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On Wednesday, Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (Oh.) power forward Jaxson Hayes officially signed his National Letter of Intent to play basketball for the Texas Longhorns.
It’s OFFICIAL!! Please welcome Jaxson Hayes (@hayes_jaxson) to our #TexasFamily! #NationalSigningDay #HookEm pic.twitter.com/kVA1PM7hdj
— Texas Basketball (@TexasMBB) November 8, 2017
Hayes was the third member of the 2018 recruiting class to commit and now is officially going to be a Longhorn by taking advantage of the Early Signing Period.
After visiting Austin back in early September, Hayes knew Texas was the place for him. He announced his commitment to be a Longhorn in late September, selecting the ‘Horns over Kentucky and Xavier.
“I’m heading to the University of Texas,” Hayes told Evan Daniels of Scout.com. “It’s just a perfect fit. I really like coach Smart and really love the guys there and the plan they have for me.”
The 6’10, 195-pound power forward is ranked as the nation’s No. 229 player, No. 55 power forward and the No. 7 player in Ohio, per the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Hayes had an impressive summer showing at the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit, which helped raise his stock as a recruit. He averaged 6.2 points per game on 60 percent shooting, along with 4.8 rebounds per game at the Adidas Gauntlet.
A late growth spurt made him into a big man that’s still trying to adapt his game to his size.
Hayes brings a unique, high-ceiling type game to the table for Shaka Smart and company throughout the next couple of years. He’s still raw in some aspects of his game, but has tremendous length and size that can help him be a successful player. Hayes is a good shot-blocker with a soft touch and has the ability to score in the post. Hayes will need to add some weight and muscle, though, as he’s a slim 195 pounds right now.
Assistant coach Darrin Horn has done an excellent job at developing Texas’ big men the past couple of years. His success with how he developed Cameron Ridley, Prince Ibeh and Jarrett Allen the past two years provide proof to that end. Hayes is similar to current 6’9 freshman forward/center Jericho Sims in a way, so the development of Sims and Hayes will be crucial these next couple of years.