Elijah Long is a Texas Longhorn. Long, a sophomore, played his first two seasons at Mt. St. Mary’s. Fun fact: the Mountaineers from Emmitsburg, MD won an NCAA Tournament game(*) last year, which equates the win total of Texas’ tourney record the past 5 years. Long will sit this year and have two years of eligibility remaining.
(*) Play-in game, still counts
Long was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.0 PPG (.412/.739/.382) as the team’s de facto lead guard. (The 6’ 0” Long’s backcourt mate Junior Robinson checks in at 5’ 5”, which makes the D.J. Augustin - A.J. Abrams backcourt of yesteryear seem gargantuan.) Based on his rate stats and highlight clips, Long appears to be a capable if turnover prone ball-handler (27.4 Ast% / 20.7% TO%) and solid shooter (13-39 as a frosh, 47-123 as a soph) with potential to thrive as a defender (2.7 Stl% / 16.1 DR%) if Shaka ever decides to bring back HAVOC SHART.
Also, for those yearning for the CuJo/TT/Kabongo years, dude is Canadian. Long’s recruiting profile is non-existent, which is kind of weird since he played AAU ball for EYBL mainstay CIA Bounce, and is also Iowa State’s Naz Long’s little brother.
With Matt Coleman expected to be a multi-year starter at the 1, Long adds some depth in the guard rotation and likely puts Jacob Young on PT notice circa fall 2018. Let’s hope for some Osetkowski-positive buzz while Long takes his redshirt year in 2017.
Welcome to the 40, Elijah. Hook ‘em.
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