On Tuesday afternoon, 2015 shooting guard Eric Davis (Saginaw, MI) announced his commitment to the University of Texas. Davis is the first recruit of his class to pledge to Coach Barnes and the Longhorns.
Recruiting Class: 2015
Position: Shooting Guard
Height/Weight: 6’3″, 172 pounds
Ranking: 4-star Composite ranking by 247Sports
Highlights:
What does Eric Davis bring to the Texas Longhorns?
With the recent news of Martez Walker’s suspension, Davis projects as an immediate contributor at off-ball guard. Although his jump shot is better than his ability to drive and score, Davis is an advanced scorer that can hurt an opponent in a variety of ways. With solid size and athleticism, Davis is also a good defender and will help against rangy Big 12 guards (an area that plagued Texas in the past).
Another significant positive to Davis’ game is his ability to play as a combo guard. His passing skills are not advanced but his ball handling is a plus, making him a flex player that can provide minutes as a backup point guard.
With the ability to defend multiple positions and the flexibility to log minutes at both guard spots, Davis provides Coach Barnes with the flexibility to throw different lineups at opponents. Davis’ frame and length make him a good zone defender, giving Barnes even more flexibility both in-game and between games.
What does this mean for the Texas Longhorns?
The state of Michigan produces very good college basketball prospects. Even though Michigan and Michigan State can’t take them all, when Texas steals a kid from Michigan that had offers from both schools, that’s a good sign for recruiting.
With more than 20 scholarship offers from schools across the country, Davis represents the first potential domino of Myles Turner picking the Longhorns. The commitment of Myles Turner and now Davis gets other recruits’ attention. The message being sent is that Rick Barnes and the Longhorn hoops team is a solid choice for any prospect that is seriously contemplating a future in basketball – not just for Texas players.
Davis’ ability as a perimeter shooter figures to complement the roster very well. Given his size, Davis fills a need for the Texas Longhorns moving forward as a program. His commitment is yet another sign that the basketball team is surging under Rick Barnes.
