LOOK: NBA Star Ja Morant Visits Longhorns, Coach Chris Beard

The Longhorns got a star-studded visit this week.

Texas Longhorns men's basketball is entering an exciting season full of expectations after coming just short in the second round of the NCAA tournament in March. 

And apparently, NBA star and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant believes in the hype. The official Longhorns Twitter page shared a photo Wednesday of Morant posing with Texas coach Chris Beard. 

Beard 🤝 12

Thanks for stopping by @JaMorant 🤘#HookEm pic.twitter.com/XLsrkXaxCD

— Texas Men’s Basketball (@TexasMBB) August 24, 2022

Video also captured the 23-year-old soaring for dunks and getting some catch-and-shoot reps in at the Texas practice facility earlier this week. 

Year 4 Ja coming soon 😈 @JaMorant (via @JBush____) pic.twitter.com/r9wSJhfhJL

— Overtime (@overtime) August 20, 2022

Morant, who rose up the ranks to stardom in college with the Murray State Racers, averaged 18.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in two seasons with the team. He was already projected to be a high draft pick entering March Madness in the spring of 2019, but his performance put the country on notice. 

The 12th-seeded Racers entered the first round with a matchup against the fifth-ranked Marquette Golden Eagles on tap. But the rankings mattered little in that game, as Morant posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 16 assists as Murray State easily beat Marquette in an 83-64 upset.

The Racers would lose in the second round to Florida State, but Morant still put up 28 points in the loss and solidified his place as a potential top-five pick. 

He ended up being selected No. 2 overall by the Grizzlies later that summer and eventually won Rookie of the Year. 

This past season, Morant won Most Improved Player and was named to his first All-Star game. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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