Key recruit could vault Texas into contention in Big 12 next year
Texas' patience has at last been rewarded.
The Longhorns landed the most coveted remaining prospect in the 2016 recruiting class Friday when Jarrett Allen signed his scholarship papers. The 6-foot-9 forward from the Austin area is Rivals' No. 15 prospect in the class of 2016 and had received interest from Houston, Kansas, Notre Dame Kentucky and many others during different stages of his recruitment.
It wasn't a surprise that Allen eventually chose his hometown school, but how long it took for a commitment surely led to some anxiety among Texas fans. Only two other prospects in the Rivals 150 have yet to select a college destination.
The addition of Allen gives Texas a far better chance of contending in the Big 12 next season despite the loss of four starters from last year's NCAA tournament team. Leading scorer Isaiah Taylor entered the NBA draft despite it being unlikely he'll be selected, while guard Javan Felix, forward Connor Lammert and centers Prince Ibeh and Cameron Ridley all graduated.
An athletic big man who runs the floor well and has soft touch around the rim, Allen is likely to start right away and emerge as the focal point of the Texas frontcourt. He could play power forward alongside veteran Shaquille Cleare or freshman James Banks when Shaka Smart wants to go big. Or he could play center alongside forward Tevin Mack when Smart wants to go small.
Texas' backcourt will miss Taylor's creativity off the dribble, however, five-star freshman Andrew Jones is capable of inheriting the catalyst role. Returners Kerwin Roach and Eric Davis are also potential starters who are capable of taking on more responsibility next season.
That nucleus probably won't threaten Kansas' stranglehold on first place in the Big 12, but it's strong enough to vault Texas into contention for second place in the league. Fellow contenders West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Baylor each lost multiple key players from NCAA tournament teams.
One of the questions when Texas hired Smart last year was how well he'd be able to recruit in a state in which he had few ties.
By landing Jones and Allen in his first full recruiting class, Smart has taken a big step toward alleviating any remaining concerns.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
