Texas Targeting Coveted LA Tech Forward Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Texas aiming to strike big in the portal for second straight offseason

The Texas Longhorns and coach Chris Beard are still awaiting decisions to return from several key players three weeks into the offseason.

Texas' three leading scorers, Timmy Allen, Marcus Carr and Andrew Jones, each have one year of eligibility left should they choose to use it, but the return of all three seems unlikely. With their decisions pending, Beard has already hit the portal to try and lure one of the top available transfers to Austin.

loften la tech
latechsports.com

The Longhorns have displayed interest in Louisiana Tech forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. 

The 19-year-old is currently training in Phoenix for the NBA Draft but will keep his college options open.

lofton 2
latechsports.com

Last season, Lofton Jr. had 17 double-doubles, explaining why he's sprouted additional interest from teams like Gonzaga, Kentucky, Houston, Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU, USC, Kansas State, and others.

A native of Port Arthur, TX, Lofton Jr. is arguably one of the most dominant big men in college basketball. 

lofton texas

His 6-7, 275-pound frame along with a pro-like skillset in the low block allowed the big man to put up video-game-like stat lines with Louisiana Tech this past season.

Along with averaging 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds, behind 53.9 percent from the floor, Lofton Jr. had a 36-point, 17-rebound effort vs North Carolina State in November, which he followed up with a 31-point, 14-rebound effort a week later. 

He's also played at a high level on the international stage, leading USA Basketball's FIBA U19 team to a gold medal at the World Cup in Latvia last summer. He led the team in scoring (13.1 points) and had the highest field goal percentage of any player in the tournament (64.9 percent).

The Longhorns could use a big with Lofton Jr's offensive ability, especially with the expected departure of forward Tre Mitchell, who left the team midseason due to personal reasons.

Battling against a handful of elite programs won't make things easy. Beard and staff will have to remain aggressive if they want to land a transfer like Lofton Jr.


Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Sign up for the daily LonghornsCountry.com Newsletter Today!

Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Longhorns Country message board community today! 

Follow Longhorns Country on Twitter and Facebook


Published
Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT