AUSTIN — Texas men’s basketball signed four star top-50 prospect John Clark on National Signing Day.

Houston native Clark is a 6 ft 9 in forward who plays at Link Academy in Missouri, previously playing at Klein Cain High School from his freshman to junior season. Clark is ranked as a four-star recruit, the No. 37 overall prospect by 247 Sports Composite, No. 38 by On3, No. 40 by ESPN, and No. 42 by Rivals.

“John Clark brings a unique blend of finesse and power to the court and the kind of versatility that’s crucial to succeed in the SEC,” said recruiting analyst Blue Zertuche of Great American Shoot-Out, per media release. “He can score with touch around the rim but isn’t afraid to use his physicality when needed. John’s skill set has shown consistent growth over the past few years. Playing against top-tier, athletic competition in the SEC will only accelerate his development, helping him refine his game even further.”

This is the second consecutive year the Longhorns recruit out of Link Academy, the latest being star forward Tre Johnson. The boarding school in Branson, Mo. is known for its sports teams, specifically its basketball program, which won the National Championship in 2023.

As a junior at Klein Cain, Clark averaged 17.8 points and 13.1 rebounds per game while converting 61 percent from the floor, leading all 6A players in Texas in rebounds per game and double-doubles with 22.

His list of honors includes an All-Adidas Performer recognition on the 2024 Adidas 3SSB circuit this past summer while competing for T.J. Ford Elite and a spot on the All-Greater Houston Boys Basketball second team by the Houston Chronicle.

Clark is the first signing for the Longhorns in this recruiting cycle.

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AUSTIN — Texas Longhorns men’s basketball picked up its second win of the season in dominant fashion at the Moody Center Tuesday, smothering the Chicago State Cougars from start to finish for a 105-58 victory.

True freshman guard Tre Johnson once again led the way with 19 points, marking the third straight games he’s paced the team in scoring. He was one of five Longhorns in double figures, joining Arthur Kaluma (15 points, eight rebounds), Kadin Shedrick (12 points), Julian Larry (10 points, four assists) and Ze’Rik Onyema (18 points, six rebounds).

Texas held Chicago State to 30 percent shooting while finishing with 19 points off turnovers. The Longhorns also went 24 of 33 from the foul line and had a 50-18 edge for points in the paint.

“I definitely like our mindset,” Texas head coach Rodney Terry said after the game. “We’ve worked really hard the last couple days on our man-to-man defense … We placed a heavy emphasis on that. I want to see us come out and get lost playing really hard on defense.”

For the Cougars, guards Jalen Forrest and Matthew Robinson both led the way with 14 points rebounds. Saxby Sunderland added 10 points of his own.

Texas jumped out to a 12-0 behind four early points from Shedrick and triples from both Chendall Weaver (seven points, nine rebounds) and Johnson.

This was a sign of things to come. The Longhorns continued to have hounding defense in the paint and had a clear emphasis on pushing the ball quickly down the floor, which led to a flurry of dunks and easy buckets as Chicago State’s defense was unable to set up in the halfcourt.

Texas then had a 13-0 run that was highlighted by a alley-opp off the glass from Jordan Pope to Johnson, who then made a triple on the next possession to extend the lead to 47-11 with 4:11 left in the half.

Shedrick nearly put a bow on a dominant first half with a putback dunk at the buzzer, but officials overturned it upon review. Still, Texas headed into halftime with a 50-18 lead over the Cougars.

At the half, Johnson led the way with 10 points while Shedrick had nine points. Kaluma had eight points, six rebounds and three assists. The Longhorns had 12 fastbreak points in the first half and 13 points off eight Chicago State turnovers.

The dominance continued to start the second half. Weaver hit a triple on Texas’ first possession before the Longhorns continued adding to the lead with constant trips to the foul line.

Johnson then hit back-to-back triples to extend the league to 79-31 with 11 minutes to play. At this point, the Longhorns were just playing pick-up out there before continuing to cruise their way to the finish line. Onyema got extensive action late in the game and had arguably his best performance as a Longhorn.

The Longhorns will host Mississippi Valley State on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.

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AUSTIN, Texas – The flames burned a bit brighter at three Austin barbecue restaurants after a big win.

The Michelin Guide Texas was officially released at a ceremony in Houston on Monday, Nov. 11. The announcement came with an image of a familiar looking plate of food that seemed to acknowledge just how big BBQ is in Texas. 

Austin’s one-star BBQ recipients include:

• InterStellar BBQ
• la Barbecue
• LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue

Texas Michelin Guide: Central Texas restaurant winners announced

Cole Parkman, the pitmaster for LeRoy and Lewis, provided FOX 7 with a tour of their restaurant.

“We’ve got quite a bit on today. We’ve got briskets back there. And then there are pieces of shoulder right here,” said Parkman.

With the award, Tuesday’s prep work certainly had a different feel.

“It’s fabulous. And it’s a wonderful company to be a part of. I’m just a little humble kid from Pasadena, Texas. Never thought I’d be working at a place with all of these Michelin-star chefs. It’s a wonderful place to be,” said Parkman.

The award wraps up a big year for LeRoy and Lewis. Earlier this year, they opened a South Austin location after working the past seven years out of a food trailer.

“Well, you know, a shock is really an understatement,” said Parkman. 

The smoke coming from the pits at InterStellar’s Northwest Austin location was preparing meat for Wednesday’s customers. The owner of Interstellar, John Bates, was in Houston for the ceremony. 

FOX 7 spoke with Chef de Cuisine Sinjin Tiger, who said he was at home when the award was announced.

“I was trying to relax. I was hanging out at home with my wife and the dogs and trying to pay attention to her, trying not to pay any attention to it. And then all of a sudden, I just started getting a bunch of phone calls and text messages, and it just kind of blew me away,” said Tiger.

Sinjin thinks their pork bellies, served with a peach tea coating, contributed to the win.

“It means the absolute world. I know this is something that Jon has been working for, you know, pretty much his whole life, and I feel like we’re just incredibly blessed to have the team that we have to work towards this goal and allow us to accomplish this goal,” said Tiger.

The owners of la Barbecue were not available for comment, but the staff said they’re also excited about receiving a star. The four other Austin restaurants awarded with One MICHELIN Star include:

• Barley Swine
• Craft Omakase
• Hestia
• Olamaie

“To be a Michelin Star restaurant is a big deal. And it is mostly fine dining and is really with the intention of doing this and being a Michelin Star restaurant. And somebody mentioned to me, well, why come to Texas if you’re not going to pick a barbecue place? I thought, well, you know. You’re right,” said Parkman.

The famous guidebook uses anonymous inspectors to judge locations and typically visit more than once. Officials with the guide say they were impressed by what they found on the menu in Texas. And now Central Texas BBQ is in the guide.

“And it’s nothing short of ecstatic for them. And I love to see what they’re doing and where they’re going to go after this,” said Tiger.

A little more than a dozen Austin area restaurants were also recognized for having great food at great value. 

The full Michelin Guide Texas totals 117 Texas restaurants offering 26 types of food. They’re located in Austin, DFW, Houston, and San Antonio.