Recently during a press conference, Texas head coach Shaka Smart emphasized the importance of he and his staff being able to find that rising prospect in Texas that developed from a little known prospect, to one of the state’s best. Last year, that prospect was Andrew Jones, who went from relatively unknown three-star prospect to five-star McDonald’s All-American and Texas player.
This cycle, that prospect is Westfield guard Jase Febres, who went from one offer prior to July to a boatload of offers, and from unknown three-star prospect to the nation’s No. 63 overall player. Once again, Smart and the Longhorns, against tough competition, were able to win out, and secure arguably the Lone Star State’s biggest rising star.
“For the second year in a row Shaka Smart and his staff were able to zero in on a late-blooming, in-state scorer and get the job done,” said Rivals.com National Analyst Eric Bossi. “Febres is a tall wing who can really shoot from deep and his ability to get to open spots and let jumpers fly will be welcomed in the Longhorn offense.”
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What Febres does that immediately catches everyone’s attention is shoot the rock from deep. At 6-5 with length, he gets his shot off very quick, and is a threat to shoot from anywhere. Young players can often slack when it comes to being shot-ready or setting their feet, but Febres has a uniquely impressive ability to constantly set his feet, become balanced, and pull the trigger quickly. After torching the nets the second weekend of July in South Carolina, Febres followed that by shooting 41-percent from three-point range (16-of-39) at the Adidas Summer Championships.
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That being said, Febres is more than just a shooter. Like most snipers that are encouraged to fire away from three if they’re open for just a split-second, Febres doesn’t put the ball on the floor as often as he could. But when he does, the Houston native shows legitimate ability as a slasher and attacker that can not only finish in the paint or at the rim, but also shows the ability to find an open teammate.
“Febres calling card is his jump-shooting but I don't think he will be a one trick pony,” stated Bossi. “From what I've seen he's a rangy athlete who can play above the rim if needed and he should be a threat as a slashing driver. He says that Smart wants to put the ball in his hands to make some decisions and I can see that too because he is a sharp passer.”
Febres doesn’t hesitate to push the ball up the floor to teammates, or move it around in the half-court when he's not open. The perimeter level scoring gets all the attention, but there is a little facilitator and definitely some three-level scoring ability in Febres’ game. Febres recently turned 17, and there’s a lot of room for growth not just as a player, but physically as well.
Already 6-5, Febres could easily end up 6-6, or maybe even 6-7. He’s not afraid to compete on the glass, and uses his athleticism and size to grab rebounds. In time, Febres has the size, length, and athleticism to defend multiple positions in college.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR TEXAS?
Febres, the nation’s No. 63 overall prospect, is the third member of the Texas 2017 recruiting class, but the first guard/wing to join the mix. Considering that the Longhorns watched other similar targets commit elsewhere without putting up a huge fight, there is no doubt how highly the Texas staff thinks of Febres, and how much it wanted him.
“The biggest things for Febres will be filling out his lean frame and continuing to add to his game off the dribble,” Bossi said. “All things considered, Texas has added another piece to a class with big upside and the Smart regime has proven they can recruit Texas."
Indeed it is another message to those in the Lone Star State that Smart and company can get it done in Texas. With a guard of Febres’ caliber in the mix that can fit into an offense and lineup multiple ways, the Longhorns now have flexibility to chase different wings to compliment the class while they will also continue to pursue Oak Hill Academy point guard Matt Coleman as much as a staff can.
Projected to be a five-person recruiting class currently, the Longhorns have their frontcourt questions answered and now have an elite guard in the mix that frees them up to finish the class with a point guard and however else they choose. Most importantly for Texas, Febres is an impressive talent that can play early minutes at Texas, and has an immense ceiling that could lead to him being an all-conference player later in his career.
