After a seemingly interminable wait in the NCAA Clearinghouse, J’Covan Brown was deemed academically eligible on Monday. Brown’s inclusion on the roster puts the Longhorns over the limit for scholarship athletes this season, meaning that — barring a transfer — one player will have to pay his own way. Former Florida Gator Jai Lucas seems the most likely to do so, thanks to his father’s NBA past, but Spurs owner R.C. Buford is the guardian of big man Alexis Wangmene, giving Barnes and the ‘Horns even more flexibility for the roster puzzle.

Texas was already lined up to be one of the deepest teams in the nation this season, particularly in the paint. But Brown’s newfound eligibility will give the Longhorns another new option in a backcourt that struggled for much of last year. Although the season is still 80 days away, this latest bit of good news has the buzz around this Texas team is at an all-time high.