Texas Tech In The Running For Another 2018 4-Star Guard
Texas Tech has been linked to 4-star guard Keonte Kennedy, a 2018 recruit from Austin, Texas.
Chris Beard is not one to let the grass grow beneath his feet. These days, it seems that almost any high-profile recruit with Texas ties is hearing from the Texas Tech head coach.
The latest target for Beard is Keonte Kennedy, a 4-star 2018 recruit (according to ESPN) from Austin, Texas. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound prospect signed a letter of intent with Xavier in November but appears to be back on the market.
Kennedy is rated the No. 18 player in Texas and checks in at No. 228 in the nation according to 247Sports.com (which has him rated a three-star prospect). Prior to signing with Xavier, he had offers from Texas Tech, Memphis, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech among others. 247Sports.com also reports that he received interest from Kansas, TCU, Iowa State and Michigan.
Stats on Kennedy are hard to pin down (as is the case with many high school basketball players since the AAU circuit, where statistics are not kept as diligently, has become so prevalent) but Rivals.com reports that he made 40% of his threes and scored 11 points per game with his AAU team.
Rivals also has the following scouting report following Kennedy’s commitment to Xavier.
"“Kennedy flew under the radar this summer, though his physical makeup and shooting abilities could equate to a major breakout at the college level. Capable of being used on the ball in spurts but best in spot-up opportunities, Kennedy should be able to leave a quick mark on [Xavier].”"
Texas Tech is now hoping to woo Kennedy away from Xavier after the Musketeers lost their head coach Chris Mack to Louisville. Kennedy would be a nice addition to the program in the wake of the departure of Zhaire Smith to the NBA.
However, Kennedy is not the only prospect Texas Tech is targeting to round out its 2018 signing class. 4-star point guard Isaac Likekele is set to visit Texas Tech next weekend.
Next: 2018 Basketball Signing Class Best In Texas Tech History
Now, the question is which prospect Beard would prefer. Furthermore, it is fair to wonder whether Beard could be in a position to potentially add both players if he makes room on the roster by releasing a player farther down on the depth chart like Josh Webster who played only 5.6 minutes per game and scored 0.3 points per game last season. But what Texas Tech fans can be certain of is the fact that Chris Beard will stop at nothing to improve his roster.