Five-star Arterio Morris ready to sign with the Texas Longhorns
Five-star Dallas Kimball point guard Arterio Morris is ready to sign with the Texas Longhorns on Wednesday.
The On3 Consensus 5-star prospect in the class of 2022 will make it official at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. The first day of the early signing period is a dream come true for the ultra athletic guard.
“It’s something I’ve been working towards since my freshman year,” Morris told On3 Monday. “I feel like it’s a great achievement. It’s kind of scary a little bit because I’m getting older. Time to start being an adult. And it’s one step closer to the league.”
The reason Morris chose Texas over Memphis, Kansas, Oregon, Florida and others is simple. He has a terrific relationship with Longhorns head coach Chris Beard.
“Texas is like family down there,” Morris said. “Coach Beard was very close to Big E. He treats me like family. My relationship is very close with Coach Beard. Very close.”
The NBA G-league and Overtime Elite have expressed serious interest in the 6-foot-3 guard, but Morris has decided he needs the college experience.
“I decided to myself that I need to go to college for a year,” Morris said. “To get the experiences. Everybody comes to me and says I don’t need it, but I think I need the experience.”
Sky is the limit for Morris
There is no one better to chat with about Arterio Morris than Dallas Kimball head coach Nick Smith. He has watched his star player up close for many years.
“Great player with huge upside,” Smith told On3. “Learning every day. I always say I don’t think he knows his full potential, but once he figures it out… boy is he going to be hell to deal with.”
Smith sees a willingness to learn as Morris has gotten older, which has been crucial in his development.
“He’s willing to learn,” Smith said. “A lot of what he does is natural ability. Once that games starts slowing down, he’s going to be hard to stop.”
Smith sees a solid fit with Chris Beard at Texas.
“I think he fits great with Coach Beard’s system,” Smith said. “One thing I like about Coach Beard is he’s going to coach hard. He’s going to make him an even better player. He will learn a lot more basketball at Texas. Coach Beard is a great teacher of the game.”
Texas will sign two Top 30 prospects Wednesday
The Longhorns are set to sign two of the nation’s top 26 ranked prospects in the On3 Consensus rankings on Wednesday. Joining No. 17 Morris is Spring Hill (Fla.) Montverde Academy small forward Dillon Mitchell.
