Texas Longhorns Basketball

Being Matthew McConaughey comes with a lot of perks, including a seat on the bench during Texas basketball games. 

The Oscar-winning actor was seen in the Longhorns' huddle during Tuesday's game against Kansas State:

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It's not unusual to see McConaughey during sporting events at the University of Texas. He's almost as famous for being a Longhorns fan as he is for starring in blockbuster films. 

The school went so far as to name McConaughey the Minister of Culture for its basketball and entertainment arena set to open in 2021. 

Unfortunately, McConaughey's presence in the huddle was not enough to help Texas against Kansas State. The Longhorns lost 71-64, their fourth defeat in the past seven games. 

The Texas Longhorns went into their Las Vegas Invitational matchup against the North Carolina Tar Heels on Thanksgiving evening unranked. It's unlikely they'll remain that way much longer.

Behind Kerwin Roach II's 32 points and seven assists, Texas upset No. 7 North Carolina, 92-89, handing the Tar Heels (5-1) their first loss of the season. Texas remains undefeated at 5-0 and looks like a group to be reckoned with in 2018-19.

Despite Roach's heroics, Texas put on a balanced showing, as it got solid performances from Matt Coleman III (16 points, five assists), Dylan Osetkowski (14 points, five rebounds) and Jaxson Hayes (15 points, nine rebounds, three blocks).

Hayes, in particular, made his mark:

That spoiled a fantastic game from Coby White, who had 33 points and shot 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Luke Maye struggled, however, shooting 5-of-15 from the field (1-of-5 from three) for 11 points, though he did pull down nine boards.

North Carolina looked like it might run away with the game early, seizing a 17-4 lead less than five minutes into the contest. Texas battled back, though, going on a 17-6 run to pull within two.

From there, the contest was tight until a Roach layup at the 11:12 mark in the second half gave the Longhorns a 66-55 lead—the largest deficit North Carolina faced. The Tar Heels fought back, twice cutting the lead to two points in the final six minutes.

But Roach and Co. always had an answer, holding off UNC for a signature win in Las Vegas. And Roach had himself a signature moment:

A lot can change between now and March. But Texas appears to be a team on the rise.

Texas received a major boost for its 2019 recruiting class Thursday with a commitment from center Will Baker. 

He announced his decision on his Twitter page:

Baker is a 5-star prospect and the No. 20 overall player in the 2019 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's also listed as the No. 7 center and the second-best recruit from Texas.

The Westlake High School standout runs the floor extremely well for a big man and has also displayed nice footwork around the rim to create looks in the paint. At 7'0", he's displayed the ability to play a variety of frontcourt roles during his time with the Chaparrals.

In April, he told Adam Zagoria of FloHoops he's not concerned about how he'll be used at the collegiate level.

"I think I can play the 4 in college," Baker said. "I play the 5 right now, but I can stretch the floor. I can dribble the ball down if necessary. I can pass really well and provide other opportunities for my teammates. I think I can post up and also shoot the three."

The latter point is probably the most important. He will need to become more consistent with his outside shot to play the stretch role, which is increasingly popular in the modern game.

Baker won't have to abandon his post skills, though. He's a skilled distributor who should be able to help establish a strong inside-outside offensive style.

The coveted prospect's playing time as a freshman with the Longhorns will be determined by how much progress he makes by the time he arrives on campus. The talent is there for him to make a major impact right off the bat, especially if he improves his three-point shooting to keep defenses honest.

Even if he doesn't earn a starting role right away, the in-state prospect should provide a nice spark off the bench for coach Shaka Smart and Texas.

Texas Longhorns junior guard Andrew Jones made an emotional return to the court Tuesday after missing 20 games last season because of leukemia treatment.

Upon entering Texas' 71-59 win over Eastern Illinois as a substitute in the second half, Jones received a standing ovation from those in attendance at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas:

Jones, who is recovering from a broken toe, recorded one point, one rebound, one assist and one steal in nine minutes.

After the game, Texas head coach Shaka Smart discussed how it felt to have Jones back, per ESPN.com: "It's great to see Andrew out on the court. I loved the way the crowd and everyone in the building reacted to him going in the game."

Jones made a big impact for Texas as a freshman, averaging 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He then put up 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest in 10 games last season before getting leukemia treatment.

Jones will have a chance to build off his season debut Friday when the Longhorns face the Arkansas Razorbacks from Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.

Texas guard Andrew Jones, who was diagnosed with leukemia seven months ago, is done with cancer treatments. 

Jones posted a video of himself ringing the ceremonial bell Friday, signaling the end of his chemotherapy:

Jones was averaging 13.5 points and 2.4 rebounds during his sophomore season when he was diagnosed. He made massive strides as a shooter, knocking down 46.3 percent of his shots from distance. 

"It's kind of depressing because I was almost at the peak of my game," Jones said in a Players' Tribune video. "I was playing at a high level to make myself a potential draft pick ... I started to feel run down, started to feel heavy. It kind of feels like a dehydrating type of feeling, and it's like you don't wanna move, you just wanna lay there."

Jones has already begun the process of returning to the court. He was filmed dunking again in July, a signal that his return could be coming sooner rather than later. After being listed at 195 pounds last season, Jones said he's reached 160 as he attempts to put back on the weight he lost due to the cancer treatment. 

"I'm starting to embrace being a cancer survivor," Jones said. "If I can inspire you just to get up in the morning and attempt to make your life better, then I've done my job, I feel good. I've faced death twice, and I'm here by the grace of God."

