Big 12 Basketball: Breakout candidates from each team for 2020-21 season

Texas – Kai Jones

Texas brings everyone back from last season and welcomes the nation’s No. 9 overall recruit in Greg Brown, so there aren’t any obvious opportunities for bench players to step up and carve out bigger roles.

Jones, however, could be the exception.

A top 60 prospect in his own right in the 2019 class, Jones is the kind of long, athletic, bouncy big man that head coach Shaka Smart has had success with during his much-maligned tenure in Austin (think Jared Allen, Mo Bamba, Jaxson Hayes).

The 6-11, 212-pounder is another freshman that didn’t see a ton of minutes right away but, as he grew more comfortable and confident playing at this level – and as Smart developed more trust in Jones – he saw his playing time increase. Jones ended up starting 10 games at center late in the year, part of which was that impressive five-game win streak the Longhorns reeled off that likely saved Smart’s job.

Jones wasn’t a huge offensive weapon during that run (he never took more than three shots in a game during the streak) but was a lob threat that had to be accounted for while making most of his impact on the glass and on the defensive end (Texas held all five opponents below 60 points).

Brown is going to see a ton of immediate playing time, yet he’s more of a wing or stretch big than an interior presence. Jones should get his chance to fully take over the center position for Texas, which could make him one of the more exciting lob catchers and shot-blockers in the conference.