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Here’s How Texas Tech Will Try To Replace Zhaire Smith

By Matthew Conner

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Zhaire Smith
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Zhaire Smith /
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The Texas Tech basketball team now knows it will be without Zhaire Smith who is headed to the NBA Draft this summer.  Here’s how Texas Tech might try to fill that massive void next season.

Anytime a team loses its second-leading scorer, leading rebounder, leading shot blocker and best defender, the reverberations will be felt throughout the program.  Such is the situation facing Texas Tech basketball in the wake of Zhaire Smith’s decision to remain in the NBA Draft and hire an agent.

The only way to find a player capable of doing everything Zhaire Smith did for Texas Tech would be to have the geneticists on campus clone him.  While that is not going to happen, there are ways Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard can reshape his roster to ensure Texas Tech can build off of this season and remain a factor in college basketball.

Find More Shooters

With Smith joining seniors Keenan Evans, Niem Stevenson, Zach Smith, Tommy Hamilton and Justin Gray as players leaving the program, Texas Tech must replace 53.1 points per game from a team that averaged just under 75 as a whole.  One way to make up for this loss in scoring is to find more three-point shooters.

Though Texas Tech ranked third in the Big 12 in three-point percentage (35.9%) they were second to last in number of threes made (252).  In 2018-19, look for the Red Raiders to be more aggressive from deep which could help make up for the loss of six of the team’s top eight scorers.

Texas Tech needs players like sophomore guard Davide Morretti (31.7%) and Brandone Francis (38.4%) to become more integral members of the offense by being more consistent from beyond the arc.  Likewise, newcomers like JUCO transfer Deshawn Corprew (36.5%) and Kyler Edwards (37%) need to prove capable of being complimentary offensive pieces in their first years and where new players (especially freshmen) often contribute most in their first year is from the three-point line.

Tech also needs to improve its shooting from distance because it will make the team more difficult to defend.  Teams that employ a zone defense often give Texas Tech problems because Tech is not proficient enough from deep to bring them out of the zone.

If Texas Tech can improve to fifth in the Big 12 in threes made per game, the loss of Zhaire Smith’s offensive production can be overcome.  Look for Chris Beard to build some different wrinkles into his motion offense to take advantage of what could be a roster with more three-point shooters at his disposal.

Grad Transfers

Texas Tech is one of the most active teams in the graduate transfer market.  Adding two of theses players could help bridge the game next season while highly rated high school prospects like Khavon Moore and Kyler Edwards grow into their roles at the collegiate level.

One of the top grad transfers available, Matt Mooney of South Dakota is high on Texas Tech and his 18 points per game would be a huge get for Chris Beard. But now that Beard has an extra scholarship to use in Zhaire Smith’s absence, he could possibly add a second grad transfer at guard or forward.

None of theses players will be able to do everything Zhaire Smith did for Tech but Beard now knows what he will be without and he can begin to recruit players that fill specific needs.  One factor to consider is defensive ability.

Zhaire Smith was Texas Tech’s best defender so any additional grad transfer Beard adds should be an above-average defender.  One candidate that fits that bill is Ehab Amin of Texas A&M Corpus Christi who led the NCAA in steals per game two seasons ago.

While it appeared that Beard was just looking to add one more grad transfer (in addition to the already signed center Tariq Owens) that strategy could change in the coming weeks in light of Smith’s decision.  Mooney originally seemed to be Texas Tech’s main grad transfer target but do not be surprised to see Beard visit some other high-profile transfers in the near future.

Better Interior Defense

While the acrobatic dunks and highlight reel plays are what Zhaire Smith will be most fondly remembered for, his greatest asset was his defensive versatility.  The 6-foot-5 freshman proved capable of guarding any position on the floor from point guard to power forward.

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Every game, Smith spent significant time on the opposition’s best player earning him the reputation as a defensive ace.  That is where he will be missed most next season.

Texas Tech’s defense was fantastic due in large part because of its ability to switch just about every ball screen.  Smith and fellow versatile forwards Justin Gray, Jarrett Culver, Zach Smith and Niem Stevenson were almost interchangeable on defense making the red raiders defense one of the toughest in the country.

Assuming Texas Tech will rely more on players like Davide Morretti and Brandone Francis next season, the team’s defensive versatility will not be as prevalent as both are limited defenders.  Also, the on-ball defense is likely to be less of a strength without Zhaire Smith.

To combat that, Tech needs to have better defensive play from its big men.  Newcomer Tariq Owens averaged almost three blocks per game last season for St. Johns and his ability to block shots and protect the rim make him a perfect fit at Texas Tech.  Likewise, sophomore big man Malik Ondigo must also set up and add more of a defensive presence with his long arms and leaping ability.  At times last season, Ondigo looked completely lost on the defensive end of the court but this year, he must start to put it together and be a solid rim protector and rebounder.

Next: Season In Review: Norense Odiase

Zhaire Smith was a once-in-a-generation talent who will not be replaced by the “next man up” philosophy.  Without him on the roster, Chris Beard must take his roster pieces and arrange them in a way to make the puzzle fit so that it resembles the beautiful picture he developed in last season’s Elite 8 run.

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