Texas Basketball Recruiting: Ranking 3 2019 signees by instant impact ability

Since the 2017 cycle, Texas basketball recruiting hadn’t landed a single top 25 prospect at either the high school or JUCO levels. Orlando Magic rookie center Mohamed Bamba was the last five-star signee for Texas that was rated as high, or higher than, Baker is. Texas will reap the rewards of landing someone like Baker, just like it did Bamba for one season.

However, Baker brings a very different skill set than someone like Bamba did for Smart and the Horns. Baker is a very polished prospect that has the ability to dominate the front court. He’s leading the way for Westlake High School this season, while averaging well over 20 points per game and 12 rebounds.

Baker’s x-factor for this team is going to be his underrated ability to space the floor and distribute the ball from well inside the three-point line. He could develop into a threat shooting from beyond the arc. Texas doesn’t have anyone like Baker on the roster now, which is a significant factor to how quickly he can be a pivotal piece of the rotation. He probably should be starting for the bulk of his freshman campaign.

The numbers that Baker is posting this season at Westlake could be a good indicator as to his potential in his first season on the Forty Acres. Baker could be a double-double machine in replacing the production of someone like senior forward Dylan Osetkowski next season. He could be a starter for the Horns from day one.