Texas Basketball: Predicting first 2022 5-Star commit for Chris Beard

Vince Iwuchukwu, C

There aren’t many elite prospects in this 2022 recruiting cycle rising up faster on the national scene at the moment than the uber-talented 7-foot and 220 pound La Lumiere School center Vince Iwuchukwu. Texas hasn’t landed a center of this caliber on the recruiting trail since Mo Bamba.

Beard and the Longhorns are going to have to do a lot of good work, and fast if they want to get a commitment from Iwuchukwu over some notable Big 12 foes when it’s all said and done. Texas is currently one of nine schools that have now offered Iwuchukwu. And it appears that the defending National Champion Baylor has the lead to land his pledge.

The 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions currently favor Baylor to land the commitment of Iwuchukwu when it’s all said and done.

But Texas would have to be considered among the schools largely in contention to land him behind the Bears. A few of the other notable schools on Iwuchukwu’s offer sheet are Kansas, the Purdue Boilermakers, TCU, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Tech, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Florida State Seminoles.

Since Beard’s coaching staff sent an offer Iwuchukwu’s way when he was the Texas Tech head coach, he should have an inside track to remaining one of the front runners to land his commitment.

Moreover, Iwuchukwu ranks as the nation’s No. 25 2022 high school prospect, No. 3 center, and No. 2 prospect out of Texas (247Sports Composite). And the Top247 ranks him as the nation’s No. 42 high school prospect, No. 6 center, and No. 2 prospect out of Texas.