It was on almost this exact same day last year that Shaka Smart gained his first Texas commitment, and his first commitment for the 2016 class when Yates (Houston) combo guard Jacob Young pulled the trigger on June 30th. Almost exactly a year to the day, Smart has another first commitment. This time, it’s his first commitment for the 2017 class, but it again comes from the Houston area – Benjamin Davis (Aldine) forward Royce Hamm.
Hamm called Smart and delivered the good news for Texas late last night, and it comes not that far after the 6-7 forward visited the UT campus for a visit on June 10th, which happened more than a couple times during his recruitment.
"I’ve been up there about three, four times," he said about Texas. The last time up there I talked to some of the players, met the coaches and trainers and it just felt good. It felt like home."
Unlike some programs when they offer a prospect and don't really communicate much with them after, Texas offered Hamm early and stayed on him aggressively, which made an impact.
"When they first offered... some schools you don’t hear from after they offer. They started recruiting me hard right after the offer. They made me a priority early."
The relationship Hamm built up with Smart, who recruited him a ton, paid off in a huge way for Texas. Most programs don't have head coaches that will actively recruit players all the time, but Smart was very active in Hamm's recruitment, which was probably the main reason in him committing.
"Shaka recruited me mostly, and I built a relationship with him mostly, and it felt like the right fit. Other schools, it's mostly the assistant coaches that recruit you. Shaka recruited me all the time."
Hamm, listed at 6-7, 200 pounds, is rated as the No. 138 recruit overall in the 2017 Rivals150. Recently, he made the switch from Houston Hoops to Pro Skills in May on the EYBL circuit, and erupted for a performance of 24 points (10-of-13 from the floor; 2-of-4 from the free throw line; 2-of-3 from three-point range), eight rebounds, two assists, and three blocks shortly thereafter.
A bouncy, athletic forward that can really run the floor and steps on the hardwood with an active motor and no fear of contact, Hamm’s skill has gradually improved for a long time now. He has the ability to become a forward that can be a pick-and-pop four in college in addition to providing a presence on the glass, on defense, and running the floor. It’s a small sample size, but Hamm is shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc during EYBL play (27 attempts) and 61.1 percent from the free throw line.
When we caught up with Hamm in Brooklyn during the first live period and Nike EYBL session, he spoke highly of Smart and the Texas coach’s ability to connect with players in more than just a purely basketball sense.
“I really liked Texas. I really like coach Shaka Smart,” said Hamm about the Longhorns. “He’s a good coach. He’s not one of those coaches that cares about you just because of basketball. You can tell he cares about you as a person too.”
When Smart and his staff arrived in Austin, Hamm was offered soon after, and the Texas coaching staff consistently remained in heavy pursuit of Hamm, which was rewarded today in the form of a commitment. Hamm also holds offers from Virginia, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, and others.
During EYBL play this season, Hamm is averaging 8.6 points per game, and 5.6 rebounds per game overall. After the switch to Pro Skills, he’s averaging 10.9 points per game, and 6.1 rebounds. Last year as a junior at Benjamin Davis High School, he scored 22.1 points per game, and added 7.1 rebounds per contest for a team that finished 29-3 after losing to De’Aaron Fox and Cypress Lakes in the regional quarterfinals of the 6A State Tournament. In that contest, Hamm scored 26 points, and connected on 4-of-7 from three. Hamm scored 40 points twice in games as a junior, and in one of those games also grabbed 19 rebounds. As the featured piece on his high school team, a role unfamiliar to him during most of his AAU time on a loaded Houston Hoops roster with scoring wings and guards, Hamm shoots the ball from deep with a ton of confidence.
As for the fit at the next level, Hamm says that Texas sees him as a four that can do some damage in the pick-and-roll and also play on the wing some.
"Basically, a pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll four that can also handle the ball and play on the wing," he said about the fit at Texas.
Being the first commitment for Texas' 2017 class isn't lost on Hamm. His future head coach is already putting him to work too.
"Feels great to be the first one and keep building," said the Aldine product. "Talked to Shaka and he said I have to start recruiting for him now. They're (Texas coaches) all very happy and my family too."
Already, he’s the all-time career leader in points, rebounds, and blocks for Davis High School. Check out his high school film from his junior season:
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
Smart made Hamm an early priority after he and his staff evaluated, and projected. The Texas head coach's relationship with Hamm, who visited Texas far more than anywhere else, also played a significant role. Once Smart and Texas made the early move to make the 2017 forward a big priority, they sped away from the competition, and put everyone else eventually out of distance in the rear-view mirror; Texas emerged as the favorite early, and stayed on Hamm.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR TEXAS?
Hamm is an ideal fit for what Smart wants to do at Texas. Not only can he really run the floor, he plays with the kind of energy and toughness Texas looks for. In high school and grassroots action, Hamm has proven willing to do the little things as a big, but has also proven to be able to put in the work to develop his skill, which improved noticeably when we saw him in late April of this year compared to last seeing him in July of 2015.
An ideal four-man for Texas is someone that can knock down and shoot spot-up jumpers from three with confidence at a decent clip or better, competes on the glass with athleticism and energy, runs the floor hard, has the skill to facilitate offense, and someone that can defend the pick-and-roll and add some shot-blocking presence.
He’s a talented prospect with a high ceiling that looks like a perfect fit for what Texas wants in a forward. Adding a prospect like Hamm - that projects to be likely a four-year player with room for improvement and is a fit - is vital to a program. And Hamm is the kind of player that will compliment what should be a large 2017 recruiting class for Texas.
