Men’s Basketball signs trio to National Letters of Intent

Shaka Smart signing day press conference video

Pronunciation Help:

Kai Jones KYE (rhymes with 'eye')

AUSTIN, Texas — A trio 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 Wednesday. Will Baker (Austin, Texas), Kai Jones (Nassau, Bahamas) and Donovan Williams (Houston, Texas) will join the Longhorns for the 2019-20 season.

The three-man class is currently No. 10 nationally in the Rivals team rankings and No. 11 in the 247Sports composite.

"We're very excited about our three signees and what they mean for the future of our program," Smart said. "All three come from very strong basketball backgrounds and possess a competitiveness that will help them make the transition to the college game. This class fits a variety of needs for our program and will make an immediate impact on next year's team."

Baker (6-11, 250), a center from Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) who plays under coach Robert Lucero, is ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the nation by Rivals, No. 20 by 247Sports composite and No. 26 by ESPN. He averaged 19.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while leading Westlake to a 36-4 record and a trip to the Class 6A state semifinals in his junior year. The District 25-6A MVP and the 2018 All-Central Texas Player of the Year by the Austin American-Statesman, Baker converted 67-percent from the floor as a junior.

"Will possesses outstanding offensive talent, including the ability to score around the basket and on the perimeter," Smart said. "He's as good a shooter at his size as I've seen at the high school level. He will be an excellent fit with how we utilize and develop our versatile bigs."

Jones (6-10, 200), a forward from Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.) who plays under coach Jason Smith, is ranked as the No. 45 prospect in the nation by ESPN and No. 53 by 247Sports composite. Originally from Nassau, Bahamas, he came to the United States prior to his junior year and attended Orlando Christian Prep (Orlando, Fla.) last season. He helped Orlando Christian Prep to a 21-9 record and the Class 3A state title as a junior.

"We're excited about Kai's tremendous upside and character," Smart said. "He has an infectious personality and a great work ethic. His trajectory and development on the court since last year has been fun to watch, and we're extremely excited about what's ahead of him."

Williams (6-5, 175), a guard from Fort Bend Elkins High School (Houston, Texas) who plays under coach Albert Thomas, is ranked as the No. 50 prospect in the nation by 247Sports and No. 51 by Rivals. He averaged 13.2 points per game while leading Elkins to a 29-12 record and a trip to the Class 5A state quarterfinals in his junior year.

"Donovan is a versatile guard who can play and defend multiple positions," Smart said. "He is young for his age (will not turn 18 until September of 2019) but has shown rapid development in his game, and we're excited about his terrific potential."

2019-20 Texas Basketball Recruiting Class (as of Nov. 14, 2018)

Name	Yr	Pos	Ht	Wt	Hometown (High School)
Will Baker	Fr.	C	6-11	250	Austin, Texas (Westlake HS)
Kai Jones	Fr.	F	6-10	200	Nassau, Bahamas (Brewster Academy [N.H.])
Donovan Williams	Fr.	G	6-5	175	Houston, Texas (Fort Bend Elkins HS)

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

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