Men’s Basketball signs quartet to National Letters of Intent

Pronunciation Help:

Kamaka Hepa kuh-MOCK-uh HEP-uh

Liddell lih-DELL

AUSTIN, Texas — A quartet of high school basketball standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball next season at The University of Texas, head coach Shaka Smart announced Thursday. Brock Cunningham (Austin, Texas), Jaxson Hayes (Loveland, Ohio), Kamaka Hepa (Barrow, Alaska) and Gerald Liddell (Cibolo, Texas) will join the Longhorns for the 2018-19 season.

The four-man class is currently No. 8 nationally in the 247Sports composite team rankings and No. 10 in Rivals.

Cunningham (6-7, 210), a forward from Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) who plays under coach Robert Lucero, is ranked as the No. 121 prospect in the nation by 247Sports composite. He averaged 14.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game as a junior and helped Westlake win the District 25-6A title while compiling a 29-7 record. Cunningham claimed Central Texas Player of the Year honors by The Austin American-Statesman and earned District 25-6A Most Valuable Player recognition after leading Westlake to the Class 6A state quarterfinals for a second straight year. Cunningham's father, Ed, was an offensive lineman at The University of Texas (1985-89) who earned All-America honors in 1989.

"Brock is a very skilled and hard-playing forward who has been a fan of The University of Texas since he was a young boy," Smart said. "He is a culture-building guy who loves everything about UT, and we're excited to be part of his continued development."

Hayes (6-11, 210), a power forward from Moeller High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) who plays under coach Carl Kremer, is ranked as the No. 137 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals. Hayes registered 31 blocked shots as a junior, which led the Greater Catholic League South division. He helped Moeller (28-1) reach the Division 1 state final and notch a school-record 28 wins last year.

"Jaxson is a skilled athletic talent with a very high ceiling," Smart said. "He brings great size and length and is a tremendous shot blocker with an ever-expanding game. His high-level character will allow him to make great strides at Texas. He possesses terrific bloodlines and plays for one of the most respected high school coaches in the Midwest. His potential is nearly limitless."

Hepa (6-9, 210), a forward from Jefferson High School (Portland, Oregon) who plays under coach Pat Strickland, is ranked as the No. 44 overall prospect in the nation by Scout, No. 46 by Rivals, No. 50 by 247Sports composite and No. 62 by ESPN. He averaged 16.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game during his junior year and led Jefferson to the Class 6A state championship in Oregon. Hepa earned first-team all-state honors as a junior by The Oregonian. A native of Barrow, Alaska, he was a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year in Alaska and led Barrow High School to back-to-back Class 3A state championships in his freshman and sophomore seasons before moving to Portland.

"Kamaka is a winner. His team has captured a state championship in each of his first three years in high school," Smart said. "His ability to shoot and pass the basketball are unique for a player at 6-9. He brings significant intangibles and cultural value that will continue to help us build Texas Basketball."

Liddell (6-7, 180), a forward from Byron P. Steele II High School (Cibolo, Texas) who plays under coach Lonny Hubbard, is ranked as the No. 32 overall prospect by Scout, No. 40 by ESPN and 247Sports composite and No. 43 by Rivals. Liddell averaged 19.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game during his junior season. He claimed Class 6A all-state honors by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) and earned a spot on the District 27-6A first team.

"Gerald possesses great versatility," Smart said. "He's an excellent rebounder, can handle the ball and has a knack to score and create for others. Gerald's feel and basketball IQ will allow him to play multiple positions. He comes from a great basketball background and will grow tremendously at UT as he adapts to the physicality of the college level."

2018-19 Texas Basketball Recruiting Class (as of November 9, 2017)

Name	Yr	Pos	Ht	Wt	Hometown (High School)
Brock Cunningham	Fr.	F	6-7	210	Austin, Texas (Westlake HS)
Jaxson Hayes	Fr.	F	6-11	210	Loveland, Ohio (Cincinnati Moeller HS)
Kamaka Hepa	Fr.	F	6-9	210	Barrow, Alaska (Jefferson HS [Oregon])
Gerald Liddell	Fr.	F	6-7	180	Cibolo, Texas (Steele HS)

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

Men’s Basketball signs quartet to National Letters of Intent

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