Texas Longhorns Basketball

Texas Longhorns sophomore forward Kai Jones announced Wednesday he would be declaring for the 2021 NBA draft and hiring an agent.   

🙏🏾✨ solo out 🤘🏾 pic.twitter.com/PrIsXyd4TQ

— Kai Jones (@242_jones) March 24, 2021

The 6'11", 218-pounder averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds during the 2020-21 season, shooting 58.0 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from three. 

Jones looks like a real possibility to come off the board in the lottery. The Athletic's Sam Vecenie projected him to go No. 10 overall in his latest mock draft, noting that the young big man "probably made more plays this season that have just flat out made my jaw drop than anyone else outside of the top five."

He added that Jones "has some of the most functional athleticism you'll find in a center with his hand-eye coordination, balance and explosiveness. He's just an exceptionally difficult matchup for opposing centers."

I’m a pretty big fan of Kai Jones. Think he has a tremendous future ahead of him. An NBA team might have to be a bit patient as he continues to develop, but his long-term ceiling is extremely, extremely high.

— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) March 24, 2021

The sticking point for Jones at the next level, at least early in his career, may be his defense. One Big 12 coach told Vecenie:

"I think he could use another year (in college). They're way better on defense with Jericho Sims than with him. You can get him out of position and bait him into fouls. But I totally get why the NBA likes him. With the way that league is going, everyone wants the next center who can stretch the floor and play with the ball in their hands. He can do that, and I think he's only scratching the surface of his game."

In other words, Jones is something of a project, albeit one with a high ceiling. That's the sort of player who makes a lot of sense later in the lottery. 

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman compared Jones to Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam, noting that "reaching Siakam status will require a lot more development for Jones, but he shares similar tools, athletic ability, motor and scoring skills. There is upside if he can turn the flashes of shooting and driving into regular occurrences, just as Siakam did after a few years in the league."

3) Vibe I’m getting from the NBA is that Kai Jones is probably getting picked in the lottery. Some risk there but also real reward. Upside is clear. His movement skills at his size are exceptional. He’s been trending up the past month.

— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) March 21, 2021

The tools are in place for Jones to develop into an excellent NBA player.

If he can improve defensively to the point that teams feel comfortable playing him at center, his athleticism and shooting range will make him a difficult cover.  Even if he never becomes that guy, he still may stick as a big 4. That will likely come down to how well he shoots from the perimeter.

Regardless, it's easy enough to see how NBA teams will be excited by his potential—and why he chose to enter this year's draft.  

Matt Coleman III made a pair of free throws with 1.8 seconds left as Texas overcame a pair of 10-point deficits to defeat Texas Tech 67-66 in the Big 12 men's basketball tournament quarterfinals on Thursday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Longhorns big man Jericho Sims then intercepted the Red Raiders' desperation full-court inbounds heave in response to seal the win.

Texas Tech led Texas 66-61 with 4:03 left but went 0-of-6 down the stretch. Texas cut the deficit with a Kai Jones layup and a Coleman layup before the game's final free throws.

Coleman led all players with 19 points and six assists. Sims had a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double for the Longhorns, who won despite committing 20 turnovers.

For Texas Tech, Terrence Shannon Jr. led the way with 18 points. Kevin McCullar guided the Red Raiders' defensive effort with six steals to go along with his 11 points. Mac McClung, who paces Texas Tech in scoring, posted just seven points on 3-of-8 shooting.

The 18-7 Longhorns, who are seeded third in the 10-team bracket, have won four straight. Texas Tech, which swept its two-game regular-season series with Texas, fell to 17-10 after its second straight loss.

        

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Notable Performances

Texas Tech G Terrence Shannon Jr.: 18 points

Texas Tech G Kevin McCullar: 11 points, 6 steals

Texas Tech F Marcus Santos-Silva: 10 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

Texas G Matt Coleman III: 19 points, 6 assists

Texas G Andrew Jones: 11 points, 4 assists

Texas F Jericho Sims: 10 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks

   

Coleman's Offense, Sims' Defense Propel Longhorns to Win

It was only fitting that Texas' win ended with Coleman scoring the game-winning point and Sims earning the game-ending steal on a night where the guard's offense and the big man's defense led to Texas' big win.

