Despite the frenetic, yet very disappointing end to the Texas Longhorns’ very successful season in the 2nd Round at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats, Coach Barnes still has a little something to smile about. You see, prior to the disastrous loss, the coach got some encouraging news that sophomore leading scorer Jordan Hamilton and talented freshman big man Tristan Thompson have made a promise to Coach Barnes to return to play for the Longhorns next season.
The joint decision is a big one for the Texas program which along with returning contributors J’Covan Brown and freshman Corey Joseph, in addition to another superlative incoming freshman class led by Top 10 rated PG prospect Myck Kabongo, could be one of the nation’s best. Taking into consideration how far they went this season and the fact they they now are returning their top 2 leading scorers, the Longhorns now stand a good chance to be a Top 5 team in the Pre-season polls.
Jordan Hamilton emerged as the Longhorns’ most potent offensive player after an up-and-down freshman campaign marred by inconsistency, squabbles with the coaching staff, and disappointment. He rebounded well by finishing the regular season ranked 4th in the Big 12 Conference in scoring(18.5 ppg), 3rd in rebounding(7.6), and was arguably one of the nation’s best long range shooters, connecting on nearly 40% from behind the arc.
With each advancing day on campus in Austin, the 6’9 and 240 lbs Thompson seems to get even better. He arrived as a Top 10 HS recruit and after a short acclimation period, worked hard to now become one of the toughest big men to guard in the entire nation, behind a rare skill set that includes an almost freakishly athletic low post game, matched with some above average handles, slashing abilities, and a motor that doesn’t quit on the defensive end. Tristian led the Big 12 in blocks(2.3), finished 2nd in the Big 12 in rebounding(7.9), to go along with adding 13.4 points on the offensive end. His impressive initial season earned him Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors.
Both players project as 1st Rounders in most 2011 NBA Mock Drafts, with Thompson arguably inching towards being a potential Lottery selection. After all, he did have 17 points and 10 boards in his first NCAA Tournament game, while Hamilton added 19 points and 10 rebounds against Oakland.
Texas will suffer some losses next season in the form of senior leader Gary Johnson (11.4 ppg, 6.8 reb), and point guards Dogus Balbay (4.1 ppg) and Jai Lucas (3.2 ppg) but will be replaced by the #5 rated recruiting class for 2011. In addition to 5 star McDonald’s All American Kabongo, Texas also brings in 4 star players PF Jonathan Holmes, and SG’s Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis, Canadian born PF Kevin Thomas, and big men MJ McFarland and Quincy Russell.
Be sure too look for our annual incoming Top 10 Team Recruit Rankings coming out this Spring.
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
