NCAA Basketball: Top 25 recruiting programs of the 2010’s

5. Texas Longhorns (Big 12)

Average recruiting ranking: 17.20

Texas, despite massive successes on the recruiting trail, was not tremendous over the last 10 seasons on the court. While they did reach seven NCAA Tournaments in the decade, they never once escaped the opening weekend and, in the end, postseason runs often dictate just how powerful a team is. Additionally, it is important to mention that the program has taken a bit of a dip on the court following the coaching transition from Rick Barnes to Shaka Smart.

Considering they come at No. 5 in these rankings, it feels as though Texas has flown a bit under the radar on the recruiting trail. The program has been remarkably successful on the trail both under Rick Barnes and Shaka Smart as head coaches and that should not be overlooked. Their best collection of classes came from 2016-2018 when the staff landed three consecutive top-10 classes. On the whole, their best commits of the era include Mo Bamba, Myles Turner, Cory Joseph, Tristan Thompson, and Jarrett Allen, with many others as possible inclusions.

Texas’ future on the recruiting trail might depend on their current head coach. Shaka Smart, despite constantly snagging elite talents, has struggled with regards to taking the Longhorns to the next level. They have not made the Big Dance with consistency and it is hard to imagine that he can do a much better job at securing talents. Questions will arise if struggles continue to present themselves on the court.