Boom! 3-star Forward Malik Ondigo Picks Texas Tech

The Texas Tech basketball program received a verbal commitment from 3-star center Malik Ondigo on Monday bolstering the 2017 recruiting class.

Chris Beard may soon come to be known in Lubbock as “The Closer”.  The Texas Tech basketball coach has picked up his second huge 2017 commitment in just over a week when Malik Ondigo picked the Red Raiders on Monday.

The Connecticut native was in Lubbock this past weekend for his official visit and he must have liked what Beard and company were offering.  Though he had recently visited Purdue and had spoken glowingly of the Biolermakers’ reputation for putting big men in the NBA, Ondigo decided that Texas Tech is where he will play his college basketball.

While many, including the Tech coaches, were unsure where Ondgio stood following his visit, he told the “Lubbock Avalanche Journal” that he knew what he wanted to do as soon as his visit was concluded.

"“I could sense the Tech coaches were nervous when they dropped me off at the airport…And I was joking around with my parents by saying, ‘So when am I signing?’”"

This development puts a nice bow on the 2017 Texas Tech basketball recruiting class.  Ondigo fills the only remaining hole in the class by adding a true low-post presence.

He is rated by the recruiting website 247sports.com as the No. 15 center prospect in the 2017 class.  Texas Tech needed to add another big man to next year’s roster with the loss of Anthony Livingston and likely Matthew Temple to graduation following this past season.

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Furthermore, the talented two-way player is an essential component of the Red Raider’s future nucleus.  With Zach Smith, Justin Gray, Keenan Evans, Niem Stevenson and transfer Tommy Hamilton IV set to graduate after the upcoming season, Beard had to stock up on talented high school prospects in this class.

Texas Tech has signed 3-star forwards Zhaire Smith  and Daniel Mading and 3-star guard Jarrett Culver as the high school center pieces to the 2017 class.  They are being supplemented by JUCO transfers Joshua Webster and Hyron Edwards.

This recruiting class is now one of the strongest in recent Texas Tech basketball history.  It could turn into the defining class of Beard’s tenure as was the case with the 2014 class and former coach Tubby Smith.

As for what Ondigo brings to the court, he is a bit of a throwback player.  He does not follow the trend of many of today’s 6-foot-10 high school players that want to play a perimeter game.

He does a great job of getting post position.  His soft hands allow him to finish around the rim with regularity, a skill that is often a struggle for young big men to refine.

Another positive trait in Ondigo’s game is that he keeps the ball high.  Once he receives the ball on the block, he does not bring it back below his shoulders.  Rather, he keeps it out of the reach of smaller defenders and quickly puts up a shot.

Like most high school prospects, he will need to work on his quickness and footwork as well as add some muscle to his frame to compete in the rugged Big 12.

Still, he brings to Texas Tech something that can’t be coached or developed; size.  After this season, Texas Tech’s only post presence was set to be 6-foot-8 Norense Odiase and he will be a senior next season.

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Therefore, landing Ondigo (or another quality post player) was a must for Chris Beard.  With that objective now accomplished the 2017 recruiting class appears to be complete and the future of Texas Tech basketball is looking up.