Texas Longhorns Basketball

Andrew Jones had been deliberating on which school to continue his basketball journey at for some time, but the 4-star combo guard decided to squash speculation and commit to the Texas Longhorns.

Jones announced the decision in an interview with Evan Daniels of Scout.com:

Over the past couple months, since the end of July, I've built a strong relationship with coach [Shaka] Smart. It was to the point where we were texting every morning. He was sending me motivational quotes about how to be a leader and how to stay positive.

We would also exchange diagramed plays and would send me plays that we could potential run next year and how I could easily score. We just become very close on a personal level.

Over the past year, Jones has emerged as a coveted prospect. He received offers from over 20 schools, with prominent programs like Arizona, Baylor, Louisville, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M standing out on a crowded list.

Entering his senior season at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, Jones ranks as the fifth-best combo guard among all 2016 recruits.

But Jones wasn't always one of the nation's most sought-after recruits. According to 247Sports (via the Arizona Daily Star's Bruce Pascoe), Jones burst onto the scene by averaging 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game while knocking down 33 percent of his three-point attempts at the Peach Jam showcase.

"I've seen him play, but he didn't really capture my attention," 247Sports' Jerry Meyer told Pascoe. "At Peach Jam, he kind of differentiated himself from the others. He was the primary playmaker, a slasher near the basket, making shots. He's very good at slashing."

Jones' jump shot is still developing, but he's a high-energy creator who uses his length and athleticism exceptionally well around the rim.

Raw physical abilities will give Jones a foundation to build upon at the collegiate level, but he'll need to refine his catch-and-shoot jumper to make defenses pay on a regular basis.

Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Javan Felix had the game of his life in Texas' 84-82 win over No. 3 North Carolina, releasing the final shot of his game-high 25 points just a fraction of a second before the final horn sounded on what is certain to be the first of many memorable moments in Shaka Smart's tenure in Austin.

In the final six years of Rick Barnes' reign as the head coach of the Longhorns, they went 1-10 against teams ranked in the top five of the AP poll.

It took just a month for Smart to secure his first such win.

However, this wasn't the type of game we've come to expect from Smart's teams, and it's probably a good indication of what's to come in this chapter of his career. The pace of the contest was often hectic, but this was no HAVOC. North Carolina committed just six turnovers and was clearly the victor in the fast-break points department at the Frank Erwin Center.

Rather than outracing the Tar Heels like Smart's VCU teams of yore, the Longhorns outmuscled and outshot them.

Texas came into the game as one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country before holding one of the nation's better offensive rebounding teams to just four offensive boards.

Better yet, KenPom.com had the Tar Heels ranked as the nation's sixth-best defensive-rebounding team before the game—allowing opponents to corral just 21.4 percent of their own misses—but Texas grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and absolutely dominated North Carolina in second-chance points.

Yet, the guards were even more impressive than the forwards.

Even with the return of Marcus Paige, North Carolina's perimeter defense has been suspect at best. But that shouldn't detract from the incredible performance put on by Felix, Isaiah Taylor and freshman Eric Davis. The trio combined for 59 of Texas' 84 points while shooting 61.1 percent from three-point range.

All told, this looked absolutely nothing like the team that gave up 25 offensive rebounds and shot 26.0 percent from the field in a loss to Washington on the first day of the 2015-16 season—and that's a testament to the environment Smart is trying to foster.

"We've been through some up and downs already in this early season," Smart told ESPN's Jay Bilas and Dan Shulman after the game. "Our guys have hung in there. They've tried to follow the process. I think with each game we've gotten better and better."

At the risk of putting too much emphasis on one game in mid-December, that process has already resulted in Texas' most noteworthy victory since advancing to the 2003 Final Four.

Very early in the broadcast, Bilas said what a lot of college basketball people have been thinking, declaring that—with Paige back in the lineup—North Carolina is the best team in the country.

And Texas just beat that team.

Let's face it: No one knew what kind of learning curve was to be expected in the transition from Barnes to Smart. Good luck finding anyone who felt it was a bad hire, but VCU and Texas couldn't have been much different in terms of style of play and recruitability.

The bread and butter of Smart's VCU Rams was turnover-forcing defense. In three of his six seasons, they led the nation in defensive turnover percentage, per KenPom.com. They had a turnover rate of at least 21.1 in all six years.

That was not even remotely Texas' game under Barnes, though. According to KenPom.com, the Longhorns failed to post a turnover rate greater than 20.6 in any of the past 14 years, ranking in the bottom half nationally in each season. Last year, they ranked 350th out of 351 teams.

There was legitimate concern that Smart's style in Texas might be like trying to fit a high-energy, square peg into a less intense, round hole.

