Shaka Smart has his point guard.
Top-five point guard Matt Coleman committed to Texas over Duke on Monday morning, announcing his decision on ESPNU.
"It's the perfect fit," Coleman told ESPN. "I'm a point guard who makes plays."
Coleman, ranked No. 26 in the ESPN 100, went back and forth between the Longhorns and the Blue Devils over the past few months. Smart, Texas' head coach, had a relationship with Coleman, a Norfolk, Virginia, native, since his days as the head coach at VCU, and then spent time with him at USA Basketball. But Duke made a push for Coleman early in the fall, pinpointing him as its primary point guard target. He also visited Stanford in the fall.
"Shaka's been recruiting me since the eighth grade when he was at VCU," Coleman said. "When he got the job at Texas, he called me right away and offered me a scholarship."
Coleman, a 6-foot-1 Oak Hill Academy (Virginia) product, has been considered one of the best point guards in the 2017 class for several years. He's a talented lefty who is better off the dribble than as a perimeter shooter, but he can get into the lane and is a very good passer. He averaged 12.6 points and 3.2 assists on the Nike EYBL circuit last spring with the Boo Williams AAU program.
Texas now has three ESPN 100 prospects in its 2017 class, with Coleman joining frontcourt options Jericho Sims (No. 66) and Royce Hamm (No. 73), as well as four-star shooting guard Jase Febres.
Smart and the Longhorns are still involved with five-star center Mohamed Bamba (No. 4) and small forward Brian Bowen (No. 13).
