What is Texas getting in Banks, Jones, and what lies ahead
Today marked the beginning of the early signing period for basketball players, and the Longhorns received some expected good news when their two 2016 commitments turned into signees. Texas announced, via its official recruiting account that both Jacob Young and James Banks signed their letters of intent.
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It's official! Longhorn fans, please join us in welcoming Jacob Young (@YEAHLILJ) to the @TexasMBB family!!🤘 #hookem pic.twitter.com/q0Xt4DGHwv- Texas MBB Recruiting (@TexasMBBRecruit) November 11, 2015
GREAT day to be a Texas Longhorn!! Everyone OFFICIALLY welcome @32jbanks to the Texas FAMILY!!! @TexasMBB #HookEm pic.twitter.com/YskJkTygEL— Mike Morrell (@CoachMMorrell) November 11, 2015
So, what are the Longhorns getting? Orangebloods.com has seen both in person, and we offer our breakdowns:
Size - 6-0, 150 pounds
School - Yates (Houston)
Position - Combo guard
Ranking - Four-star prospect, Rivals150 member (No. 91 overall)
Analysis - A highly productive combo guard that can shoot it from anywhere, Young will bring a rare amount of confidence and shot-making ability to Texas. At the Adidas Summer Championships, he led the event in scoring at 29.6 points per game, which included a 44-point performance on just 21 shots (16-of-21 from the floor; 6-of-10 from three-point range; 6-of-8 from the free throw line). The lefty gets his shot off quickly, and isn't afraid to pull the trigger from anywhere. He was productive consistently throughout the Adidas circuit.
While his range and scoring get the most attention, Young has an underrated feel for the game, and is a crafty finisher in or near the paint. As the main option (by far) on his AAU team (Howard Elite), the future Longhorns was often asked to put up a ton of shots. However, he's shown the ability to handle the ball, and create and distribute to teammates. Young is the younger brother of former Oregon star and now Indiana Pacers rookie Joseph Young, and is the son of Phi Slama Jama member Michael Young. The instincts are visible.
Defensively, Young is active (finished fourth in steals per game at the Adidas Summer Championships), willing, and quick enough to stay with defenders. He also has a lot of experience in a pressing style, and anticipates passes well.
In-person look - Adidas Summer Championships
Quote - "Really, the atmosphere and the coaches and players… I felt loved," stated Young about what led him to his Texas commitment. "I really get along with the players and coaches. They showed the love. The system is great. I think it goes with my game great, I think I'll do big things at Texas. It's really going to be the same… getting up-and-down. Just have to be more aggressive because guys are more developed."
Young described signing with Texas to CSN Houston reporter Howard Chen like this: "It's a dream come true. It's an opportunity I've been waiting on since I was a baby."
What does this mean for Texas? Young is a four-year kind of player, but one with the potential to eventually be a solid starter, and maybe more. The Houston-area product still has some room to grow, has a strong-work ethic, and comes from a deep basketball background.
The moment he arrives at Texas, Young will give the Longhorns a constant shooting threat on offense that will always help spread the floor, and a player that can play off-the-ball or run some offense as well. He's an ideal complement to the future Texas roster and his future recruiting classmates because of his versatility and deep range as a shooter.
Size - 6-11, 230 pounds
School - La Lumiere School (La Porte, Indiana; originally from Atlanta, Georgia)
Position - Center
Ranking - Four-star prospect, Rivals150 member (No. 85 overall)
Analysis - It's impossible to ignore Banks' potential. He's only been playing competitive basketball for about three or four years, and that's led to rapid improvement in his skill. Offensively, Banks flashes some soft touch, and the ability to knock down mid-range jumpers in the future. He also has soft hands, passing ability, and developing low-post ability. Despite being 6-11, the four-star prospect moves up-and-down the floor well and with agility.
Right now, Banks' defense is ahead of his offense. He uses his length and athleticism to protect the rim at a high level, and moves well both on and off-the-ball on defense. With a frame that will clearly add more muscle mass, Banks will only get stronger, and will still possess the ability to perform in an uptempo system. It's not unrealistic to think that in the future Banks could be 6-11, 260 with the ability to get up-and-down the floor and knock down shots in that 10-14 feet area or be a threat in the paint.
In-person look - Adidas Summer Championships
Quote - "Those guys are about a lot more than basketball," Banks, who mentioned engineering, pre-med, and business as possible majors he'd pursue at Texas, said about the Texas coaching staff when he committed. "They enjoyed my character. I bring a lot of things that don't show up in the stat sheet. Changing shots, cuts around the basket, stepping out, running the floor; just being a versatile player and make my teammates better. Just being a valuable part of a team. It's a team sport. You have to think of the dude next to you too and how to help him and how to be a part of the team. They (Texas coaches) appreciate that."
What does this mean for Texas? The Longhorns locking up Banks was gigantic. Cameron Ridley, Prince Ibeh, and Connor Lammert are all seniors, which means the only returning true big next season is Shaquille Cleare. It also means that Banks will likely be counted on to contribute early, and with his size and fast improving skill, he should be able to.
The 6-11 big man will enter the Texas with a boatload of potential, and has a real chance to develop into a key starting piece. With his size, makeup, and developing skill-set, Banks could fit a four-out, one-in style but also could play alongside another big man just as easily, which will give the Longhorns more lineup flexibility in the future.
The Longhorns are still chasing…
The 2015-16 Texas roster includes five seniors, one open scholarship, and a junior point guard that already flirted once with jumping to the NBA. So, Texas needs to take a large 2016 recruiting class, and likely has at least four spots remaining.
Right now, the two key targets are obvious: five-star big man Jarrett Allen and four-star point guard Andrew Jones.
Jones, rated No. 38 overall in the 2016 Rivals150, recently scheduled an official visit to Texas for the weekend of December 12th. An elite prospect that's already visited Texas multiple times for unofficial visits, Jones is a 6-4 lead guard that was one of the country's biggest risers. There is some recent buzz that Texas is starting to gain strength in this recruitment. Jones has already visited Arizona and Louisville officially.
As for Allen, no recruit is more of a mystery. The local product from St. Stephen's visited Houston, Kentucky, Kansas, and Notre Dame recently on official visits, and took an unofficial visit to Texas, his second, during the Longhorns' Texas Tip-off. An extremely skilled, 6-9 big being recruited by Texas as a four, Allen doesn't say much at all about recruiting publicly, and no one has a great feel, right now, for where he'll end up and when that decision will be made. But we do know that Texas made high the highest of priority the moment it could.