If you’ve been following Gerry’s basketball posts regarding one more piece Sean Miller has been looking to add to the roster for the 2025-26 season and beyond, this shouldn’t come as a surprise.

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UPDATE: Duru is officially a Longhorn (press release is attached below)

Declan Duru Jr. has signed an Athletic Scholarship Agreement (ASA) to play basketball next season at The University of Texas, head coach Sean Miller announced Wednesday. Duru, who spent the last five years with Real Madrid in the program’s youth development system in Spain, will join the Longhorns as a true freshman for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Duru (6-9, 225), a forward who is originally from Munich, Germany, played for Real Madrid B and the Real Madrid U19 team last season. He played in seven contests for Real Madrid U19 in 2024-25 and averaged 12.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 25.0 minutes per game while converting 49.2-percent (29-59) from the floor, including a 41.9-percent mark (13-31) from three-point range. Duru also saw action in 17 games for Real Madrid B and averaged 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per contest.

Duru recently helped his native Germany post a 6-1 record and earn a silver medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland (June 28-July 6). He reached double figures in scoring in six of the seven games and averaged 11.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per contest while converting 52.4-percent (22-42) from the floor. The previous summer, Duru paced Germany to a 7-0 mark and the gold medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championship in Tampere, Finland.

During the 2023-24 season, Duru helped the Real Madrid U18 team win the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament. He also paced the Real Madrid U16 team to a pair of Spanish Championships in 2022-23 and helped the Real Madrid U14 squad claim the Spanish Championship in 2021.

 

 

 

Is this a developmental player or will he see time right away?  

Will he start? If not how does he fit into the rotation?

1 minute ago, Born Burnt Orange said:

Is this a developmental player or will he see time right away?  

He is expected to impact the team. Not saying starter or 12 and 5 per game, but he's going to help Texas win games year one. 

 

As a player ... can really shoot the ball as a stretch four with athleticism and a strong presence.

After 2-3 years, an NBA draft prospect IMO 

How does he compare to Kylian Mbappe?

NBA Draft Room's 2026 SF Rankings:

14. Dailyn Swain

26. Declan Duru

Texas 2025-26 roster...
Tramon Mark, CG, 6-6, Gr. (10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists)

Simeon Wilcher, CG, 6-4, junior (8.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists) 

Jordan Pope, CG, 6-0, senior (11.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists)

Chendall Weaver, G, 6-3, senior (6.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists)

Dailyn Swain, F/G, 6-8, junior (11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals at Xavier)

Camden Heide, F, 6-7, junior (4.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 39.2% from three at Purdue) 

Matas Vokietaitas, C, 7-0, sophomore (10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds at FAU)

Lassina Traore, C, 6-10, senior (11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists in 2023-24 at LBSU) 

Declan Duru, PF, 6-9, freshman 

Nic Codie, PF,  6-9, sophomore

John Clark, PF, 6-8.5, freshman

Lewis Obiorah, C, 7-1, freshman 

 The force looks strong in this one… nice add by Miller. I still wish we had one more younger guard in the wings prepping for the exodus after this season of Pope, Mark and Weaver… Filcher?

 

7 minutes ago, Gerry Hamilton said:

He is expected to impact the team. Not saying starter or 12 and 5 per game, but he's going to help Texas win games year one. 

 

That is what I was thinking but I am far from a basketball guru.  It sounds like we got someone special here. 

 

Future NBA draft pick level pickup IMO ...

From NBAdraft.net

Notes: Measured: 6’8″ (w/o shoes), 8’8.25″ standing reach, 223 lbs, 7’0″ wingspan, 31.5″ standing vert, and a 38.5″ max vert at the 2024 Basketball Without Borders Europe …

A few months on campus will be huge for him. Excited to see how much he improves just in these next few months.

OnTexasBasketball on IG … if you don’t folllow 
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DL2akN9gU7w/?igsh=cmpudzNwOXRhZ28w

16 minutes ago, Longhorn22 said:

Will he start? If not how does he fit into the rotation?

Rotation player year one, but a guy that will impact winning. 

His ability to shoot the ball as a stretch four is key in year one. 

Declan Duru’s IG 

https://www.instagram.com/declan_durujr?igsh=azFpMm80ODJtNzk=

Awesome! Get, Texas definitely hired the right basketball coach

Texas beat Oklahoma, Colorado and some others for him 

Duru will report in August. 

So how developmental is this guy?

What's his expectation in terms of 1 or 2 years at Texas before trying to go pro? 

2 minutes ago, jkates said:

So how developmental is this guy?

What's his expectation in terms of 1 or 2 years at Texas before trying to go pro? 

I wrote this post a long time ago, but it somehow posted late in the thread. Asked and answered already!