40 Acres Sports

Less than a month after reeling in 5-star guard [tag]Avery Bradley[/tag] the Texas basketball program continued their ascension to national power with another top 10 commit. Yesterday 5-star small forward [tag]Jordan Hamilton[/tag] committed to [tag]Rick Barnes[/tag] and the Longhorns after long considering them his favorite. Hamilton is a 6-foot-7 small forward from Los Angeles who is considered one of the top players in the 2009 class by every major recruiting site. Rivals.com has Jordan as their fifth best player in the country and their top overall small forward.

Hamilton is an excellent scorer with the ability to shoot the three. He’s got great size and athleticism and should be able to take the ball to the hoop and finish. He has the ability to play anywhere from shooting guard to power forward depending on the type of lineup Barnes wants to put on the court.

Rivals.com expert Jerry Meyer gives the following scouting report on Hamilton:

“Hamilton is a physically imposing wing player with a multidimensional game which is effective anywhere on the court. Beyond his ability to score at all three levels, Hamilton is a tremendous rebounder and a lethal passer in the open court. His unique size, skill package and feel for the game make him a legitimate four position player.”

Hamilton’s commitment gives the Longhorns three of the top players and one of the top 2009 classes in the country. Barnes may not be done yet as he and his coaches are still pursuing several other elite recruits for this class. Hamilton, Bradley, and 4-star forward [tag]Shawn Williams[/tag] will help make the 2009-10 Longhorns a national contender if they can be mixed with some experienced leadership and depth. It should be exciting to watch.

Watch highlights of Jordan below:

Go check out some more videos of Josh over at YouTube, you’ll be impressed.

Texas made a huge splash in national basketball recruiting by gaining the commitment of top-10 ranked 2009 guard [tag]Avery Bradley[/tag]. Bradley chose Texas over UCLA, creating one of the biggest “gets” in the [tag]Rick Barnes[/tag] era. While Bradley lived in Dallas for a stint, the fact Barnes and the Longhorns could get a Californian kid out of the Pac-10 is huge for this program. New assistant, and ex-player [tag]Chris Ogden[/tag] did the recruiting of Bradley who has moved up national lists with his strong performances in tournaments throughout this summer.

Bradley is 6’2″, but his long arms and tremendous athleticism makes him the premier perimeter defender in high school basketball. His size and defense will make him an instant impact player when he gets on campus. He’s not a polished outside shooter however his midrange game gives him the potential to be an elite scorer at shooting guard.

Rivals.com expert Jerry Meyer gives the following scouting report on Bradley:

“There might not be a better midrange scorer in the class nor a better on the ball defender than Bradley. He does have room for improvement as a rebounder and passer, but his niche as a scorer and defender make him one of the top shooting guards in the country. His wing span and heart allow him to play bigger than his height.”

Bradley is the second commit in the 2009 class, joining four-star small forward [tag]Shawn Williams[/tag] out of Duncanville who committed back in early August. Add the commitment of arguably the top player in the 2010 class in [tag]Tristan Thompson[/tag] and Longhorn hoops has a great future.

The fact that Bradley will play for the Horns may not even the best part of the deal, Bradley’s good friend, and top 5 player in the 2009 class [tag]Jordan Hamilton[/tag] was already a Texas lead and the two have expressed desire to play at the same school. With Bradley, Hamilton, Williams, and Thompson on the same team, Texas should become a fixture at the top of college basketball.

Check out a video clip of Bradley below:

Rick Barnes is blazing the 2009 recruiting trail and is a player or the possible leader for several top national recruits. Two players rumored to be leaning to playing for the Horns are small forward [tag]Jordan Hamilton[/tag] and guard [tag]Avery Bradley[/tag].

Both players are incredible five-star prospects and they showed everybody why against FMP-Serbia this weekend. The 6-foot-7 Hamilton uses his quickhands to poke the ball use and then after leading the break dishes back to the 6-foot-3 Bradley for the facial on the Serbian player. Check out the video below:

Both guys look incredible and are reportedly Texas’ to lose. If Barnes can pull them both in they’ll team with recent commit [tag]Shawn Williams[/tag] to possibly make a deep tourney run in 2009-2010. I’m excited already.

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