Texas Basketball: 2019 Longhorns recruiting class Big 12 best

Success on the recruiting trail is something that the Texas basketball and football programs are accustomed to within the past few months.

The recent set of ratings adjustments for recruiting from 247Sports played to the benefit of the football and basketball programs for the Texas Longhorns. The 2019 Texas basketball recruiting class was a top 20 ranked class in the nation throughout this cycle, according to 247Sports Team Composite Rankings. That 2019 Texas basketball recruiting class didn’t add any commits of late, but it did get a significant bump in the national class rankings.

Within the past week, the 2019 Texas football recruiting class made its way all the way up to No. 3 in the nation for the second straight cycle thanks to some ratings bump. And, Texas football landed a surprise transfer commitment from the former USC Trojans signee and five-star athlete Bru McCoy.

Moreover, the 2019 Texas basketball recruiting class had itself a sizable leap up the national class rankings thanks to some adjustments to its three signees recently. The most sizable bump in recruiting rankings for the Horns went to four-star Missouri City, TX, shooting guard Donovan Williams.

While Williams didn’t get a bump in stars, he did get himself among the nation’s top 60 2019 high school prospects. Williams is now slotted as the nation’s seventh best shooting guard and the eighth best prospect out of the state of Texas. Previously, Williams ranked outside the nation’s top 100 high school prospects for this recruiting cycle and outside the top 10 at his position.

The other Texas basketball commit that got a recruiting rankings bump is the five-star hometown center Will Baker. Although it wasn’t much, Baker jumped up a few spots among the nation’s top 25 high school prospects. Baker sits as the nation’s No. 22 prospect and the second best out of the state of Texas.

Four-star big man Kai Jones didn’t get much of an adjustment in his recruiting rankings. The 6-foot-10 and 205 pound Brewster Academy center is still the nation’s No. 56 prospect and the third best out of New Hampshire.

Thanks to the jump in recruiting rankings from Baker and Williams, the 2019 Texas basketball recruiting class is now ranked No. 11 in the nation. What that also did for head Texas basketball coach Shaka Smart for this recruiting cycle was get him at the top of the Big 12 recruiting rankings. Smart and the Horns passed the rival Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 rankings.

This is a weird recruiting cycle for the Big 12 in men’s basketball since the blue blood Kansas Jayhawks aren’t even ranked among the nation’s top 50 2019 classes. Kansas is usually tops in the Big 12, but head coach Bill Self sits at No. 8 in the conference right now.

The biggest competition for the Horns in the Big 12 recruiting rankings now are actually the Oklahoma schools. The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Red River rival Sooners sit closest to the Horns at the top of the Big 12 recruiting rankings.

If the Horns could land one more commit before the end of this recruiting cycle, the top spot in the Big 12 rankings could be locked up. It would be huge for Smart to get the Big 12’s top ranked recruiting class since his seat is heating up in his fourth season on the Forty Acres.

All these recruiting storylines and success for this cycle are nice, but the success needs to translate soon on the court. This is a very potent 2019 Texas basketball recruiting class, but Smart  is going to continue to have the pressure ramped up on his job security if the wins don’t start rolling in.