6-Foot-10 Center James Banks to Texas

James Banks, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound center from La Porte (IN) La Lumiere School, committed to Texas.

Hook’Em Horns!! pic.twitter.com/cYBWQAjxH3
— ⬆️Next (@32jbanks) October 8, 2015

An Atlanta native ranked the No. 5 center in the Class of 2016 by 247Sports.com, Banks also had offers from Georgetown, Illinois, Purdue and Vanderbilt.

“First and foremost, he is a phenomenal kid,” La Lumiere coach Shane Heirman said. “As high-character a kid as you can find. He’ll bring a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm every day.

“He has maybe the most upside of anyone in the country with his 6-10 frame and 7-foot-6 wingspan. And he’s only been playing basketball for three years. He has come a long way in a short period of time and has an eagerness and willingness to get better every day.”

He joins shooting guard Jacob Young in Shaka Smart’s 2016 recruiting class.

Scout.com first reported the commitment.

Written by Adam Zagoria

[email protected]

Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.