As the football team hosts Kansas State and Vince Young revists the Forty Acres, the UT basketball staff is also busy. Jeff Taylor, Jr. will be in Austin on a recruiting visit this weekend, and word on the street is that the Horns are extremely high on the kid. But before the weekend’s visit even begins, the basketball offices in Belmont are already riding high from great news elsewhere on the recruiting front. Louisiana’s Greg Monroe trimmed his list of schools today, and Texas remains a part of the exclusive club.

Monroe, ranked as the #1 recruit by Rivals.com, narrowed his list of schools to five, all of whom will receive a visit. The Greg Monroe tour starts next weekend with hometown school LSU, considered one of the two favorites in the recruiting chase. The following weekend, Georgetown hosts the high school star, and most think the Hoyas are leading the hunt. Connecticut and the Dukies join Texas in the final five, although the Huskies and Horns have not yet scheduled visits with Monroe.

Meanwhile, the Horns will be pushing hard for Taylor, a Swedish national and son of a former Texas Tech guard. Jeff played his high school ball back in the States, having lived in New Mexico with his uncle the last few years. Both Tech and New Mexico are working their ties to try to land the kid, but Mark Few and Gonzaga are still recruiting Taylor, who spent his summer playing for the U18 Swedish national team.

If you happen to see Jeff on campus this weekend, be sure to shout out a quick hello. It certainly can’t hurt to have him already feeling like the Big Man on Campus.