Coleman scored nine of his 19 points in the final 10:09. He personally went on a 5-0 run to turn a 49-43 Texas Tech lead into a slim 49-48 Red Raider edge with a layup and this three-pointer:

Big. Time. pic.twitter.com/NJTsnFstOu

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 12, 2021

The end of the game was winning time for Coleman, who scored the game's final four points. He spoke with ESPN's Holly Rowe about his mindset at the end:

“Win. That’s all that’s on my mind: Just win.”

Matt Coleman spoke with @sportsiren after his game-winning free throws. pic.twitter.com/hi7ltUJlZU

— Longhorn Network (@LonghornNetwork) March 12, 2021

Coleman's finish may ultimately prove to be a defining moment for he and coach Shaka Smart as Texas looks to keep the momentum rolling in March, as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports noted:

Signature win for Shaka Smart. Signature moment for Matt Coleman. Texas over Texas Tech in KC.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 12, 2021

As for Sims, he starred on the other end, to the point where ESPN color commentator Fran Fraschilla made this mid-game comment:

Fran says "it's a crime" Jericho Sims wasn't on the Big 12 All-Defense team.

Amen.

— Brian Davis (@byBDavis) March 12, 2021

 

The Red Raiders only shot 40.0 percent from the field, in part because of Sims' four blocks. He also had 11 of the Longhorns' 38 rebounds to help keep Texas Tech off the glass.

Sims also delivered the game's final blow, preventing a last-second miracle:

Let's go! 😤#HookEm pic.twitter.com/HZYHOCPChT

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) March 12, 2021

Thanks to the Coleman-Sims pair, Texas got the big win and will now look to knock off Kansas in the semifinals.

    

Shannon, McCullar Pave Way, But Texas Tech Can't Hold On

It was the Shannon and McCullar Show for much of the game, and it looked as though that would be good enough for a big win.

Shannon drilled an early three-pointer to put the Red Raiders up 15-7:

Lighting it up 🔥🔥#4To1 | @Sn1per_T pic.twitter.com/dBWzR5HkmB

— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 12, 2021

He hit another one later on following a pair of McCullar buckets to put Texas Tech up three early in the second half:

https://twitter.com/TexasTechMBB/status/1370219657601425408

Shannon ultimately hit four three-pointers, and McCullar scored seven of his points in the second half. McCullar in particular was sensational on defense, causing 30 percent of Texas' turnovers. He did a little of everything for the Red Raiders on this night.

However, it wasn't meant to be for Texas Tech. Texas took advantage of numerous cold stretches, and Coleman proved to be too strong down the stretch.

The consolation prize, of course, is that Texas Tech is a shoo-in to make the tournament as an at-large. Head coach Chris Beard's team should have a week to regroup and prepare as it looks to make back-to-back national championship games.

         

What's Next?

Texas will play No. 2 Kansas in the Big 12 tournament semifinals on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET. ESPN 2 will air the game.

Texas Tech will wait to hear its name called when the NCAA tournament bracket is revealed beginning Sunday at 6 p.m. on CBS.

Texas men's basketball head coach Shaka Smart announced Monday he tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation:

pic.twitter.com/2zZ8dkmJAS

— Shaka Smart (@CoachShakaSmart) January 25, 2021

The Longhorns already had two games postponed last week against Iowa State and TCU. The squad is scheduled to face Oklahoma at home on Tuesday.

Assistant K.T. Turner is set to become the team's acting coach while Smart is unavailable, according to Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesmen. Smart also said he will work remotely.

The Longhorns have had four games postponed or canceled already in 2020-21.

Smart had previously discussed caution with the protocols even if both teams are cleared with negative tests.

"Just because five minutes before the game you feel, 'Okay, we get to go do this, we get to go play,' that doesn't guarantee that everything is 100 percent safe," the coach said earlier this month, per Stephen Wagner of the Dallas Morning News.

Texas is off to a strong start to the season, currently ranked No. 5 in the latest Associated Press poll. The 11-2 squad reached as high as No. 4 in the poll for the school's best ranking since 2010-11.

Smart is in his sixth year with the program since joining from VCU, but his squads struggled with consistency in his first five years, with a 90-78 overall record and zero wins in the NCAA tournament.

