This is a HUGE addition to the team. Durant is ranked the 2nd BEST player in high school. Hopefully this will open the doors for UT basketball. If we can get Gibson and Aldridge to stay for their Junior year, we'll be contendors for sure, especially if Miles withdraws from the draft. Gibson Miles Durant Aldridge M. Williams GO HORNS!!
This guy is still a year away from going to college. Rember that Perleaux kid changed his mind and went to LSU. Don't count your chickens until they hatch. Now with that being said I hope he comes.
Ya, I had to learn that the hard way, but this is still a big commit. Barnes has recruited some of the best players in the country/state since he's been here: T.J. Ford Daniel Gibson LaMarcus Aldridge Mike Williams Kevin Durant P.J. Tucker C.J. Miles
Best players in the country? Ford was great, but he was also from Houston. Same goes for Gibson. It shouldn't be overlooked that Barnes got these guys, but it can't be *THAT* hard when they're in your state and your the best in-state option. Durant, if he goes, should be big however. Sorry to de-rail the UT homer bandwagon, I'm just not a fan of Barnes
This kid is the biggest recruit by Texas basketball EVER. The fact that Barnes outrecruited UCONN and UNC for this kid just shows what a great job he has done directing Texas to an elite level.
So just because they happened to be from Houston, they weren't some of the best in the country? Ford and Gibson were the best PGs in their class nationally and had their pick of colleges (UNC, Duke, or UConn) but chose UT. Same w/ Aldridge, Mike Williams (from Alabama), Tucker, and now Durant. Barnes recruiting record isn't as good as Coach K's or Roy Williams, but he's done one heck of a job since he's come to Austin. I know you're not a Barnes fan, but taking the Horns to 7 consecutive tourneys including a Final 4 (which we lost to the Nat. Champs) is really good for a school that is not known for basketball. But hopefully that will change. How many UT players were NBA material before Barnes got here?
Keeping high profile players in state, especially when you're the flagship university isn't anything to get too excited about, it's to be expected. Mike Williams was a big pickup but by no means a player of caliber Durant is. PJ Tucker is from SC (ACC territory) and was only recruited softly by ACC schools. To land a player from Oak Hill, a school famous for pumping out D1 prospects is huge. Now all he has to do is win a championship -- I like our chances this year even if Miles stays in the draft.
I never said that they weren't among the best (Ford and Gibson) -- just that being from Houston is probably 99% reason why they went to UT. Obviously Durant is huge for UT, as it would be for any school. I just took exception to you claiming he's recruited some of the best players in the country. Ford probably was and hopefully Gibson will be in a few years, the rest you named save Durant have done nothing that should mark them in the upper class.
I think Gibson was rated as one of the ten best pgs in the country. He was the youngest player on that list. Ford won the Wooden award I believe. He was also a 5'10" lottery pick. Your apparent hatred for UT blinds you. Gibson was big 12 freshman of the year.
When I say best players in the country, I do mean when they were committing. Ford/Gibson/Aldridge/Williams/Miles/Durant were all and will be McDonalds All-American. Aldridge was suppose to be a lottery pick last draft, he withdrew at last minute and ended up having a bad injury. CJ Miles can still be drafted this summer, but will most likely withdraw. Durant is rated the 2nd BEST h.s. player in the nation right now. M. Williams was an All-American, was the best player coming out of Alabama. TJ Ford was the best h.s. PG when he committed to UT, took them to Final 4 Gibson was one of the best PGs, took "Diaper Dandy of the Year." I understand you are not a UT fan, but personally, I feel that Barnes has done an excellent job so far, 7 Consecutive Tournies, Final 4, and one hell of a recruiting job have made me a Barne's guy. I'm Rick Barnes b****.
Blinds me? Big 12 is the key word in that paragraph. I said Gibson could turn into one of the best in the country, but he's not there yet. Believe me though, I'll cheer for UT and him to do well. As far as top-rated coming out of high school, well so were Kendrick Perkins and the other guy on the T-Wolves (I can say it, just can't spell it ). In other words, I consider top talent in college basketball to be distinguished in the college season, not because of high school hype. I guess I should never have said I didn't like Barnes. It's mainly because of his scuffle with God himself, Dean Smith Barnes is a good coach and good recruiter, I just don't think he's in the upper class with the rest. But I know I'm arguing with a UT board so..
If you are talking about how players have faired in college, then we are talking about 2 entirely different things. I said "best in the country" because that's what they were when they were "recruited." Barnes has done a great job in bringing in some of the best h.s. players in the nation, especially compared to past recruitments before Barnes.
You would think it would be easy to recruit the best in your state, but no Texas school has held on the BBball talent down here since UofH and Guy Lewis. UT may be the best institution in the state for recruiting athletes but its still a football school, and even when Penders was dominating Texas College basketball he was doing it with a lot of foreigners.
pgabriel is right. It used to be that the great basketball players would automatically leave, and I don't blame them. Hell, even today, Deron Williams left Texas.
man! that is awesome!! hook em baby! maybe i will drag my butt to the erwin center every now and then
good thing the new CBA agreement guarantees us at least 1 year of durant... if he doesnt go ryan perillouex on us. miles is an idiot. that guy definitely should not be in the draft. i imagine he will be staying in and get drafted in the 2nd round. then maybe he'lld ecide to come to ut and be the first to test the get drafted but come to college rule.
Isn't Durant just a junior in highschool? I'm pretty positive he is. So another year at Oak Hill Academy before the Longhorns will see him. It's lucky for you guys that they imposed the age limit on the NBA, otherwise there'd be a strong chance he would just jump straight to the NBA and leave the Horns hangin'.
That new CBA really helped us out. The only thing we have to worry about is Durant not honoring his committment, hopefully that won't be the case. CJ Miles should have withdrew his name. He supposedly had a terrible workout. Does anyone know what happens if he falls out of the 1st Round, is he still eligible? A Gibson/Miles/Tucker/Aldridge/Buckman lineup would be unbelievable. Adding Durant the next year would make the Horns contendors for the whole thing.
if gibson and aldrige stay for 3 years and we get durant, then a national championship is a serious possibility. however, i just don't think that we'll get both of those guys back by the time durant is on campus. maybe one but not both, especially if they have great sophomore seasons. but the biggest thing about durant committing and the 19 year old age limit now. durant will be in austin for 2 seasons. he is born in september and is only 16 now. if he has to be 19 by the day of the draft he'll have to be at texas for 2 years. wow.