"Once he got hired, there was a little questioning, a little wondering about what exactly, how big men are gonna fit in his system," Connor Lammert told ESPN.com's Myron Medcalf this summer. "But the next thing, after he introduced himself, he looked at us big guys and he was saying, 'Whatever system we had there, we didn't have the size, we didn't have some of the personnel that we're gonna have here.'"

The big men certainly seem to be faring well so far, as Lammert has been a key piece in the starting rotation and Cameron Ridley is playing with a fire that was completely missing from his game last year. Watching Ridley lay out for loose balls and crash the glass against the Tar Heels was a vivid sign that this is already a much different team than the Longhorns we've seen in recent years.

The general synopsis seemed to be that Texas would struggle initially while adapting to Smart's style of play, but with access to better recruits, he would eventually turn the Longhorns into an annual national powerhouse.

But how long would that "eventually" last?

Three weeks?

Three months?

Three years?

Nobody knew, and, well, we still don't know. The Longhorns have yet to play a true road game and are 1-3 on neutral courts this season. Despite Saturday's epic victory, try not to be too surprised if they struggle at Stanford next Saturday.

For at least one night, though, the future of Texas looks brighter under Smart than it has in a long time. If he's now ahead of schedule with this program, that's terrifying news for the rest of the country.

Kerry Miller covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @kerrancejames.

James Banks, one of the top centers in the 2016 recruiting class, announced Thursday that he plans to play college basketball at Texas. The Longhorns beat out Vanderbilt to land the coveted post player.

Evan Daniels of Scout passed along comments from Banks about the decision. The Indiana native, who stars for the La Lumiere School, stated his budding connection with new Texas coach Shaka Smart was a crucial factor in the end.

"After and during the recruiting process you realize and learn what is real and what is fake," Banks said. "I really was able to establish a great relationship with coach Smart and coach [Mike] Morrell at Texas. They had a legitimate desire to coach me, get me better, develop me and help me become the best person and player I could be."

He also confirmed to Scout it was a close race between the Longhorns and the Commodores. In the end, he discussed the decision with his mom, and they came to the same conclusion: "We both agreed that Texas was the place for me."

Banks is a 4-star prospect who ranks as the No. 56 recruit in the country for the 2016 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He's rated as the No. 5 center and the No. 2 player coming out of the basketball-rich state of Indiana as well.

William Wilkerson of Horns Digest provided some further information about the fast-rising prospect:

What he lacks in polish he makes up for with a highly intriguing combination of size and athleticism. It's going to make him an ideal fit for the aggressive, up-tempo style that allowed Smart to enjoy so much success while coaching at VCU.

Exactly how much Banks develops over the next 13 months will dictate what type of initial impact he makes at Texas. He could start in a reserve role while he continues to work on his low-post offense, but his long-term outlook is undoubtedly promising.

The University of Texas is facing allegations of academic misconduct involving a number student-athletes, namely its basketball players, during the Rick Barnes era, according to Brad Wolverton of the Chronicle of Higher Education. 

His June 10 report hones in on three players in particular: Martez Walker, who has since transferred to Oakland University, and former players J’Covan Brown and P.J. Tucker. 

Texas released a statement later in the day on the allegations:

Academic integrity is at the core of The University of Texas. Our student-athletes’ academic progress rates are among the best in the nation. And we continually seek to foster an ethical culture that reduces the risk of wrongdoing, manages our internal controls, and responds to inappropriate conduct.

The university takes any suggestion of wrongdoing extremely seriously. We are always looking to identify problems that may exist and ways we can do better.

Working with external NCAA bylaw and academic compliance experts Gene Marsh and Geoff Silver, UT is investigating allegations raised by The Chronicle of Higher Education and has contacted the NCAA about them.

We determined that the university had no knowledge of two former student-athletes allegedly receiving improper help with high school coursework before they enrolled. We now are reviewing three other cases purported to have occurred over a nine-year period since 2006 to determine if any university or NCAA rules were violated and if any action is needed. 

The university has no information that suggests former Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Barnes knew of or was involved in any academic improprieties. 

President Gregory L. Fenves is actively working with his leadership teams in both Student Affairs and Athletics to pursue the highest levels of integrity for all UT students. 

On June 16, the university announced an independent investigation into the academic services offered by the athletic department, according to Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman:

“We have a very storied athletic program, a long tradition of integrity. The motto has been winning with integrity,” Fenves told the Statesman late Monday. “As a new president, with all the issues going around collegiate athletics in general, coming into the position, I want to have an independent study of our programs to make sure we’re doing everything we should be.”

