Texas Longhorns basketball battling to keep Jai Lucas on staff

For Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart, the most pressing ongoing recruitment at the moment may be that of Director of Basketball Operations Jai Lucas, who was expected to join Jamie Dixon's TCU Horned Frogs staff as of Thursday, but may now remain in Austin, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

However, it's still a fluid situation:

There likely won't be any final resolution today on the Jai Lucas situation, per a source. It's not done either way.

— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) April 29, 2016

On one hand, Lucas could take a promotion by becoming an assistant coach after serving as a special assistant from 2013 to 2015 under former head coach Rick Barnes and then assuming his current position last year when Smart arrived. On the other hand, Lucas may have better opportunities next year if Smart continues his current trajectory of success.

From a recruiting perspective, Lucas has valuable ties to the Houston area because of his father's influence there and could be a key cog in the recruitment of local five-star big man Jarrett Allen, who may or may not be down to Texas and Houston after conflicting reports emerged on Friday about whether Kansas is still a contender.