Texas Longhorns Basketball

Texas Longhorns head coach Shaka Smart said shooting guard Andrew Jones has been cleared for all basketball activities, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports:

Texas guard Andrew Jones has been fully cleared for all basketball related activities, per Shaka Smart. Only appeared in two games last season as he recovered from leukemia.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 8, 2019

Jones, who will be a senior this season, was diagnosed with leukemia in Jan. 2018. 

Jones was emerging as a legitimate prospect before his diagnosis. During his freshman year, he averaged 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three.

In 11 games during his sophomore campaign he made a clear jump, posting 13.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and two assists, shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 46.3 percent from the field. 

He returned to action in November, and received quite the response after scoring his first points:

"It's great to see Andrew out on the court," Smart said at the time, per Jace Evans of USA Today. "I loved the way the crowd and everyone in the building reacted to him going in the game."

It isn't surprising Jones is back with the Longhorns—he made it clear in November that a full return to the court, however difficult, was always his goal.

Texas Longhorns freshman Jaxson Hayes officially declared for the 2019 NBA draft on Thursday.

"I have always dreamed about playing in the NBA," Hayes said in a statement, per ESPN.com. "Now that I have the chance to realize that dream, I would like to pursue that opportunity."

Hayes has emerged as a somewhat surprising one-and-done player, as he was ranked 102nd among signees in the class of 2018, per 247Sports. Once at Texas, Hayes entered the starting lineup 11 games into the season and started his following 21 games. In 32 outings total, he averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 23.3 minutes per game.

He was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year after leading the conference in field-goal percentage (72.8 percent) and placing fourth in blocks per game and free-throw percentage (82.3 percent).

There was a slight scare for Hayes down the stretch when he injured his left knee in the Big 12 tournament against Kansas. While Nick Moyle of the Houston Chronicle reported multiple specialists confirmed there was no structural damage in the knee, a bone bruise ended his 2018-19 season prior to the team's NIT run.

Hayes enters a draft that is dominated by Duke freshman forward Zion Williamson, the probable No. 1 overall pick. In an April 9 mock draft, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report projected Hayes to go No. 8 overall. On ESPN's list of best available players, Hayes ranked as the top center and No. 9 player overall.

Kerwin Roach II provided 16 points and nine assists off the bench to propel the Texas Longhorns past the Lipscomb Bisons in the 2019 NIT championship.

The senior ended his college career in style, sparking the offense during a pivotal stretch. Texas closed the first half on a 22-5 run and flipped the score from a three-point deficit to a 14-point halftime lead. Roach accounted for 12 of those 22 points.

Roach earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player honor, but it was a terrific all-around effort that fueled the 81-66 win.

The victory capped an impressive run through the NIT for Texas, which survived a pair of tight finishes in the early rounds before recording three straight wins of 13-plus points.

           

Box Score

Lipscomb

Rob Marberry: 17 points
Garrison Mathews: 15 points, 8 rebounds
Ahsan Asadullah: 11 points
Michael Buckland: 5 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

Texas

Dylan Osetkowski: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
Jase Febres: 17 points, 5 rebounds
Kerwin Roach II: 16 points, 9 assists, 2 steals
Matt Coleman III: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals

            

Game Recap and Highlights

Though the teams exchanged the lead a few times, Lipscomb only trailed for about three of the first 14 minutes. Marberry scored 10 of his team-high 17 points to help build a 22-19 edge.

Once the Longhorns pulled ahead, though, they never fell behind.

Roach and Dylan Osetkowski carried Texas to a 41-27 advantage at the break, punctuated by a last-second triple from Jase Febres. He knocked down four long-range shots Thursday.

Out of the locker room, Lipscomb quickly cut the deficit to seven. However, that was the closest the Bisons would get because Texas kept hitting from the perimeter. The Longhorns made eight of their 13 triples in the second half.

To Lipscomb's credit, the Atlantic Sun regular-season champions hung around for much of the latter period. It wasn't until seven minutes remaining in regulation that Texas took full control.

With the Longhorns up 64-54, Osetkowski scored or assisted on nine straight points to trigger a game-sealing 13-1 spurt. The lead swelled to an insurmountable 22 points.

Roach punctuated the run―and Texas career―with a 360-degree dunk.

https://twitter.com/ndnpro64/status/1113969349470109696

"It's something I've always wanted to do in real life," said Roach, per Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman. "To do it at the end of my college career to win a NIT championship is even better."

Texas wrapped up the 2019 campaign at 21-16. Lipscomb―which had already shattered the previous program record for single-season wins of 23―ended 29-8.

          

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR

The Texas Longhorns will be without senior guard Kerwin Roach for their game against Oklahoma on Saturday after the school announced that the senior guard has been suspended indefinitely for a violation of team rules, per Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Chip Brown of 247Sports first reported Roach's suspension on Thursday.

Including Oklahoma on Saturday, the Longhorns have five games remaining in the regular season before the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship begins on March 13.

Brown noted there is no timetable for Roach's return, which is a tough blow for 15-11 Texas as Roach leads the Longhorns with 15 points per game this season.

This isn't the first time this season that Roach has been suspended for violating undisclosed team rules.

The 6'4" guard's senior season began with him on the bench for the Longhorns' Nov. 6 opener against Eastern Illinois. While the nature of what Roach did was never publicly revealed, he did take to Twitter at the time to address his friends, family and Longhorn fans.

In the note, Roach stated that he accepted "full responsibility and accountability" while also pointing out "it is my senior year and this is not how I planned on setting an example for my team."

https://twitter.com/KLR_doce/status/1056210717626515456

Along with his 15.0 points per game, Roach is averaging 4.5 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game.

Being Matthew McConaughey comes with a lot of perks, including a seat on the bench during Texas basketball games. 

The Oscar-winning actor was seen in the Longhorns' huddle during Tuesday's game against Kansas State:

It's not unusual to see McConaughey during sporting events at the University of Texas. He's almost as famous for being a Longhorns fan as he is for starring in blockbuster films. 

The school went so far as to name McConaughey the Minister of Culture for its basketball and entertainment arena set to open in 2021. 

Unfortunately, McConaughey's presence in the huddle was not enough to help Texas against Kansas State. The Longhorns lost 71-64, their fourth defeat in the past seven games.