Texas Basketball: 3 5-Star recruits the Longhorns can land in December

Head coach Chris Beard and his staff did a fantastic job rounding out the 2023 Texas basketball recruiting class on a high note in the last month or so. Beard and his staff landed arguably the two top priority targets for the 2023 recruiting class within a span of just a couple of weeks.

Even better was the fact that the Longhorns got both of its five-star commits in the 2023 class locked in during the Early Signing Period last month. Texas signed both the elite five-star Duncanville power forward Ron Holland and five-star Southern California Academy combo guard AJ Johnson during the Early Signing Period.

With the Longhorns’ top two priority recruits signed in the 2023 class, it now looks like the attention is turning to building up the 2024 class as the turn of the calendar year approaches.

Texas waited a good while to fill out the 2023 class, literally right before the start of the Early Signing Period. And it now looks like Beard and his staff are playing the long game again for the 2024 class. Granted, it’s too early to tell how long it will take for the Longhorns to fill out the 2024 class in the way they envision.

Texas is in a favorable spot with a number of different blue-chip recruits for the 2024 class. And given the momentum the Longhorns have early this season, holding a top-two ranking in both major polls, I wouldn’t doubt that success could carry over to the recruiting trail.

Elite C Yves Missi and the 2024 5-Star recruits Texas basketball could nab in December

With that in mind, here’s a look at three five-star recruits Texas could land in the 2024 class in December.

https://twitter.com/NIBCOfficial/status/1601396367393689601

Liam McNeeley, PF

Among the blue-chip 2024 recruits that were on the radar for Beard and the Longhorns for a good while now, the 6-foot-7 and 190-pound five-star Montverde Academy power forward Liam McNeeley continues to be a name to watch. Beard and the Longhorns originally offered McNeeley back in August 2021, showing how long this relationship was established for this staff.

And despite McNeeley now attending Montverde Academy in Florida, he is still a Plano, TX, native. He was attending John Paul II High School in Plano when Texas initially offered him more than 15 months ago. McNeeley transferred to Montverde Academy for his last two years in high school.

Texas has kept its foot on the gas in the recruitment of McNeeley throughout this calendar year. It looks like the Longhorns continue to be one of the pacesetters in this recruitment as it begins to heat up as we head toward the spring of 2023.

In the last year or so, Texas got McNeeley to campus for three unofficial visits. The last of those unofficial visits came back in June 2022. I would anticipate that he gets back to campus for an official visit in the next few months, depending on how his decision timeline ultimately plays out.

At the moment, it doesn’t look like McNeeley is in any rush to make a decision. But considering the momentum that Texas held in this recruitment for a long time now, it wouldn’t surprise me if he started to inch closer to a decision in the near future.

McNeeley has a great relationship with Beard and the Longhorns staff. He reportedly said a few months ago that “I really like Coach Beard” and that he is a “really personable guy”.

If Texas is able to get an official visit locked in with McNeeley in the near future, watch out for Beard and this staff to try and make the move to start sealing the deal with the elite power forward.