Why could Nation’s No. 1 high school recruit Aaliyah Chavez choose Texas?

Longhorns hope to wrangle fellow Texan from SEC foes

Levi Payton | Jan 6, 2025

Basketball recruit Aaliyah Chavez walks the sideline ahead of the Texas Longhorns game against Mississippi State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Everything's bigger in Texas" is an overused cliché, but it is certainly fitting when it comes to high school basketball.

And right now, the biggest name in girls high school basketball resides in Texas.

She’s been compared with some of the greatest women’s guards in basketball history, and the Texas Longhorns are trying their best to keep Aaliyah Chavez home.

According to reports, it is believed the 5-foot-11 senior guard and nation’s No. 1 high school girls basketball recruit is seeking a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal for around $1 million, so it should come as no surprise that Chavez will take her time deciding where to go.

After all, it’s not as if her play this season would do anything to hurt negotiations. As of Jan. 5, Chavez is averaging 31.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.1 steals per game through 28 games in the 2024-2025 season.

She scored a whopping 124 points at the Caprock Classic Dec. 27-29 in Lubbock.

While records seemingly fall with each game she plays, High School on SI decided to dive into each of her six finalists – South Carolina, UCLA, Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and LSU – examining three reasons that could earn each program the final nod.

With that in mind, here is a look at three reasons Chavez could choose the Longhorns.

Texas that we love best

If you pay much attention to high school basketball in Texas, you probably already know who Aaliyah Chavez is. She's about to score her 1,000th point for the fourth consecutive season. A viral sensation who won MVP of the Mamba Classic last summer.

No. 1 recruit in the country Aaliyah Chavez is in attendance for the SEC opener

The 5⭐️ from Lubbock has been heavily recruited by Texas

Chavez is also considering Texas Tech and LSU #HookEm | #Texas pic.twitter.com/iYpTJa6t8n
— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) September 28, 2024

Of course, NIL will probably play the biggest factor in any decision she makes. Players of Chavez’s caliber are rare, and the social media presence she’s built will help play a key role in any future earnings.

Finding those funds for a player won't be an issue for Texas. And with Austin growing by the minute, scoring NIL deals with major brands while repping one of the biggest brands in college athletics in her home state could appeal to the young star.

Hail, Hail, the gang's all here

Of course, there's the basketball. That's pretty important. And the Longhorns are pretty good at it.

Coming off an Elite 8 appearance last season, Vic Shaefer has the Longhorns off to a 15-1 start in his fifth season and ranked No. 5 in the nation by the Associated Press as of Jan. 5.

Most of Texas' production this season has come from forwards Madison Booker (14.9 points, 6.0 rebounds), Taylor Jones (11.7, 6.3), Kayla Oldacre (11.0, 6.9), Justice Carlton (9.0, 3.8) and Aaliyah Moore (8.3, 4.6), along with starting senior guard Rori Harmon (10.3, 3.3).

If she signs, she'd become the second high-profile Aaliyah the Longhorns would come to terms with this recruiting season - joining Aaliyah Crump, a 2025 5-star shooting guard from Minnetonka (Minn.) who has already signed.

Both Alliyah's would join current freshmen standout guards Jordan Lee and Bryanna Preston, who are averaging 7.1 and 6.3 points through 16 games, respectively.

Goodbye to all the rest

If one thing is certain, Aaliyah Chavez will bring a spotlight wherever she goes. She’s a high school athlete with a huge head start on building a career brand, but that brand – and its value – could be affected by where she chooses to go.

Playing for a storied program like Texas shouldn't hurt that.

A social media darling on and off the court, Chavez has used her dazzling play to amass 4,339 points so far during her basketball career, and her presence to gain 74,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 20,000 on TikTok.

Routinely in the national spotlight, Texas has traditionally done well marketing its players. For athletes, that's never been bigger than it is in today's NIL landscape.