Texas basketball looks like the favorite for ex-SMU commit Alex Anamekwe

It looks like there could be one more addition in line for head coach Chris Beard in the 2022 Texas basketball recruiting class. Texas is still targeting one more key 2022 recruit before they likely wrap things up for this recruiting cycle for good. And that one remaining target for Beard and his staff in the 2022 class is the former SMU Mustangs commit and three-star McKinney forward Alex Anamekwe.

Beard and the Longhorns have pushed hard for Anamekwe since his April 19 de-commitment from SMU. Anamekwe de-committed from SMU last month due to the retirement of former Mustangs head coach Tim Jankovich. Prior to Jankovich retiring a couple of months ago, Anamekwe had signed his letter of intent with SMU.

But he obviously got his letter of intent released by the university once Jankovich and his staff were gone.

Anamekwe is now trying to decide what his ultimate landing spot will be following his release from SMU.

Texas looks to be one of the top candidates at the moment. In fact, I have a hard time seeing who else really figures into the picture in the race to land a commitment from Anamekwe other than the Longhorns right now.

Texas basketball now setting the pace in the recruitment of 3-Star F Alex Anamekwe?

Anamekwe was also recently in Austin for an official visit with Beard and the Longhorns. And it sounds like that visit checked most, if not all, the boxes he was looking for.

Following that official visit to Austin last weekend, it looks like Texas now has all the momentum in the recruitment of Anamekwe. At least that seems to be the sentiment from what we’re hearing about his recruitment as of early May.

Yet, since that official visit to Texas, there are some leading indicators that pretty clearly point to the Longhorns as the school setting the pace in this recruitment. For one, Anamekwe has talked more highly of Texas than any other school since his de-commitment from SMU.

Secondly, there was a prediction put in by Gerry Hamilton of On3 on May 4 with a high level of confidence predicting Anamekwe’s commitment to land with the Longhorns. That falls in line with the overwhelming favor that Texas is getting to win the Anamekwe sweepstakes in the On3 recruiting prediction machine (giving them better than a 99 percent chance to get his pledge).

If Texas does lock in a commitment from Anamekwe, that would be the second forward in the 2022 class along with the elite five-star small forward Dillon Mitchell. Given some of the recent wing/forward losses for Beard and the Longhorns this offseason, though, it would be nice to have the extra depth that Anamekwe could bring to the table heading into next season.

Texas currently holds commitments from three recruits in the 2022 class, including two five-stars in point guard Arterio Morris and the aforementioned Mitchell. Adding a commitment from Anamekwe could make it four with the addition of one transfer portal signee in the former New Mexico State Aggies senior shooting guard Jabari Rice.