Texas Basketball Recruiting News: Tevin Mack Confirms He Is Sticking With Shaka Smart
ByTevin Mack's decision to follow coach Shaka Smart from VCU to Texas has left the ESPN 100 list of high school prospects all but full.
According to ESPN, Mack was one of two undeclared prospects, now leaving Noah Dickerson alone. The six-foot-seven small forward initially signed with VCU, but backed out when Smart left for the Texas job.
After reassessing his options, reportedly considering Georgia, Kansas and Clemson, Mack reaffirmed his commitment, but to Smart rather than VCU.
"It's the same guys I signed with in the fall," Mack told ESPN. "Their pitch is that I can come there and play right away."
Mack joins fellow ESPN 100 prospects Eric Davis and Kerwin Roach Jr., who both committed to Rick Barnes and stuck around when Smart replaced him. Unlike Texas' situation, Dickerson and another recruit asked for their release when Florida replaced Billy Donovan with Michael White.
"We're extremely excited about adding Tevin to our program," Smart said in a statement. "He is someone we've been able to develop a strong relationship with over the past two years. (Assistant coach) Mike Morrell did a great job in identifying Tevin during the summer after his sophomore year. Since then, Tevin has gotten better and better.
"In particular, his ability to make shots from the outside is something that was extremely attractive to us in the fall and remains extremely attractive to us now. We feel good about Tevin's ability to integrate quickly with our returning team. Personality-wise, he's a great fit and he is very competitive."