According to ESPN's Dave Telep, 2013 center Joel Embiid from Gainesville (Fla.) The Rock will be in Austin this weekend for an official visit. Telep received word from Embiid's high school coach, Justin Harden, and tweeted the news earlier today.
Joel Embiid, per his HS coach Justin Harden, will visit the Texas Longhorns this weekend.
— Dave Telep (@DaveTelep) October 2, 2012
Telep was in the Sunshine State this past weekend at the Nike Team Florida Workout ($), and was impressed with Embiid's rapidly improving skill level.
This is the fastest rising big man in the senior class and arguably the most improved interior player since the end of the high school season. Embiid has all the physical attributes – length, size, and athleticism – to go with an aggressive streak. He doesn’t have a year of organized basketball under his belt but he's got the look of an elite big man prospect and he could be six months away from cementing himself as one of the premier centers in the country.
Embiid has seen a spike in high major interest recently, and lists schools like UCLA, Kansas, Louisville, and Virginia. He had originally planned to cut his list this fall but has yet to do so. Nevertheless, it bodes well for Texas that they are set to host Embiid's first official visit.
Speculation is that Texas would love it if Embiid committed to the Horns in the fall, leaving the coaching staff free to pursue top target Julius Randle, a five-star power forward from Plano (Tex.) Prestonwood Christian, in the spring. However, given the surge in interest and the elongated timeline, it's possible Embiid does not make a decision until the spring.