The University of Texas announced today that Dogus Balbay finally signed his LOI and will be playing on the 40 Acres next season. The coaching staff had been forced to wait and see if Balbay would qualify for the 2007-08 season, as the Turkish guard had to score acceptable marks on the TOEFL exam. The signing closes out the current Longhorn class at four members, including another foreign-born player in Alexis Wangmene.

Getting Balbay on the court for 07-08 is huge for a Texas team struggling with depth in its backcourt. Last year’s team would often grind to a halt on offense when D.J. Augustin needed a breather or was in foul trouble. The ability to bring in Balbay to spell the overworked Augustin will provide immediate help for the Horns.

Checking in at 6’1″, Balbay will also add a slight bit of height at the guard position. A.J. Abrams is listed at a generous 5-foot, 10-inches, while Augustin stands at 5’11”. And, according to Coach Barnes, Balbay is also going to provide a lift defensively.

“Dogus is an important pickup for our program, as he will provide us quality depth at the point guard position,” Barnes said. “He has a clever international game and good athleticism. Dogus is a strong perimeter defender and a good playmaker who has the ability to score in the lane.”

Fans of last year’s Texas squad know that perimeter defense was a huge liability. Hopefully the signing of this young guard will begin to turn that tide when the new-look Horns step on the court in just over five months.