Shaka Smart has noticed through the years, especially since he took the Texas job in 2015, that his players feel invincible. Their path is already chosen for them once they arrive. “The natural progression is you play a year or two,” Smart says, “and then play in the NBA.”



This season, Smart had two players on his roster for whom the dream was real: freshman center Mohamed Bamba, who most likely will have his name called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver in June, and sophomore guard Andrew Jones.



Jones may have been a first-round pick a year ago, when he was a raw but lightning-quick 6-4 point guard. He had the tools, but his game wasn’t quite ready. So Jones returned to Texas and had a fantastic start to the season. Adding another playmaker, Matt Coleman, freed Jones to score and show off his improved jump shot. Through eight games, he averaged 15.3 points and shot 43.2 percent from beyond the arc, a significant improvement from the 32.8...