On Thursday, it was reported by Jeff Ermann of InsideMDsports.com that former Maryland sophomore Shaquille Cleare has signed with the University of Texas men’s basketball team. At 6’9″ and 265 pounds, Cleare played Center for the Terps.
Cleare was highly recruited out of high school, but that potential did not materialize during his two years at Maryland. After starting most of his freshman season, the low post man saw his role reduced to bench player around the halfway point of his sophomore year.
Although his offensive post game is relatively underdeveloped, Cleare does shoot a good percentage (56.5%) from the field. Contrast that with a marginal free throw percentage at about 60%.
Analysis & Fit with the Horns
It’s always difficult to determine if transfers in college basketball will work out but he will have a year to learn the system and the way things work at Texas under Rick Barnes before he will be in the starting lineup. In theory this appears to be a move made in anticipation of Myles Turner spending only one season in Austin.
Realistically, Myles Turner will be a “one-and-done” wherever he goes. He might stay two years like Blake Griffin did at Oklahoma but that is the longest he will stay in college. The potential departure of Turner would create a depleted roster of frontcourt players in 2015-2016 for Rick Barnes. Jonathan Holmes will be out of eligibility and Cameron Ridley could opt to go to the NBA draft as a junior (especially if he improves like he did between his freshmen and sophomore year). That would leave Jordan Barrett, Prince Ibeh and Connor Lammert as the only big men if all Turner, Ridley and Holmes are gone in 2015.
This move was done to secure some depth on the front line for the Texas basketball team. While only having four bigs is not ideal, it could help land Elijah Thomas who is the best Texas basketball prospect in 2015 according to 247sports. Adding Cleare appears to be a solid insurance policy for the Texas Longhorns basketball team.