According to UT, Marsh’s review will be a “thorough examination” of all procedures and policies that impact the student-athlete’s experience, “from when they are recruited until after they have left the university,” according to a UT news release.

That includes the athletic department’s admissions process, academic advising and tutorial assistance, choices of majors and coursework and interactions with athletic employees and UT faculty members.

Texas coach Rick Barnes waited until June 29 to offer up comments on the investigation, per Patrick Brown of timesfreepress.com:

I think Texas has said everything that needed to be said. I'm sure they'll pursue whatever they think they have to do there, but it was made clear that I had no involvement in it, which I knew. If I thought there was something, I would address. The fact that it has no legs, I'm not really concerned about it.

Math instructor Pamela G. Powell allegedly caught Walker taking pictures of a test on his phone and seeking answers to those questions, "according to two former academic advisers informed of the incident." Powell passed on the information to "Adam Creasy, her liaison with the athletic department," and the information was then sent to several other folks within the university.

The result? Walker passed the class and "was named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, for earning at least a 3.0 grade-point average."

Per Wolverton, "One former academic mentor in the athletic department told the Chronicle that he had helped write papers for J’Covan Brown," while a final paper was submitted on Tucker's behalf for his "Leadership in the Community" class, despite the player reportedly being out of state at the time preparing for the NBA draft.

Texas is already investigating prior allegations of academic fraud, as "a Chronicle investigation detailed how hundreds of college athletes, including two former Texas basketball players, had reportedly gained NCAA eligibility through the use of bogus online coursework," so this latest batch of allegations adds to the school's growing list of accusations.

If Texas is found to have harbored an institutional culture of academic fraud, the university could face major NCAA sanctions—as could Barnes, now the head coach at Tennessee.

The Texas Longhorns reportedly added another key piece to their 2015 class Tuesday with a commitment from small forward Tevin Mack.  

Evan Daniels of Scout.com passed along the news:

Texas basketball's official Twitter feed later announced the signing:

Daniels also provided comments from the coveted forward about the decision, who was originally set to head to Virginia Commonwealth: "I chose them because I signed to play for coach [Shaka] Smart in the beginning. I wanted to stay with him and follow him and stick with the same plan. It feels like a great fit."

Mack is a 4-star prospect who ranks just outside of the top 50 nationally, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He also checks in as one of the class' top 10 small forwards and the No. 2 prospect from the state of South Carolina.

Although he'll need to bulk up (185 lbs) over time, his tools are impressive. He sports high-end athleticism that allows him to guard multiple positions with his 6'6'' frame, and there's always a chance he could tack on a few more inches to extend that defensive range.

He likes to attack the rim and has shown the ability to finish over post players. He can also create open looks for himself in isolation situations. The biggest question is whether he can become a more reliable jump shooter. His production in that area has been streaky at best to this point.

So adding more strength to his frame and putting in more work on his jumper are the two biggest areas to watch early during his time at the next level.

Beyond that, Mack's athletic ability and defensive skills are already on par with what it takes to succeed in college. He should make a quick impact for Smart and Co.

Shaka Smart is known to employ a defense called “Havoc.”

It’s all about relentless pressure. Forcing poor decisions because the game is moving so fast.

One has to wonder whether the Texas Longhorns just wreaked some havoc on Smart. Caught in the eye of the annual April job-change hurricane, Smart just left a pretty sure thing for a place where basketball isn’t even close to the top priority.

Smart’s made one Final Four (2011) in his six years at VCU. Texas has had only one Final Four trip in the last 68 years, appearing in 2003. Smart was well on his way to being like Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, taking an outpost program and maintaining a powerhouse vision. There would have been nothing wrong with that LinkedIn profile.

But when push came to shove, when career goals came to potential stagnation, Smart faced two life-bending choices.

He could’ve said no to Texas—just like he shooed away a host of others in recent years—and stayed at VCU for the long haul. One more turn-down service would’ve entrenched him further with recruits, who may have been frequently wondering if they’d have Smart around for his entire career. Who knows? Smart could have been losing players in recent years because they were skeptical after seeing his name show up in various coaching-change rumors.

But Smart may have instead looked at the calendar. He’s coming up on 40 in a few years. Did he really envision being a VCU lifer? And did he really think he could accomplish any more at VCU other than just trying to hang on to a legacy that was three coaches old?

"The ascendance of the VCU program has been and will continue to be about a special group of people both within and outside the immediate team that make VCU basketball extremely unique," Smart told reporters. "This program's future is extremely bright. The best is yet to come."

