Tulsa men’s basketball and new head coach Eric Konkol received a quick boost to 2022 recruiting with the commitments of two Houston area guards on April 5.

Jesaiah McWright of Cypress Falls (TX) and Brian “BB” Knight of Katy (TX) Tompkins both signed with Konkol and Louisiana Tech during the early signing period in November. After Konkol was hired at TU, both recruits asked for and received a release from their letters of intent with LA Tech, allowing them to once again be recruited.

It didn’t take long for the two talented prospects to show interest in Tulsa, and both announced their commitments to the Golden Hurricane on Tuesday.

“Ultimately, the relationship I have with Coach Konkol and the rest of the staff is what made me choose Tulsa,” Knight told Inside Tulsa Sports. “It’s bigger than basketball with them. They’re really good people.

“On top of that, the American is a great conference, Tulsa has nice facilities and a city that backs them up. Coach Konkol is known to play freshmen early as well, which is a huge bonus for me, trying to make a big impact early.”

Knight is a 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard out of Tompkins High School in Katy, just west of Houston. The 3-star prospect is rated as a Top 10 player in the Greater Houston Area by RCS Sports. Knight also held offers from Illinois, LSU, Minnesota, Washington State, Creighton, Wyoming and several others.

Knight missed most of his senior season due to injury but was still a McDonald’s All-American nominee. He averaged 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals as a junior while shooting 41 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the line. He was named First Team 19-6A All-District, Academic All-District and is Tompkins' career leader in threes made.

“I use my length really well, standing at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan -- it helps me on the defensive side,” Knight explained. “My jump shot is the best part of my game -- being able to make shots is what I really focus on -- and my athleticism, being able to play above the rim, is a big part of my game.”

Jesaiah McWright is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard out of Cypress Falls High School in Houston and is ranked as the third best player in the Greater Houston Area by RCS Sports. Aside from Tulsa, he also held offers from Texas A&M, Colorado State, Rice, North Texas, Louisiana Tech and others.

As a senior, McWright averaged 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. For his efforts, he was named District 16-6A boys’ basketball Most Valuable Player and TABC All-State.

He averaged 15 points, six rebounds and four assists as a junior and is a two-time First Team 16-6A All-District and Academic All-District selection as well as a District 16-6A High Jump champion in track and field.

Tulsa still has an open scholarship in the 2022 class, and that number could grow, as the Hurricane’s returning players and early signees evaluate their situations after the coaching change.

TU signed 4-star guard DJ Jefferson and 3-star forward Charles Chukwu in the November signing period. Jefferson has publicly acknowledged his intention to re-open his recruitment, but as of early this week, had not formally gone through the process of receiving a release from his letter of intent.

Chukwu has not asked for a release, and both players are in contact with the new TU coaching staff. As it stands, Tulsa currently has one open scholarship, but that number will likely increase.

Konkol and his staff are paying heavy attention to the transfer portal. More than ten D-1 transfers have reported contact with the new TU coaching staff, and about five are being heavily recruited by Tulsa, including OSU transfer Keylan Boone, who is expected to make an unofficial visit to TU on Thursday. The full list can be found in Hurricane Alley.

Stay tuned to Inside Tulsa Sports for all the latest scoop on TU basketball and recruiting, and check out highlights below of Tulsa's two new commitments.