With early-season wins over West Virginia, Indiana and North Carolina, Texas could be destined for more success this time around.

No. 8 Texas extended its winning streak to four games Saturday with an 84-59 road upset over No. 3 Kansas in a Big 12 clash at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.

The Longhorns (8-1, 2-0) now sit atop the conference standings after a win over Oklahoma State to open Big 12 play, and they have a great chance to move inside the top five of the polls with the win over KU. Their only loss came against Villanova in early December.

Kansas (8-2, 2-1) had won eight straight contests since its season-opening loss to top-ranked Gonzaga. The Jayhawks have played one of the nation's hardest schedules, with six of their 10 games coming against opponents ranked inside the Top 25.

              

Notable Performances

G Courtney Ramey (TEX): 18 points

G Matt Coleman III (TEX): 13 points, six rebounds, six assists

G Andrew Jones (TEX): 14 points, seven rebounds

F Kai Jones (TEX): 12 points, five rebounds

F Jericho Sims (TEX): 11 points, 12 rebounds

F Jalen Wilson (KU): 20 points, seven rebounds

G Ochai Agbaji (KU): 11 points, five rebounds

                 

Kai Jones' Potential Starting To Shine Through For UT

Jones was an afterthought for most of his first season in Austin, averaging 3.6 points across 27 appearances, and he's remained a secondary contributor early in his sophomore campaign. His progress at the offensive end of the floor is starting to become more evident, though.

The Bahamas native's performance against Kansas was best encapsulated by a 35-second stretch of play late in the first half.

It started with his seventh made three-pointer of the season, which matched the total from his entire freshman season, and finished with him taking the ball at the top of the key, driving all the way to the rim and finishing a contested layup.

Awesome first half for Kai Jones. Buried two 3s, just drove from the top of the key for a layup on one dribble. Impressive performance from Texas, although it feels like the eight-point margin should be bigger. Courtney Ramey getting into the lane at will off the bounce.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) January 2, 2021

That's a strong two-possession burst for any player in the country, but when you consider it came from a 6'11'' forward, you can start to grasp Jones' really promising upside.

Texas had four players entering Saturday's game averaging over 11 points, so it's no surprise Shaka Smart has continued to bring Jones off the bench. It's the best opportunity for meaningful offensive touches when he does see the floor.

With Kai Jones en route to his best perimeter shooting game of the season today, let us remember that elite talent in choops right now is just the fifth-leading scorer on the Longhorns. Shows how wonderfully sopping with talent these Longhorns are.

— Matt Trabold (@TrabsMatt) January 2, 2021

Yet, by the time March Madness rolls around, it might be difficult to keep the emerging frontcourt talent around 20 minutes per game. He's learning to impact the game in more ways, and his combination of size and athleticism gives him a chance to become a matchup nightmare.

Kansas got a taste of the problems Jones can create Saturday as part of Texas' most complete performance of the season to date. The Longhorns are a legitimate championship threat.

             

Kansas' Defensive Concerns Rising Again After Loss

The Jayhawks allowed an eye-popping 102 points in their loss to Gonzaga in late November. It was an immediate warning sign, but the fact that it was the first game of the season and knowing the Zags are the nation's top team prevented a full-on panic.

Kansas has for the most part played much better defensively since that defeat, including back-to-back strong outings in their wins over the Red Raiders and Mountaineers prior to the holiday break.

Part 1 of 2 nasty blocks from @Mitchlightfoot ✋ pic.twitter.com/trpWxFEIRT

— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) January 2, 2021

Those defensive questions are going to pop back up after the Longhorns shot 49.2 percent from the field and knocked down 12 threes on Saturday, though.

KU is by no measure a bad defensive team—it entered the day seventh in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom—but it's now struggled twice to contain elite opponents with deep scoring groups.

Texas' tough defense and Kansas' poor shot selection is proving to be quite the combination. Longhorns open up a 63-47 lead in the Phog.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) January 2, 2021

That's something that at least warrants attention for a team with championship aspirations. In both cases, once the opponent got hot the Jayhawks were unable to alter anything defensively to slow them down, a possible issue when it comes to the NCAA tournament.

