Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

2018 Recruiting Class Is Best In School History On Paper

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 24: General view of ESPN's College Game Day prior to the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks on February 24, 2018 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - FEBRUARY 24: General view of ESPN's College Game Day prior to the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks on February 24, 2018 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The 2018 Texas Tech basketball signing class is shaping up to be the best in program history, especially if the Red Raiders can add one more star to the mix.

In year’s past, the Texas Tech basketball team has failed to capitalize on breakout seasons by following them up with recruiting classes that reflect the momentum of the program.  However, that trend seems to be coming to an end with the 2018 signing class, which is shaping up to be the best in program history.

Texas Tech currently has three commitments in its 2018 class.  Georgia high school forward Khavon Moore, Arlington, Texas point guard Kyler Edwards and South Plains JUCO forward Deshawn Corprew have Texas Tech rated as the fifth-best class in the Big 12 despite having only three signees thus far.

By comparison, the 2017 class was also rated No. 5 in the conference but had twice the number of players.  Even more impressive is the realization that in just two seasons, Chris Beard has gone from signing the worst class in the Big 12 (2016) to having arguably the best class Texas Tech has ever signed.

The star of the class is Moore, a 4-star forward with a silky smooth offensive game.  The 6-foot-8 forward is the No. 11 forward in the country and a top-50 national recruit.  Never has Texas Tech signed a more highly-rated high school prospect.

Another Texas Tech signee has also made waves nationally.  Point guard Kyler Edwards played at the basketball powerhouse Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nevada where he was teammates with one of the most highly prized recruits in the 2018 class, 7-foot-2 McDonald’s All-American Bol Bol (son of former NBA center Manute Bol).

The attention Bol brought to the team helped analysts see that Edwards, a 6-foot-4 point guard, was a fantastic prospect in his own right.  Edwards is the No. 148 prospect in the nation and the No. 4 recruit from Texas in 2018.  In any other season, he would have been the best Texas Tech recruit by far.

In fact, Edwards ranks higher as a recruit than Zhaire Smith (No. 194 nationally) or Jarrett Culver (No. 312 nationally) did a year ago.  That is not to suggest that Edwards will have the same success as Smith and Culver did in year one but it does show how highly regarded he is when compared to the other players in his class.

Likewise, Corprew is one of the top JUCO players in the nation.  As the No. 4 JUCO recruit in the country, the 6-foot-5 forward could be an immediate factor for Texas Tech next season as Beard looks to replace four key contributors at the forward position.

More from Wreck'Em Red

To get an understating of how strong this class is, consider the average prospect ranking of 0.92.  The 2017 class averaged 0.88 per prospect, a margin that is significant in the world of recruit rankings.  What’s more, Texas Tech has not had another class average over .90 per recruit since 247Sports.com has been posting class rankings (approximately fifteen years).

What’s more exciting is that the 2018 class could add another star player.  With the news that Zhaire Smith is entering the NBA Draft, Beard now has an extra scholarship to fill.

4-star prospect Isaac Likekele from Mansfield, Texas is a name to keep a close eye on.  He is set to visit Lubbock next weekend and has Texas Tech in his top three along with Oklahoma State and UTEP. If he commits to Texas Tech, he will make the strongest recruiting class in program history one of the top classes in the Big 12.

Unlike coaching staffs in years past, Chris Beard and his assistants are relentless on the recruiting trail.  Bob Knight and Tubby Smith were excellent coaches at Texas Tech but they lacked the youth and energy required to pound the road and haul in recruits and that lack of a grinder’s mentality rubbed off on their assistants.

Next: How Will Texas Tech Try To Replace Zhaire Smith?

Neither was able to capitalize on NCAA Tournament success by bringing in top recruits to keep the momentum moving forward.  That does not appear to be a concern with Chris Beard and his coaching staff.

Home/Texas Tech Basketball