PHILADELPHIA – Shaka Smart built a strong national program at Virginia Commonwealth with players who stayed on campus for four years. But his second year at Texas was filled with fits and starts. Not only did the Longhorns lose 22 games this past season they had their two blue chip freshmen, 6-11 center Jarett Allen and guard Andrew Jones declare for the NBA draft.
Allen, who has already signed with an agent, is expected to go in the top 20 in the draft. Jones has not made a final determination about his future.
And then there is Tevin Mack, a 6-6 sophomore forward who originally signed with VCU, then followed Smart to Texas. Mack averaged 14.8 points and 4.4 rebounds last season before being he was suspended indefinitely for violation for team rules January 11 and did not play for the Longhorns the rest of the season. He has since left Austin and will enroll at Alabama, an up and coming SEC program that is building quickly after signing guard Colin Sexton, a Top 10 player who is a McDonald’s All American and forward 6-6 John Petty a Top 30 recruit who is destined to a star in the conference. Mack had 11 points and seven rebounds last year when Texas defeated Alabama and played 37 minutes. He should be an impact transfer.
All is not lost for the Longhorns, especially if Jones returns. Smart has signed point guard Matt Coleman from Oak Hill Academy, a Top 30 prospect who played on the USA Basketball U18 FIBA Americas gold medal team, 6-8 center Jericho Ray from Cristo Rey Jesuit in Minneapolis and 6 -11 center Mohammed Bamba from the Westtown School in PA one of the top 3 prospects nationally who also played on the same USA Basketball team as Coleman.
