Best Texas basketball players: All-time starting lineup

Best Texas basketball players: All-time starting lineup – From T.J. Ford to Kevin Durant

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 14: Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder enjoys the game from the sidelines as the Texas Longhorns host the Mississippi Rebels on September 14, 2013 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

C – Myles Turner

Myles Turner was one of a few big-time recruits that Rick Barnes was able to secure over his 17 years as the school’s head coach. He would turn out to be the last one that Barnes secured before he was fired. Turner was a Parade and McDonald’s All-American and also won a gold medal with the Team USA u-18 team in 2014.

Turner was the number two center in his recruiting class (behind Jahlil Okafor) and a Texas native. Getting him to stay home was a huge coup. However, he would only stay in Austin for one season before becoming a lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. As a freshman, he was a strong interior force for the team, averaging 2.6 blocks per game while only playing 22.2 minutes per game and starting just seven games.

Though his numbers from his time in Austin don’t jump off the page, Turner would have accumulated several records if he remained at the school for longer than one year. His athleticism was off the charts for a player of his size. It wasn’t just vertical either, he had elite lateral quickness too that helped him defend smaller players on the perimeter at times.

His defensive prowess earned him All-Big 12, Big-12 All-Defense, Big-12 All-Freshmen and Big-12 Rookie of the Year honors after his freshman season. Turner’s team marked the end of the Barnes era in Austin and though they never cut down the nets it wasn’t for a lack of talent.