The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Men’s Basketball signs Matt Coleman to National Letter of Intent
04.12.2017 | Men's Basketball
Texas staff inks Jordan Brand All-American point guard from Oak Hill Academy.
AUSTIN, Texas – Matt Coleman (Norfolk, Va.) has signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball next season at The University of Texas, head coach Shaka Smart announced Wednesday.
The addition of Coleman gives the Longhorns a four-man freshman class. Coleman will join incoming guard Jase Febres (Houston, Texas) [pronounced: JAYCE FEB-rus] and forwards Royce Hamm Jr. (Houston, Texas) and Jericho Sims (Minneapolis, Minn.) for the 2017-18 season.
"We're very excited about the addition of Matt Coleman to our program," Smart said. "The relationship with Matt and his family goes back many years through the recruiting process, and there's definitely a strong connection that has been forged over time. Matt is a true point guard who is an absolute winner."
Coleman (6-2, 175), a point guard from Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) who played under coach Steve Smith, is ranked as the No. 27 overall prospect in the nation by ESPN, No. 34 by Scout.com and No. 35 by Rivals.com. He will become the 14th player in UT program history to participate in the prestigious Jordan Brand Classic on Friday, April 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. (7 p.m. Central, ESPN2).
Coleman averaged 12.3 points, 7.9 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game while leading Oak Hill Academy to a 37-5 overall record during his senior season. As a junior, Coleman averaged 11.2 points and 6.6 assists per game and paced Oak Hill to a 42-1 overall record and a championship at the 2016 Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals.
Coleman played for the USA U18 National Team coached by Smart this past summer. The team earned a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship in Valdivia, Chile. Coleman started all five games during the tournament and averaged 7.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 22.8 minutes per contest while converting 17-of-32 (.531) field goals, including 5-of-12 (.417) three-pointers.
"I believe in adding members to our program who make the people around them better," Smart continued. "Matt does exactly that. The addition of Matt to a class that already includes Jase Febres, Royce Hamm and Jericho Sims bodes very well for our future."
2017-18 Texas Basketball Recruiting Class
|
Name |
Yr |
Pos |
Ht |
Wt |
Hometown (High School) |
|
Matt Coleman |
Fr. |
G |
6-2 |
175 |
Norfolk, Va. (Oak Hill Academy) |
|
Jase Febres |
Fr. |
G |
6-5 |
180 |
Houston, Texas (Westfield HS) |
|
Royce Hamm Jr. |
Fr. |
F |
6-7 |
200 |
Houston, Texas (Aldine Davis HS) |
|
Jericho Sims |
Fr. |
F |
6-9 |
220 |
Minneapolis, Minn. (Cristo Rey Jesuit HS) |