All that said, Smart had to make the move. The choice, while curious in some ways, really couldn’t have been better. He’ll certainly make more money. His predecessor, Rick Barnes, made about $800,000 more than Smart this season. And while VCU would’ve upped the ante, there’s no way it would have competed with UT. 

But this is bigger than dollar signs, even though the "cha-ching" is loud.

Texas is a perfect program for him at this point. It meshes an underachieving program with an overachieving coach. He brings instant credibility without having to deal with basketball insanity.

Put hoops right behind fall football and spring football, and maybe football recruiting, too. Remember, Barnes hung around for 17 years. While he did some good things, he went to only one Final Four.

If the good-guy Barnes could stick around so long despite some really so-so seasons, then Smart has to be wondering what his six years at VCU are worth. Just think about what he can accomplish in a state that produces so much talent—given Baylor's recent success, Texas A&M having had its moments (especially in recruiting circles of late) and the resurgence of SMU.

There will be those who say Smart was crazy. He had at least 26 wins in each of the last six seasons. VCU is building a new practice facility. Life was good. You know Few right now is shaking his head, and for good reason.

For now, we’ll still say Smart picked his promotion well. He turned down UCLA, sure, but those Bruins were a mess a few years ago. Besides, his connections have never been to the West.

At VCU he’s carried the calm of someone who knows exactly who he is and what he wants. Westwood may have felt like too big of a reach at that point in his life. It would've been fair to feel that way.

He turned down the likes of Minnesota, Wake Forest and North Carolina State in recent years. But those weren’t significantly better jobs than the one he had. Those Big Ten and ACC programs would always have been tough to consistently move into the upper echelons.

Texas stands to be there starting right now.

If Baylor can come out of nowhere and make two Elite Eights and a Sweet 16 in the last six years, Austin really should be a slam dunk. That’s what Smart is thinking while he starts packing and deciding where he’ll venture first for barbecue.

The Longhorns could possibly return four starters from this year’s team, which lost to Butler in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. He'll need better wing players to really fulfill his Havoc defense, but there should be some kids who want to play for him.

The beauty about Smart is that he’ll bring instant refreshment to what had become a stale environment under Barnes. Players at VCU adored him. There's no reason to think current Longhorns, or those being recruited there, won't be interested.

Barnes’ Longhorns had an Elite Eight appearance in 2008 but hadn’t advanced to the Sweet 16 since then.

Longhorns athletic director Steve Patterson doesn’t exactly get rave reviews as a boss, but he could’ve pitched the job to Smart in a variety of ways.



There’s the money angle. Duh. Or even the toughest-conference pitch. Smart will get to recruit and face the likes of Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg, Kansas’ Bill Self. He is part of the big-time now and will have all the amenities to compete right away.

There’s also the legacy aspect. Combined with football coach Charlie Strong, these are unique times of leadership equality at UT. Strong became the first African-American head football coach at Texas, and now comes Smart. Coincidentally, they both spent their last years as assistant coaches at Florida (2008-09). That connection could certainly mean something about how they view their big-picture impact. 



Patterson could've also played to Smart’s competitive nature and asked him what he’s scared of. Jeff Capel didn’t succeed after leaving the Rams for Oklahoma. Anthony Grant eventually flailed at Alabama. But did Smart really think he had to stay in VCU’s velvet coffin?



Perhaps Patterson had to mention recent history. Smart likely thought of it anyway, how VCU hasn’t gotten past the round of 32 in the last four years since going to the Final Four. Texas hasn’t, either, but that’s called underachieving. At VCU, postseason woes may have simply meant it was maxed out.

Smart was going to lose his two top players, who were seniors. At some point, he deserved to look out for himself.



It’s still a surprise that Texas didn’t reach out to Gregg Marshall.  

Yet this choice makes more sense for Texas, too. Marshall wouldn’t have liked being second in line to football (hence his turning down Alabama). It’s perfect for Smart, who’s still a developing coach.

Skeptics will certainly say this was a way for Patterson—who ran off football coach Mack Brown—to get a quality coach but also someone he could lord over. That will be something to watch.

Maybe Smart will never confess this, but he’ll have days he regrets leaving VCU.

 Texas comes with all sorts of people tugging on his time, when he used to have total freedom. It is an entirely different political beast. And just ask Brown, who grew weary of the in-house distractions: Having your own TV network doesn’t mean a perfect script is written.



Smart couldn’t resist getting hooked by the Horns, though.  He has the aggressiveness, personality and pizazz that should blend in well in Austin.

 Can he really make a big push for a program that has gone to just one Final Four since 1947?

His leaving was just a matter of time. And this happens to be a good time to find out.