It's something for Bill Self and his coaching staff to work on with five more games against teams currently ranked inside the top 10 left on Kansas' regular-season schedule.

             

What's Next?

Both teams are back in action Tuesday as Big 12 play continues to ramp up.

Texas welcomes Iowa State to the Frank Erwin Center for an 8 p.m. ET tip on the Longhorn Network. Kansas travels to Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena to face TCU in a 10 p.m. start on ESPN.

5-star power forward Greg Brown III will be suiting up for the Texas Longhorns as he moves to the next level in his basketball career.

Brown announced his decision Friday:

Five-star big man Greg Brown is a TEXAS commit! pic.twitter.com/VcFLR9n521

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 24, 2020

Prior to picking Texas, the Vandergrift (Austin, Texas) High School star had been considering Auburn, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan and going straight to the NBA's G League.

According to 247Sports, Brown is the top-ranked player at his position and the No. 9 overall prospect in the class of 2020.

The 6'9", 195-pound forward has made his presence felt on both ends of the court, as his Ball Is Life highlight reel shows:

That combination of size and athleticism makes him a high-upside prospect.

Also of note, Brown has experience with the United States men's junior national team.

While a number of top programs around the country vied for his services, Brown opted to stay close to home.

The hometown Longhorns have long been viewed as the front-runner despite a lack of postseason success. They have missed out on the NCAA tournament in two of their four seasons under coach Shaka Smart, including in 2018-19. They have yet to make it out of the first round during the Smart era.

Still, they managed to nab one of the top players of 2020.

Brown is one of the top recruits Smart has landed at Texas. Although the Longhorns have had some highly rated recruiting classes in recent years, they have not had much luck in terms of top-tier recruits. They had not landed a 5-star recruit since 2017 (Mohamed Bamba).

Shaka Smart will return for his sixth season as head basketball coach at the University of Texas in 2020-21. 

Speaking to Brian Davis of the American Statesman on Friday, Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said Smart is "our coach." 

"Nothing's changed," Del Conte added. "We won five of the last six down the stretch, finished third in the conference. We have a good team coming back. Nothing's changed on my end.”

Speculation about Smart's future at Texas was an ongoing topic dating back to the 2018-19 season. His tenure with the program has been a disappointment, with zero NCAA tournament wins in two appearances. 

After the team missed the NCAA tournament last season, Del Conte told reporters he wouldn't comment on Smart's job status: "That's crazy. ... That's ludicrous talk when we start talking about that stuff in the middle of the season."

Smart was regarded as one of the best coaches in the country during his six-year tenure at VCU from 2009-15. He led the program to the NCAA tournament in each of his last five seasons, including a Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2011. 

Since being hired by Texas in April 2015, Smart has a 90-78 record and is 10 games under .500 in the Big 12 (40-50). The Longhorns won the NIT Championship after the 2018-19 season. 

Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart said shooting guard Andrew Jones has been cleared for all basketball activities, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports:

Texas guard Andrew Jones has been fully cleared for all basketball related activities, per Shaka Smart. Only appeared in two games last season as he recovered from leukemia.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 8, 2019

Jones, who will be a senior this season, was diagnosed with leukemia in Jan. 2018. 

Jones was emerging as a legitimate prospect before his diagnosis. During his freshman year, he averaged 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three.

In 11 games during his sophomore campaign he made a clear jump, posting 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and two assists, shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 46.3 percent from the field. 

He returned to action in November, and received quite the response after scoring his first points:

"It's great to see Andrew out on the court," Smart said at the time, per Jace Evans of USA Today. "I loved the way the crowd and everyone in the building reacted to him going in the game."

It isn't surprising Jones is back with the Longhorns—he made it clear in November that a full return to the court, however difficult, was always his goal.

Texas Longhorns freshman Jaxson Hayes officially declared for the 2019 NBA draft on Thursday.

"I have always dreamed about playing in the NBA," Hayes said in a statement, per ESPN.com. "Now that I have the chance to realize that dream, I would like to pursue that opportunity."

Hayes has emerged as a somewhat surprising one-and-done player, as he was ranked 102nd among signees in the class of 2018, per 247Sports. Once at Texas, Hayes entered the starting lineup 11 games into the season and started his following 21 games. In 32 outings total, he averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game.

