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[Update 3/22]: Cunningham clarified on Monday evening that he is coming back to play for Texas.
I’m sorry for the confusion. My last tweet was to show my appreciation of the university and the support we received. I will return to play at texas while I finish a masters program. #sorry #hookem #texas
— Brock Cunningham (@Brockolli13) March 22, 2022
Not long after the Texas Longhorns were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by the Purdue Boilermakers in Milwaukee, junior guard Brock Cunningham posted an apparent farewell message that spoke of his time playing for Texas in the past tense.
I grew up wanting to represent those 5 letters. That burnt orange and white was a dream. Thank you to the team, the fans, and everyone in between. I loved it all❤️ #Texas #1point8 pic.twitter.com/tlRe5Hxfzl
— Brock Cunningham (@Brockolli13) March 21, 2022
So it seems that the 6’6, 210-pounder is ready to move on from basketball despite having two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Cunningham’s father, Ed, played football at Texas in the 1980s and Cunningham grew up in Westlake, where he starred for the Chapparals for three seasons before signing with the Longhorns as a member of the 2018 recruiting class, choosing Texas over eight other offers, including Gonzaga and Oklahoma. Cunningham was a consensus three-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, ranked as the no. 212 player nationally.
After redshirting during his first season on the Forty Acres, Cunningham became a late-season contributor and fan favorite during the five-game winning streak to end the 2019-20 season thanks to his tough-minded defense and relentless hustle, averaging 4.2 points per game and a team-best 5.0 rebounds per game while converting 53.8 percent (7-13) from the floor, including 50 percent (4-8) from three-point range, in 21.3 minutes per game.
As a redshirt sophomore, Cunningham ranked fourth on the team in assists with 21 and offensive rebounds with 29, and fifth in steals with 21 while averaging 15.2 minutes per contest.
Cunningham’s minute per game dropped to 11.7 this season, but he improved his efficiency across the board, shooting 48.2 percent from the field, a boost of 21.1 percent, hitting 47.8 percent from three, up 22.8 percent, and making 81.3 percent of his free throws, 25.7 percent better. He also posted career highs in offensive rebounds (31), assists (22), and steals (24) while also fouling at a much more efficient rate — he drew foul calls at a rate of 7.2 per 40 minutes while averaging 2.1 fouls per game with six disqualifications.
If Cunningham is finished playing basketball at Texas, he’ll end his career with 151 fouls and 141 points.