibeh, and Lammert, our only centers and forward to receive significant playing time. Cleare is the only other big man I have seen on the court for us this season. And while he looks to be improving his skill set, it seems like we are losing 90% of our C/F playing time.

We are bringing in a true center in James Banks and hoping for Jarrett Allen. That leaves us pretty thin on big men. A true freshman center and a F/C with limited playing time.

Are we looking at a big man transfer or cc prospect? Has this been discussed ad nauseam by all true basketball followers? Why am I so late to this party? All good questions. Please let me know if you have any thoughts or answers

 

[mchammer]

Don't believe there are answers yet, sort of like the need of our football team for DT's this past cycle.

 

[txlandagent]

If we land Allen, we're in good shape. Banks is a crucial commitment for us. We've offered 3/4 star 6'10" C/F Nick Rakocevic from Chicago; were listed as medium interest on his charts. Looks like we just offered some cat named Yuat Alok, 6'11" unranked/development player from Kenya via New Zealand. At this point, if we don't land Allen, I'll take any warm body over 6'9" we can get to help out the post.

I thought Cleare had break out potential this year but Ibeh beat him to it. Maybe next year is Shaqs time.

 

[SAMMCHornfan]

Nice article on the AAS Longhorn section should give you a great update on recruiting. Looks like it is going pretty well. Currently 15 or 16 per ESPN recruiting, but still have two or three slots to fill depending on if Taylor decides to come back or not. Hey, maybe Shaka can strike gold again and convince Taylor to come back for a fourth year.

 

[bystander]

Does Cleare have another year of eligibility?

 

[txlandagent]

I'm no scout, but watching film of Yuat Alok, he looks like he could easily be a 3 star PF. He looks long, agile, athletic and versatile at power forward. He can pick and pop, play wing, stretch out. A little light at 200lbs but he can probably beef up. I'm guessing this kid is totally off radar for most schools because he just moved to the States in 2015. Florida looks like the front runner though.

 

[txlandagent]

Does Cleare have another year of eligibility?

He does

 

[caryhorn]

Hey, maybe Shaka can strike gold again and convince Taylor to come back for a fourth year.

I think it would be in Taylor's financial interest to return. He is not a first round pick now. If he stays and gets better, which he would, he will double or triple his money by moving into the first round. See Buddy Hield.

 

[car54]

I think it would be in Taylor's financial interest to return. He is not a first round pick now. If he stays and gets better, which he would, he will double or triple his money by moving into the first round. See Buddy Hield.

Taylor will need to develop a killer jump shot like Hield. He misses too much. All he can do is slice and dice right now.

 

[SAMMCHornfan]

Taylor will need to develop a killer jump shot like Hield. He misses too much. All he can do is slice and dice right now.

TJ never had a jump shot, just sayin, but he made his money by being a playmaker and setting up his teammates. Taylor is a better shooter. Also, I think Texas making it to the final four had a little bit to do with how high TJ got drafted. Same with when Travis Mayes and Lance Blanks had their incredible runs.
With that said, if Taylor can lead the Horns deep into the tourney, especially final four deep, he will have an excellent chance of being a top 15 pick. IMHO.

 

[txlandagent]

TJ never had a jump shot, just sayin, but he made his money by being a playmaker and setting up his teammates. Taylor

Spot on. TJ could command wins and could score 20+ points on any given night, but he wasn't a prolific shooter. One heckuva floor general though.

 

[caryhorn]

I didn't mean that Taylor would ever be the shooter that Hield is; just that staying till his senior year will help him improve his position in the NBA draft. IMHO by a lot.

Lots of NBA point guards had some work to do to become better shooters: PJ, Jason Kidd, Augustine, etc. Taylor is a better scorer right now than PJ. But PJ was a better distributer. Taylor is getting better in both ways: as a shooter and distributor. Another year under Shaka's system will make Taylor a very rich man.

 

[blh111]

TJ never had a jump shot, just sayin, but he made his money by being a playmaker and setting up his teammates. Taylor is a better shooter. Also, I think Texas making it to the final four had a little bit to do with how high TJ got drafted. Same with when Travis Mayes and Lance Blanks had their incredible runs.
With that said, if Taylor can lead the Horns deep into the tourney, especially final four deep, he will have an excellent chance of being a top 15 pick. IMHO.

