Texas Basketball: Longhorns Mount Rushmore since 2000
The final spot on the Mount Rushmore list is occupied by one current standout big man with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and also an honorable mention that was coached up by Smart in 2017-18. The first of these two big men is the 6-foot-9 former five-star recruit (top 10 ranked 2010 high school prospect in the nation) and Toronto, Canada, native Tristan Thompson.
Thompson continued the trend under Barnes of bringing in five-star forwards and centers and turning them into top tier NBA talent in a short span of time. He was a one-and-done with Texas hoops, but he made the most of that single season.
As a true freshman, Thompson led the Big 12 in blocks, offensive rebounds, defensive win shares, and defensive box plus/minus. His box plus/minus rating rounded out at 11.1 and he posted 5.5 win shares that season.
Raking in All-Big 12, All-Big 12 Freshman, All-Big 12 Tournament, and All-Big 12 Defensive Team honors in 2011, Thompson was one of the best and most versatile big men in the conference. He also received All-Big 12 Rookie of the Year honors and was a massive snub as a Wooden and Naismith Award Finalist.
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Honorable Mention: Mohamed Bamba (Center)
The trend of hauling in extremely talented five-star big men off the recruiting trail and sending them as lottery picks to the NBA kept with Harlem, NY, native and seven-footer Mohamed Bamba. In one season with Texas, Bamba would be a Wooden Award Finalist, and All-Big 12 Second Team selection. He would tally up just shy of five win shares and a box plus/minus rating of 11.2.