Two-time ACC Coach of the Year is a big fan of UT's first 2018 commit
Shaka Smart and the Longhorns received some good news on Friday when Westlake (Austin) 2018 forward Brock Cunningham committed to Texas. What kind of player is he, and what will he bring to Texas? Orangebloods.com has seen Cunningham in person several times, including this past Friday in Houston, and also caught up with former Virginia Tech head coach and current ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, who coached the newest Longhorn at multiple adidas events.
CUNNINGHAM’S GAME BUILT ON TOUGHNESS AND SKILL
When watching Cunningham in the gym, it doesn’t take long to notice his motor, physical style, and toughness. If you watch an entire game, you’re going to see his willingness to mix it up in or around the paint, which often gets under the skin of his opponents. During one game we saw in April, Cunningham had to defend a 6-10, 280-pound big, and during one of the first trips down the floor, put a forearm into the opponents back when he went to post-up, and surprisingly knocked him out of the paint. Some basketball players avoid contact. Cunningham looks for it, and embraces it.
Listed at 6-7, 205 pounds, Cunningham is probably closer to 6-6 than 6-7 right now. However, the son of former UT All-American offensive lineman Ed Cunningham isn’t done growing or adding weight. He has a lot of room left to fill out, and his body suggests he could eventually be 6-8, 230 muscular pounds.
Cunningham’s skill is easy to recognize too. A highly instinctive and highly intelligent player, the four-star prospect sees the floor very well as a willing passer that can facilitate offense from the forward spot. Also, Cunningham’s handle has improved since we first saw him in April, and he does show the potential to take bigger, slower defenders off the bounce. Although he shows the ability for a go-to fadeaway near the low blocks, the three-point shooting ability sticks out and grabs attention.
Over the weekend in Houston at adidas Nations, Cunningham shot 5-of-10 from three-point range, and continues to show the ability to be a quality three-point shooter at the collegiate level. Yes, he does take a little more time than you’d like to get the shot off, but the pick-and-pop ability and spot-up ability are already present.
Ranked as the No. 109 player overall in the 2018 Rivals150, Cunningham was an extremely productive player this summer. Playing in the adidas Circuit, he averaged 22.1 points per game and 10.4 rebounds. During the final April weekend, Cunningham erupted with a 34-point, 13-rebound performance that included seven three-pointers. Some players are seemingly always around the basketball, or routinely are in the right place at the right time. That describes Cunningham.
Every good program needs a four-year player that can help drive the culture of the program, especially one that prides himself on toughness and has skill with the ability to shoot from three at the forward spot. Cunningham profiles as a future leader, and productive college player that embraces his role, which will grow with age in college.
During four games at adidas Nations this past weekend, Cunningham averaged 7.2 points per game, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and shot 56.0 percent from the floor. In his final game, he scored 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting in 11 minutes with five rebounds.
FORMER HEAD COACH COMPARES NEWEST UT COMMIT TO FORMER OU STANDOUT Current ESPN analyst and former Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg has coached and spent a lot of time around Cunningham at multiple adidas events. Immediately after mentioning the name of the Longhorns’ first commit came praise from Greenberg.
“Absolutely love the kid,” he told Orangebloods.com after an adidas Nations game in Houston Friday evening. “I think he’s the type of guy that Shaka has to get. He’s a program guy. He’s competitive. He’s tough. He’s the type of guy that he took to the Final Four at VCU. He comes with no ego. He comes with an understanding of how to play and who he is. He’s extremely competitive. The ball finds him. He’ll improve his ability to shoot. He’s a winning player.”
Interestingly, Greenberg compared Cunningham to a former Oklahoma standout who used to torment the Longhorns and the rest of the Big 12.
“I think he’s going to be a lot like the kid at Oklahoma, Ryan Spangler,” Greenberg stated. “I think he has a chance to be that kind of player – just a physical, tough, competitive guy that plays to his strengths. I think he has a chance to be really good.”
After transferring from Gonzaga to Oklahoma, Spangler, who was listed at 6-8, 234 pounds, was one of the Big 12’s most productive, efficient, and best bigs for three years, and shot 36.4 percent from three-point range his final season.