Texas Basketball: 3 reasons Horns should keep Shaka Smart

2. Trouble on the recruiting trail

If Smart winds up seeing the door out of this program, then the 2020 Texas basketball recruiting class could wind up suffering big time. This is a very volatile situation that the Longhorns find themselves in on the recruiting trail right now ahead of National Signing Day in April. But if Texas makes it to the NCAA Tournament with a solid end to the regular season and Big 12 Tournament, that could wonders for them with the 2020 recruiting class.

While the Longhorns having no commitments at the moment in their 2020 recruiting class is a mark against Smart’s resume, they do have a lead on one or two key prospects that could be real game-changers.

First and foremost, the prioritized target for the Longhorns in their 2020 recruiting class should be the elite five-star Vandegrift power forward Greg Brown. Before his high school basketball career even ends, Brown is getting usual comparisons with the likes of the former Longhorns superstar forward Kevin Durant.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions already gives Texas a heavy edge over the Kentucky Wildcats to land the commitment of Brown. Get rid of Smart and that might not hold true any longer.

Three-star Waxahachie Faith Family Academy point guard Isaiah LeBlanc and four-star Hopkins shooting guard Kerwin Walton are two other prospects to watch that Texas could make a late run at for their 2020 signing class. Smart has the bond with those recruits already, and getting rid of him before the end of the season could do damage to the Longhorns chances of getting them to the Forty Acers.

All in all, using immediate recruiting success as an excuse to keep a coach around in college basketball or football is always a bad one. But this could be a perfect storm of factors that helps to establish a solid foundation of success with Texas, and recruiting factors into that equation.