Texas Basketball: Longhorns’ 2018 recruiting class could be great

Texas basketball has always been an intriguing place for top high school prospects, but Shaka Smart has taken the Longhorn’s recruiting to another level.

Shaka Smart, one of the best recruiters in college basketball, pulled in another verbal commitment from an intriguing  2018 prospect recently. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported that consensus four-star prospect Gerald Liddell committed to the Texas Longhorns on August 10.  The Cibola, Texas, native made his decision a day after an unofficial visit to the school.

"“It just feels like home out there in Austin,” Liddell told Scout. “It’s 45 minutes away from my house. My whole family can come and enjoy seeing me play. That was ultimately a big deciding factor.”“Also the coaching staff up there, Shaka [Smart] and his staff really get after it for his players,” Liddell added. “He goes to war for his players, just like we are supposed to go to war for him.”"

Liddell chose Texas over Arizona, Baylor, California, Oregon, SMU and UCLA. The 6’7″ wing is ranked at #31 in the class of 2018 by ESPN and #33 by Scout. In the meantime, Rivals and 247Composite have him ranked in the lower 40s.

Liddell is a long, athletic and versatile forward who must get stronger. He excels in the open court and can slither his way to the basket off the dribble in the half court. Liddell can knock down open jumpers and is a quality rebounder. However, he still has work to do on his perimeter game and on the defensive end.

Liddell has put together two straight solid seasons for Byron P. Steele High School. Liddell, who registered 12 double doubles, produced 19.7 points along with 8.6 rebounds in 2016-17. In comparison, he averaged 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds to go along with 15 double doubles as a sophomore. He played for RM5 Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring and summer, compiling 11.9 points as well as 6.1 boards a game.

Liddell is the second 2018 commitment that Smart’s Longhorns has received. A 6-foot-7 combo forward named Brock Cunningham, ESPN’s No. 89 prospect, committed to his hometown team on Aug. 4.

Cunningham is a versatile scorer who can take over games. He is very active on both ends of the floor and hits the boards hard. Defense and turnovers are an issue for the four-star prospect, however. Cunningham averaged a double-double during the Adidas Gauntlet circuit this summer, averaging 22.1 points and 10.4 boards a game.

Liddell and Cunningham add to Smart’s haul of top-ranked recruits. With the addition of those two players, Smart has accumulated seven top-100 prospects in his three classes though two of the 2015 recruits chose the Longhorns when former coach Rick Barnes was still in charge. Texas’ 2016 and 2017 classes were ranked in the top-11 by ESPN Insider with the 2017 class being rated as the sixth best.

Smart had a very successful first season in Austin. The 40-year-old guided the Longhorns to a 20-13 record and a NCAA Tournament bid. Texas took a step back last season, finishing a disappointing 11-22 — including 4-14 in Big 12 play. Smart has compiled a 31-35 overall and 15-21 in Big 12 in his two seasons with the Longhorns.

Related Story: Texas Basketball: Shaka Smart’s second year proves to be disappointment

There is good news as the Smart will have one of the best incoming freshmen in 7’0″ center Mohammed Bamba along with potential NBA draft pick Andrew Jones. Leading scorer Tevin Mack transferred to Alabama recently, but leading assist man Kerwin Roach Jr. returns. In addition, the Longhorns will have the service of 6’9″  transfer Dylan Osetkowski. Osetkowski, who had to sit out last season, put up 11.3 points to go along with 8.3 rebounds for Tulane in 2015-16.

What’s Next?

Texas still has at least two scholarships available for next season. However, that number could easily increase to four if Bamba and Jones leave for the NBA — both of which are strong possibilities as of right now.

Texas appears set in the front court in 2018 even if Bamba departs, as 6’8″ center Jericho Sims and 6’8″ power forward Royce Hamm — both four-star recruits — are part of the incoming class. Osetkowski has another year left and 6’10” center James Banks, a four-star 2016 recruit, is just entering his sophomore campaign in 2017-18.

The backcourt is another story.

Jones tested NBA waters last season following his freshman season. Jones, a five-star recruit, scored in double figures in 22 of 33 games. But the 6’4″ athletic point guard needs to improve his shooting as well as becoming a more consistent playmaker. He contributed 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5% from the field.

Roach and Eric Davis Jr. are athletic and former four-star recruits, yet both have failed to live up to expectations. Roach improved significantly in his sophomore year though he still needs to limit turnovers and improve his shooting.  Davis, known as a scorer out of high school, has been highly inconsistent due to his inability to shoot the ball well.

Which is why the Longhorns appear to be making solidifying the back court a top priority going forward. Smart is reportedly pursuing five-star shooting guard Keldon Johnson heavily.

Johnson is a pure scorer who can put the ball in the hoop in a variety of different ways. Explosiveness and long-range shooting are two areas that he needs to work on. The 6’6″ South Hill (Va.) native has a long list of offers with Kansas, Maryland, and Virginia Tech also making huge a push.

While Johnson appears to Smart’s top choice, he still has eyes on Quinton Grimes, Kameka Hepa, and Kaden Archie. Grimes and Archie are guards and Hepa is a power forward.

Grimes is a combo guard with high major talent. He can score on all three levels and is a good ball-handler as well as a passer. The four-star prospect averaged 28.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists for College Park High School (Woodlands, Texas). Kansas appears to have the edge on several other schools for Grimes’ services. Arizona, Kentucky and Texas A&M also have major interest in him.

Archie is another Texas native. The 6’6″ wing’s recruiting has blown up recently as he has shown elite athleticism and the ability to knock down shots on a consistent basis. He also has offers from LSU, Wichita State, SMU, TCU, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Illinois and Texas Tech.

Archie totaled 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists as a junior at Midlothian High School in 2016-17.

Texas will likely have sophomore guard Jacob Young, who struggled shooting last season, back in 2018. As well as incoming freshmen 6’1″ point guard Matt Coleman and 6’5″ Jase Febres. Coleman is the best prospect other than Bamba in the team’s 2017 class.

Also, Mt. St. Mary’s transfer Elijah Long will have two years of eligibility left starting in 2018-19. Long averaged 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc.

Next: Best returning players in the Big Ten

There is plenty of time left for Shaka Smart to solidify his 2018 recruiting class and it looks like the Longhorns could have one of the best in the country. Texas is hopefully starting their return to relevancy under Smart and will be back near the top of the country in just a small period of time.