Needed big man picks Texas
When it takes over a month between the time a prospect visits and makes a commitment, coaches can get a bit nervous. Texas hung in there with four-star big man James Banks and was rewarded for their patience.
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A native of Georgia who is playing his senior season at La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere, the 6-foot-10 center announced Thursday he would play for Shaka Smart.
"First I want to thank the coaches at Vanderbilt, Illinois and Georgia for putting a lot of time into me and really believing in me that I can help them," Banks told Rivals.com. "But, I feel that Hook em Horns in the best decision and I'm going with Texas."
Ranked No. 85 overall in the 2016 Rivals150, Banks said that Smart and his staff stood out for their genuine approach and belief in his potential.
"After enjoying the recruiting process for so long and meeting the people, you learn to differentiate between real and fake in the process," said Banks. "I felt that Coach Shaka Smart and and Coach Morrell were truthful with me and had a real plan for me.
"I felt that their approach and want to get me better was the best of anybody that was recruiting me."
Texas will graduate three senior big men after this season so the need to land a capable big was dire and that wasn't lost on Banks.
"It's going to be a great opportunity for me to come in and play right away and get major minutes and get into the thick of things," said Banks. "If I get stronger and develop this year, I can help out crashing the glass and playing defense and blocking shots. I can help out with bringing energy and cheering on my teammates or doing whatever."
Like many young big men, Banks is a better defender and rebounder than he is offensive player. He's good with that for now but has plans to improve his scoring.
"Offensively I have a lot of room to improve," said Banks. "My defense is ahead of my offense because A, I'm a big guy and because B, I just started playing three or four years ago. I have a lot of on the court experience and time to make up for."
Banks is the second four-star prospect from the class of 2016 to pick Texas. He joins four-star combo guard Jacob Young in the Longhorns early recruiting class.
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