Why No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez could end up choosing Oklahoma Sooners over Texas Longhorns and Texas Tech

Monterey Lady Plainsmen star Aaliyah Chavez is the most sought-after women's basketball recruit right now, and only five schools remain in contention for her: UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Of the five, Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma are considered the favorites, as these schools are closest to her.

The question now is: What edge does Oklahoma have over the other schools in her final five? The edge may be Sooners coach Jennie Baranczyk herself, as Chavez has been very vocal about her admiration for the tactician.

Another advantage the Sooners may have is their proximity to her hometown of Lubbock. Norman, Oklahoma, is 100 miles closer to Lubbock than Austin, where Texas is located. However, this does not give Oklahoma an advantage over Texas Tech, as the school is in Lubbock, making it her hometown school.

As for the money, Aaliyah Chavez is said to have an asking price of $1 million in NIL deals. This is the reason why Kim Mulkey and LSU dropped out of the race for the star point guard. However, the Sooners are expected to meet this price.

In terms of playing time, Oklahoma would also be an ideal school for her, as the current roster is veteran-heavy, with many players expected to leave by the end of the season.

When Chavez arrives, she is expected to be the star player and could be the key to helping the Sooners reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013, or even the Elite 8 for the first time since 2010.

The 5-foot-11 guard has been dominant throughout her high school career. She is one of the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) girls basketball all-time leading scorers, ranking No. 7 with 4,389 career points. She is a scoring machine, making her a highly sought-after centerpiece for any program.

Other schools that can get Aaliyah Chavez

As for the other schools, South Carolina is considered the least likely to land Aaliyah Chavez, though the school has deep enough pockets to compete for her on the NIL front and allow her to grow her brand. The same can be said for UCLA, which, despite being far from Lubbock, is still one of the favorites.

Texas has both the financial resources and the women's basketball program to attract Aaliyah Chavez. It is also one of the nearest schools to her hometown.

Texas Tech checks all the boxes. It is her hometown school and plans to build a team around her should she choose to stay in Lubbock, similar to how Iowa built its program around Caitlin Clark.