Big 12: Meet Texas Longhorns’ First 2015 Commit, Eric Davis
By Cody Daniel
Rick Barnes reeled in his first 2015 commit with Eric Davis announcing Tuesday that he will become a Longhorn. Davis is ranked as the No. 41 overall recruit, according to ESPN, and the four-star shooting guard has some serious game that that the prominence-seeking Texas basketball program is surely thrilled to have aboard.
The Saginaw, Mich., native selected Texas over LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, UCLA and UNLV. Davis also drew interest from Kentucky, although he was never offered.
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This will come as the second big commitment for Barnes and the Horns’ since the Myles Turner decision back in late April, although, this announcement doesn’t carry anything near the media publicity or hype that came along with Turner.
Once Davis steps on campus next fall, he’ll be greeted with the competition of Damarcus Croaker, Demarcus Holland and Javan Felix, if he returns for his senior season.
So where will Davis fit into this fairly loaded backcourt?
As for his freshman season, the minutes will be at a premium as far as his place in the rotation. If every member of the current backcourt were still there for the 2015-16 season, Davis would likely be fourth on the totem poll behind each of the current wings. Felix would have the starting role locked down and Holland should be in the starting lineup as the small forward with Holmes graduating. From there, Croaker would be expected to be the next guard off the bench.
Luckily for Davis, he has the skills to play point guard and facilitate as well as shoot lights out from beyond the arc. This should open up some extra minutes behind Isaiah Taylor – should he still return for his junior year – and Kendal Yancy. With Texas’ ability to place three guards on the court at one time, this should open up opportunities for the freshman in what could very likely be yet another loaded roster in 2015-16.
One way or another, whether it be his freshman season or not, Davis is going to have a huge impact in Austin. He plays with an offensive fluidity that seems to make the game more simplistic, scores in bunches from a multitude of areas on the court and can run the show as the floor general.
Nevertheless, Davis is a nice first addition to what Barnes hopes to be another stellar recruiting class.