The Texas Longhorns inked their second commitment from the 2026 class, landing four-star guard Joe Sterling. The 6’4 floor general from Los Angeles, California, is the 107th-ranked player in his class according to the 247 composite board and the 10th-ranked guard in the state. Head coach Sean Miller made Sterling his second backcourt commitment after 31st-ranked guard Bo Ogden.
Sterling played his final high school season at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, but he played his AAU basketball on an under-viewed PUMA Pro16 Circuit. Playing for Team CPSA on that circuit, Sterling averaged 21.4 points, 2.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds on 54% effective field goal percentage, according to Synergy. He’s produced like a star for multiple seasons and, frankly, is vastly under-ranked by consensus.
Sterling is an underrated creator
He’s a dynamic on and off-ball shooter who blends his dribble pull-up shotmaking aptitude to burn defenses regardless of coverage. In 14 games on the PUMA circuit this past summer, Sterling shot a ridiculous 44.3% on 8.2 3-point attempts per game. He’s a flamethrower off the dribble, especially when defenses duck under his ball screens.
That off-dribble shooting fuels the bedrock of his offense, the pick-and-roll, where Sterling scores and makes plays like a grizzled veteran. He’s one of the most polished and cerebral youth guards I’ve watched in person, comfortable snaking ball screens, playing off two feet and spraying passes out to teammates. Sterling’s shooting, skill and feel should help him see the floor somewhat early and impact winning in college.
2026 joe sterling overwhelms defenders with size and skill. he’s a handful for any defender at this level, love this bucket out of horns @PRO16League @TeamCPSA pic.twitter.com/UABR2EbizU
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) July 12, 2024
How he might fare in the SEC
At the college level, Sterling must prove he has the athletic twitch to blow by defenders without screens and defend explosive players, but his high feel and excellent hands add major defensive value. He’s already showcased his ability to impact both sides while creating on ball at the youth level which is a valuable indicator for projecting.
Sterling is poised to outplay his consensus ranking. Even without playing on a major shoe circuit, he’s garnered attention from major power programs in the SEC like Texas. He’ll have the chance to contribute on both ends from the jump and develop into an elite college point guard down the line.