"I'm looking forward to building on the past success of Texas basketball," Smart told reporters. "This is a proud program that goes back over 100 years, and I embrace that history. There is tremendous potential in this program, and my job is to work extremely hard to ensure that we realize that potential. I can't wait to get to work."

Virginia Commonwealth basketball coach Shaka Smart was finally chased down, speared and hauled off to the power conference lodge house.

News began bubbling about Smart's potential departure the minute his team got bounced from the NCAA round of 64, and VCU sports information director Scott Day confirmed Thursday that the school's highly sought-after coach had accepted the head coaching job at the University of Texas, according to The Associated Press, via Fox Sports.

Smart's decision to leave VCU seemed inevitable. He's spent the last several years parrying aggressive poaching attempts from large, cash-wealthy programs and will now undertake the task of returning Texas' underwhelming basketball team to legitimate contender status.

The 37-year-old coach is just the latest addition to Austin's bustling community of resurrection specialists, joining second-year Texas football coach Charlie Strong—another recently hired miracle worker whose last name also doubles as a positive descriptor.

Thus we have "Smart" and "Strong" at Texas—a branding opportunity realized by people with two neurons to rub together and ESPN's Darren Rovell. Shortly after news broke of Smart's departure, Rovell tweeted to his 585,000 followers that someone should try to make some money off this coincidence.

Then Rovell co-opted a pun.

And wouldn't you know? After all that, someone did pump out a Smart and Strong shirt. Basketball even gets top billing!

Enjoy your coach, Texas. Smart is one of the good ones, even if he gets knocked for his gimmicky defense. He puts in the work, and if nothing else, he can make the Longhorns a consistent and dangerous tournament threat.

Dan is on Twitter, awaiting the next wave of "What a Shaka" puns.

The Texas Longhorns haven't waited long to find a replacement for Rick Barnes, as the program will sign Shaka Smart to take over as head coach.

ESPN's Jeff Borzello first reported the news:

Texas made things official on Friday, April 3:

"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity to be the head men's basketball coach at The University of Texas," Smart said. "I'm very appreciative of President Bill Powers and Athletics Director Steve Patterson for believing in me and giving me the chance to work with a tremendous group of young men. Coming to The University of Texas presents an opportunity to be a part of a special community. My highest priority is spending time and developing relationships with our current players, our former players and the young men who will make up the future of Texas Basketball."

Smart also provided his thoughts on joining his new team in the team's release:

"Leaving VCU was not an easy decision for me and my family. I will be eternally grateful to the players at VCU with whom I shared such special experiences. They have taught me so much and changed my life."

"I'm looking forward to building on the past success of Texas Basketball. This is a proud program that goes back over 100 years, and I embrace that history. There is tremendous potential in this program, and my job is to work extremely hard to ensure that we realize that potential. I can't wait to get to work."

KVUE News showed Smart arriving in Austin:

Ben Fredrickson of Knoxnews.com also had the thoughts of former Texas head coach Rick Barnes, saying, "I know he's coming into a great situation and a great university. He's going to love it."

Chip Brown of Horns Digest reported the details of the contract:

Tim Pearreall of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that VCU offered Smart $2.5 million to stay.

Under Smart, VCU reached the Final Four in 2011, has reached the NCAA tournament in five straight years and won one CAA conference tournament and one Atlantic 10 conference tournament. It's safe to say he's completely transformed the program since taking over in 2009.

VCU released a statement as well, expressing Smart's thoughts on leaving the program behind:

"It has been an extraordinary honor to be your head coach for the past six years. I'm extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to build on the tradition of VCU Basketball. I want to express my deep gratitude for all VCU players, past and present, our coaching staff and all the people that have worked tirelessly to support our program. The leadership of President Michael Rao and Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin has been instrumental in VCU Basketball's tremendous growth. I also want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to all the VCU students, alumni, the Peppas and our phenomenal fans that make the Siegel Center such an unbelievable place to play and coach. The ascendance of the VCU program has been and will continue to be about a special group of people both within and outside the immediate team that make VCU Basketball extremely unique. This program's future is extremely bright. The best is yet to come."

Texas' basketball program could certainly use a transformation. The Longhorns haven't reached the Sweet 16 since the 2007-08 season, also the last time the program won a Big 12 title. Under Barnes, fired March 28, Texas had never won a Big 12 tournament, though it did reach a Final Four and the Elite Eight two other times. It also won three regular-season titles.

Texas certainly has the resources to become a power, and Smart proved he could both recruit and coach with limited resources, so the Longhorns will expect him to bring the program back to national prominence.

His pressing defensive style and tendency to encourage his teams to play fast will certainly make Texas basketball far more entertaining to watch.

And perhaps a bring it national title, too.