Former Texas center Jason Klotz has died at 44, according to officials at the University of Texas, who confirmed the news to the Houston Chronicle on Thursday. No cause of death has been disclosed.
Klotz was a familiar name in Texas basketball circles long before his college days ended. The Klein Forest High School product spent five seasons with the Longhorns and was part of three consecutive Sweet 16 teams from 2003 through 2005.
He also suited up on the Texas squad led by T.J. Ford that advanced to the Final Four.
His time in Austin overlapped with another future pro, P.J. Tucker, and Tucker shared a message about Klotz’s death on social media Wednesday night.
"Damn dawg. This one hurts," Tucker wrote. "1 of 1!
(If you know, you know) When I first got to Austin, you (were) one of few that looked out for me. Too many memories.
Love you, brother, forever."
Klotz built his reputation on toughness and effort, the kind of player opponents remembered. After a Texas loss to the Longhorns in 2005, then-Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said that if he could add any Big 12 player to his roster, he would pick Klotz.
Before college, Klotz was already a force at Klein Forest. He helped lead the Golden Eagles to the state title game in 2000, where they lost to Ford’s Willowridge in an all-Houston final. In the state semifinal, he turned in a huge performance in a 30-point win over Duncanville, overpowering McDonald’s All-American and future Texas teammate Brian Boddicker.
Klotz later spent time on the Orlando Magic summer league team but never played in the NBA. His six-year professional career continued overseas with stops in China, Japan, Spain, Turkey, Holland and Uruguay.
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