TJ got to the Final 4, because he was a great player, Taylor is simply good at times. TJ was a magician with the rock in his hand, and no one could stay in front of him. Taylor is always playing out of control, even when he does get a step. Taylor doesn't come close to being the playmaker and floor general that TJ was. TJ getting drafted so high, had more to do with his play, which got him into the Final 4. I just wanted to reword that. Taylor will not go in the first round, even if he comes back for his senior year...what you see, is what you get.

 

[blh111]

I didn't mean that Taylor would ever be the shooter that Hield is; just that staying till his senior year will help him improve his position in the NBA draft. IMHO by a lot.

Lots of NBA point guards had some work to do to become better shooters: PJ, Jason Kidd, Augustine, etc. Taylor is a better scorer right now than PJ. But PJ was a better distributer. Taylor is getting better in both ways: as a shooter and distributor. Another year under Shaka's system will make Taylor a very rich man.

Augustine was always a very good shooter, you made that up.

Although Kidd/TJ didn't have jumpers, they were great floor generals...something Taylor is not even close to being. At TIMES Taylor is a good floor general, with a suspect jumper. His quickness gets him by on the college level, but he would be easy to guard in the NBA. He will not be quicker than any other PG in the NBA, and his lack of athleticism will also hurt him (before you say it, he is not the playmaker that those other guys are, NOT EVEN CLOSE, don't just look at the assist)...especially when you consider how he is lacking in other areas.

 

[caryhorn]

he is not the playmaker that those other guys are, NOT EVEN CLOSE, don't just look at the assist)..

I disagree in that I think another year helps Taylor become a better play maker: a better floor general. Also I think he becomes a better shooter. I think he is a better shooter this year than last. And his floater is often dynamic. IMHO, another year of getting better ups his draft position from 2nd or third round to first of second. That's a lot of money, and worth coming back for.

 

[SAMMCHornfan]

Only two draft rounds, so if he isn't going in the first two rounds, he is a free agent. Also, the only guaranteed money is in the first round unless the team cuts a specific deal with you, like Utah did convincing CJ Miles to turn pro instead of sticking with the Horns.

 

[caryhorn]

Only two draft rounds, so if he isn't going in the first two rounds, he is a free agent.

I stand corrected. You are correct. So Taylor goes from not being drafted to second round; or from second to first--if he stays here and improves his shot, and his ball distribution.

 

[p_town_horn]

Do we have any prognostications on a Cam Ridley return? I have not heard anything in weeks except they keep evaluating him.

Also, anyone knowledgeable on these types of foot injuries and Cam's ability to compete once he returns. The injury that keeps coming to mind for me in Yao Ming.

 

[SAMMCHornfan]

The latest I have heard FWIW is that he is aloud to put 75% of his weight on the foot. How they determine that, I have no clue.

 

[p_town_horn]

6 of Texas' last 8 regular season games will be against ranked teams. 4 of those are top 10 teams.

That does not include the brutality that will be the Big 12 tourney (the horror).

This team will be as ready as anyone for March Madness.

 

[blh111]

I disagree in that I think another year helps Taylor become a better play maker: a better floor general. Also I think he becomes a better shooter. I think he is a better shooter this year than last. And his floater is often dynamic. IMHO, another year of getting better ups his draft position from 2nd or third round to first of second. That's a lot of money, and worth coming back for.

Man, stop. Taylor is no where close to Kidd and TJ as a playmaker, or as a basketball player period. If he is a better shooter than last year, then it would be a miniscule improvement. His jumper is still suspect. If your sh!# stinks, but it smells better the next time, it still stinks. It's worth coming back next year, because he simply isn't ready. 3rd round huh? That round does not exist...but I get it now.

TJ was heralded by the NBA as having "the prescient ability to see the play before it happens, like Magic Johnson."

They would never say that about Taylor. He gets to the rack and throws up that suspect tear drop, or he gets out control and tries to pass at the last minute. I'll say it again, Taylor is not close to TJ as a playmaker, and never will be. He is what he is.

I would prefer you be right, and me be wrong...hopefully you can tell me I told you so, next year.

 

[txlandagent]

We've offered 3/4 star 6'10" C/F Nick Rakocevic from Chicago; were listed as medium interest on his charts. Looks like we just offered some cat named Yuat Alok

24/7 updated their profile of Rakocevic with a 100% probability of a UMiami signing. Scouring the webz for obscure tidbits of indicators on Alok would lead me to believe that kid is tired of moving and Florida gets his commitment.