Top 2017 Basketball Signee Jordan Brangers Will Not Attend Texas Tech
Jordan Brangers, one of the top signees in the Texas Tech basketball 2017 class has announced he will not attend Texas Tech creating a large hole for Chris Beard to fill.
The Texas Tech basketball team struggled all season to find a consistent 3-point shooter. Chris Beard believed that he had solved that problem by signing South Plains Junior College swingman Jordan Brangers.
But on Wednesday, news broke that Brangers has informed Tech that he plans to attend college closer to his home state of Kentucky to be near his grandmother who is in ill health.
"In a statement released to the “Lubbock Avalanche Journal”, Brangers said, “After talking with my family, I have decided that it would be best to continue my college athletic career closer to home to be near my grandma in this difficult time.“I appreciate Coach (Chris) Beard for allowing this to happen for me. I will always be appreciative of the interest Texas Tech had in me and only wish that circumstances were different. This has been a very difficult time, and I want to thank everyone for their understanding in this decision.”"
This news is a significant blow to the immediate future of the Texas Tech basketball program. Beard and his staff were counting on Brangers, who averaged 20.9 points per game last season, to be a much-needed scoring threat next year.
His outside shot (Brangers made a South Plains record 151 three-ponters in 2016-17) looked to be a perfect complement to the Red Raiders roster. Tech was only eighth in the Big 12 with 212 threes made last season.
The Red Raiders have plenty of players like Keenan Evans, Zach Smith, Justin Gray and Niem Stevenson which are considered slashers capable of getting to the rim. But the team is sorely deficient from outside.
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One newcomer, DePaul transfer Tommy Hamilton IV should help in this area. The 6-foot-11 center sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. In his last season at DePaul, he connected on 44% of his three-point-shots.
Hamilton should help replace the lost three-point production of graduated forward Anthony Livingston who shot just under 40% from beyond the arc. However, Texas Tech once again finds itself looking for a perimeter scorer capable of knocking down outside shots.
Chris Beard must continue to hunt for an impact shooter capable of contributing immediately. Thus, do not be surprised to see him turn to another JUCO player to fill that role.
The good news is that Beard has proven to be a tireless recruiter. His energy, passion and drive have been evident to anyone that has paid close attention to his first year on the job in Lubbock.
Many thought that Beard would add yet another signee to the 2017 class even though basketball signing day has come and gone. Now that appears to be a certainty.
Brangers’ decision is understandable and everyone wishes him and his family well. Still, this leaves Texas Tech scrambling at a position that is in definite need of an upgrade.
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Where Beard goes from here is anyone’s guess at this moment but one thing is for sure, he is likely already on the job and hitting the recruiting trail harder than ever.