He was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after leading the conference in field-goal percentage (72.8 percent) and placing fourth in blocks per game and free-throw percentage (82.3 percent).

There was a slight scare for Hayes down the stretch when he injured his left knee in the Big 12 tournament against Kansas. While Nick Moyle of the Houston Chronicle reported multiple specialists confirmed there was no structural damage in the knee, a bone bruise ended his 2018-19 season prior to the team's NIT run.

Hayes enters a draft that is dominated by Duke freshman forward Zion Williamson, the probable No. 1 overall pick. In an April 9 mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report projected Hayes to go No. 8 overall. On ESPN's list of best available players, Hayes ranked as the top center and No. 9 player overall.

Kerwin Roach II provided 16 points and nine assists off the bench to propel the Texas Longhorns past the Lipscomb Bisons in the 2019 NIT championship.

The senior ended his college career in style, sparking the offense during a pivotal stretch. Texas closed the first half on a 22-5 run and flipped the score from a three-point deficit to a 14-point halftime lead. Roach accounted for 12 of those 22 points.

Roach earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor, but it was a terrific all-around effort that fueled the 81-66 win.

The victory capped an impressive run through the NIT for Texas, which survived a pair of tight finishes in the early rounds before recording three straight wins of 13-plus points.

           

Box Score

Lipscomb

Rob Marberry: 17 points
Garrison Mathews: 15 points, 8 rebounds
Ahsan Asadullah: 11 points
Michael Buckland: 5 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Texas

Dylan Osetkowski: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
Jase Febres: 17 points, 5 rebounds
Kerwin Roach II: 16 points, 9 assists, 2 steals
Matt Coleman III: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals

            

Game Recap and Highlights

Though the teams exchanged the lead a few times, Lipscomb only trailed for about three of the first 14 minutes. Marberry scored 10 of his team-high 17 points to help build a 22-19 edge.

Once the Longhorns pulled ahead, though, they never fell behind.

Roach and Dylan Osetkowski carried Texas to a 41-27 advantage at the break, punctuated by a last-second triple from Jase Febres. He knocked down four long-range shots Thursday.

Out of the locker room, Lipscomb quickly cut the deficit to seven. However, that was the closest the Bisons would get because Texas kept hitting from the perimeter. The Longhorns made eight of their 13 triples in the second half.

To Lipscomb's credit, the Atlantic Sun regular-season champions hung around for much of the latter period. It wasn't until seven minutes remaining in regulation that Texas took full control.

With the Longhorns up 64-54, Osetkowski scored or assisted on nine straight points to trigger a game-sealing 13-1 spurt. The lead swelled to an insurmountable 22 points.

Roach punctuated the run―and Texas career―with a 360-degree dunk.

https://twitter.com/ndnpro64/status/1113969349470109696

"It's something I've always wanted to do in real life," said Roach, per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman. "To do it at the end of my college career to win a NIT championship is even better."

Texas wrapped up the 2019 campaign at 21-16. Lipscomb―which had already shattered the previous program record for single-season wins of 23―ended 29-8.

          

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR

The Texas Longhorns will be without senior guard Kerwin Roach for their game against Oklahoma on Saturday after the school announced that the senior guard has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Chip Brown of 247Sports first reported Roach's suspension on Thursday.

Including Oklahoma on Saturday, the Longhorns have five games remaining in the regular season before the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship begins on March 13.

Brown noted there is no timetable for Roach's return, which is a tough blow for 15-11 Texas as Roach leads the Longhorns with 15 points per game this season.

This isn't the first time this season that Roach has been suspended for violating undisclosed team rules.

The 6'4" guard's senior season began with him on the bench for the Longhorns' Nov. 6 opener against Eastern Illinois. While the nature of what Roach did was never publicly revealed, he did take to Twitter at the time to address his friends, family and Longhorn fans.

In the note, Roach stated that he accepted "full responsibility and accountability" while also pointing out "it is my senior year and this is not how I planned on setting an example for my team."

https://twitter.com/KLR_doce/status/1056210717626515456

Along with his 15.0 points per game, Roach is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game.