What SMU is getting in Arkansas transfer Jimmy Whitt
Oh, what might have been.
Four-star shooting guard Jimmy Whitt was heavily recruited by SMU in the 2015 class, with Larry Brown and K.T. Turner spending a lot of time watching him in the summer of 2014. The interest was mutual as Whitt kept SMU on his list of nine schools and was strongly considering an official visit.
At the time, Whitt told the HillTopics: "The biggest reason SMU made the list is because of coach Brown. Just the thought of going there and learning from the best. He's been to where I want to go so he knows what it takes to get there, he knows all the little details of the game. So just the opportunity of going there and learning from the best to advance myself as a player is huge."
But before he could visit SMU, Whitt took an official visit to Arkansas and decided he wanted to be a Razorback. The fit seemed natural but apparently things did not go quite as smoothly as Whitt hoped as he decided to transfer after his freshman season.
Arkansas' loss is SMU's gain as Whitt's father announced on Twitter that Whitt will finally pony up and play for Brown in Dallas. It's disappointing considering this feels like a lost year for Whitt and SMU, but better late than never, right? He will sit out a season but when he arrives in 2017-18 Whitt will be a perfect compliment to SMU's guards.
By the 2017-18 season, Sterling Brown will be a graduate of SMU and the Mustangs will have a hole on the perimeter defense alongside Jarrey Foster. Though Shake Milton and Dashawn McDowell are lanky and put forth the effort on that side of the ball, they do not have the same natural ability on defense as Whitt.
The 6-foot-4, 173-pound guard's real defensive genius is when he defends the ball. His feet move rapidly, rarely staying in one place for long on defense. He moves vertically and backwards to prevent the handler to driver past him. He is an absolute nuisance with his pestering hands swatting at the ball but never losing his concentration to allow an easy basket.
Pairing Whitt with Foster in two seasons will mean that SMU can lock down an opponent's top-two perimeter threats each and every game. In the American Athletic Conference, where guard play rules year after year, that is a luxury that cannot be over appreciated.
Yes, Whitt can handle the ball and has terrific speed to make plays in transition. Yes, he can shoot the ball -- even if his shooting mechanics could use a revamp during his redshirt season. But what Whitt will be the next in the line of great SMU perimeter defenders, following Nick Russell, Ryan Manuel, Brown and Foster.
To have that next guy already on the roster and ready to help Foster in a year's time is just another example of SMU's chess-like mindset when it comes to building a program -- always thinking two steps ahead.