Texas Longhorns guard Andrew Jones will resume online coursework during the University of Texas' summer session, head coach Shaka Smart announced Thursday in a statement. 

According to Smart, Jones will also have the use of an on-campus dorm room to operate as a "home base" when he visits the school.

Texas announced in January that Jones had been diagnosed with leukemia, which forced him to take an indefinite leave of absence from the basketball team.

Doctors released Jones from the hospital in February so he could begin outpatient treatment, and he has provided updates on his status throughout the winter and spring on social media:

Jones was averaging 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game as a sophomore before he left the team to receive cancer treatment.

During a stop on the school's "This Is Texas" tour in April, Smart told the assembled crowd Jones had been playing pickup basketball at a local recreation center and hoped he could suit up for the Longhorns during the 2018-19 season.

Beyond Jones' physical readiness, the Austin American-Statesman's Brian Davis noted he also needs to ensure he's academically eligible to play again should the time come. Thursday's announcement is a big step in that process.

Texas basketball player Andrew Jones has been released from the hospital after receiving treatment for leukemia, according to Gary Parrish of CBS Sports. 

He will receive additional treatment on an outpatient basis.

The sophomore was diagnosed with leukemia at the beginning of January and began treatment immediately.

It was announced he was making "positive strides" in a team release about three weeks ago.

"We do want everyone to know that in the last two weeks, Andrew has made some positive strides," his family said in a statement, per Sam Khan Jr. of ESPN. "He's even been able to get out of bed and move around some, which is a huge difference from when he was first diagnosed in Austin."

Jones appeared in only 10 games this season, averaging 13.5 points per game, before the devastating illness derailed his career.

The former 5-star recruit was a McDonald's All-American out of Irving, Texas, in 2016 and showcased plenty of talent on the court for Texas. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed him as the No. 48 player in the 2018 NBA draft class coming into the season, while Jonathan Givony of ESPN named him the No. 7 point guard.

Although there is hope he will someday return to the court, his health remains the top priority and the recent news is certainly a positive in that regard.

University of Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte announced Friday that junior guard Eric Davis Jr. will be held out of games "until further notice" for "precautionary reasons." 

Matt Norlander of CBS Sports tweeted Del Conte's statement on the matter:

The decision came on the heels of Pat Forde and Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports releasing a report regarding corruption in college basketball on Friday. Davis was named as a potential recipient of improper benefits.

In federal documents obtained by Forde and Thamel, it is alleged that Davis received $1,500 from agency ASM Sports.

Per Brian Hamilton of Big Ten Network, Texas head coach Shaka Smart commented on the situation, saying, "I became aware of the report late last evening. I had no previous knowledge of the alleged extra benefit described in the report."

Davis ranks sixth on the team this season with 8.8 points per game. He is also averaging 2.4 rebounds per contest and is shooting 34.8 percent from three-point range.

The Longhorns are already shorthanded in the backcourt, as guard Andrew Jones is out while receiving treatment for leukemia.

With Davis out, junior Kerwin Roach II and freshman Matt Coleman will likely log heavy minutes.

Texas Longhorns sophomore guard Andrew Jones, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia, expressed confidence Tuesday that he will soon be well enough to play.

As seen in the following video courtesy of Lonestar Sports Network, Jones is optimistic about his prospects:

Per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, Jones discussed a recent video he tweeted of himself dancing while brushing his teeth, saying, "I just wanted to show that I’m not just in the hospital doing bad. I wanted to show people the improvements I've been making and that everything's going to be good, and I'm going to be back soon."

In the video posted on Feb. 13, Jones appeared to be in great spirits:

Texas announced Jones' diagnosis in January and added that he was set to start treatment immediately.

According to Davis, Jones is receiving treatment at the UT MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Jones said he has learned a lot from his leukemia diagnosis, and it has motivated him to return to the court as soon as possible: "I'm going to have a more motivated mindset. I'm going to be more dedicated. I'm just going to be grateful that I can get back to playing the sport that I love. And I'm going to go hard every day. Tomorrow is never promised, so that's how I'm going to attack each day, each workout that I go to."

Jones last played for the Longhorns in a 74-70 win over Iowa State on Jan. 1.

He scored eight points in just 11 minutes and provided an offensive punch off the bench.

In 10 games this season, Jones boasts averages of 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists. As a freshman last season, he put up 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest.

Texas has struggled at times without Jones in the lineup, going just 9-8.

Overall, the Longhorns are 16-11 on the season. They have four games remaining prior to the Big 12 tournament and will likely need a strong finish to be selected for the NCAA tournament.

Texas Longhorns sophomore guard Andrew Jones is making progress while undergoing leukemia treatment, his family announced Saturday.

According to ESPN.com's Sam Khan Jr., Jones' family released the following statement through the University of Texas: "We do want everyone to know that in the last two weeks, Andrew has made some positive strides. He's even been able to get out of bed and move around some, which is a huge difference from when he was first diagnosed in Austin."

Jones' diagnosis was announced on Jan. 10, and he hasn't played since Texas' Jan. 1 win over Iowa State.

Jones' family also expressed gratitude for those supporting him: "We are very appreciative of the outpouring of love and support for Andrew and our family, and we do ask that you continue to keep Andrew in your daily thoughts and prayers. We know there's a long battle ahead, but together we will win this fight."

Prior to his diagnosis, Jones was averaging 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. 

In 12 games without Jones this season, the Longhorns have had mixed results at just 7-5.

Overall, Texas is 14-8 and 4-5 in the Big 12, which places it seventh among the conference's 10 teams.