Texas Longhorns Hoops lands second 2017 commitment in PF Jericho Sims

Texas Longhorns basketball and head coach Shaka Smart landed its second commitment in the 2017 class. Power forward Jericho Sims from Cristo Rey Jesuit in Minneapolis committed to Texas following his official visit this past weekend. Sims was reportedly considering the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Kansas Jayhawks, and Ohio State Buckeyes, among other offers, before his pledge to Texas.

Sims currently ranks 73rd on the 247 Composite Rankings, making recent splashes and rises on recruiting Top 100 lists after a strong grassroots run on the Adidas Circuit with D1 Minnesota. Darrin Horn, Smart's big man guru assistant, is widely credited with this recruitment. Landing Sims, a Minnesota native and Golden Gopher legacy, is a nice tip of the cap to Smart and Co.'s national recruiting prowess.

I hadn't tracked Sims' recruitment before this, but the scouting report and internet videos profile him as an interior big -- rim runner, finisher, rebounder, shot blocker. ESPN's Reggie Rankin compares him to Tristan Thompson ($), which should gruntle Texas hoops fans. Most importantly, for acolytes of the Fro Bros School for Kids Who Can Jump Good (led by professors Jarrett Allen and James Banks), Sims' hair game is strong.

Sims joins fellow forward Royce Hamm in the 2017 class. At this stage, Sims looks like a multi-year guy who could use a small growth spurt to bang inside and/or the ability to extend a few feet outside with a jumper and a post game. A Banksian senior season would be promising.

It'll also be interesting to see how this affects the recruitment of P.J. Washington, a Texas staff (and fanbase) favorite who also plays the 4 and is scheduled to officially visit Austin in late October. Texas has the scholarship numbers and needs frontcourt depth in the 2017 class, and landing three versatile 6' 8" guys would not suck.

Welcome to the Forty, Jericho. Hook 'em.