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The college basketball world received major news on Thursday afternoon, with Marcus Spears Jr., ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2027, reclassifying to the class of 2026 and joining head coach Sean Miller at Texas. He will play two seasons of college basketball before becoming NBA Draft eligible, following in the footsteps of recent top-20 pick Jayden Quaintance, who arrived at Arizona State in 2024 as a 17-year-old.
Arguably the three best prospects for the 2028 draft – Duke commit Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, UCLA commit Nikola Kusturica and Spears – are all signed up for two years of college ball. This is yet another seismic development in the ever-changing NIL landscape.
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Who is Marcus Spears Jr.’s father?
Spears, the son of former NFL star and current ESPN broadcaster Marcus Spears Sr., joins a long list of noteworthy college basketball stars whose parent(s) played professional sports. He is also the first cousin once removed of NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.
Texas should expect immediate contributions from the 17-year-old, who presents an intriguing cross-section of athleticism and skill. He’s a smooth lefty shooter who can play above the rim with ease. He loves to run the floor in transition. He also competes extremely hard on defense, with the potential to develop into a formidable weak-side rim protector at 6-foot-9.
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He will need to add muscle to his 210-pound frame to better handle the physicality of college basketball (and one day the NBA), but playing two seasons at Texas should give him the perfect extended runway to maximize his potential.
These college basketball stars come from pro sports royalty
Bryce James – Arizona Wildcats | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bryce James, Arizona (son of LeBron James)
James redshirted his freshman year at Arizona, watching from a distance as the Wildcats mounted an impressive Final Four run. Tommy Lloyd has spoken highly of James’ skill set and work ethic, and there’s a chance we see him crack the rotation…
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Publish date : 2026-07-10 01:26:00
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