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3-Star Texas Tech Basketball Target To Decide Saturday

By Matthew Conner

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders calls out instructions in the second half against the Florida Gators during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders calls out instructions in the second half against the Florida Gators during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Three-star high school prospect Keonte Kennedy, one of the top targets for the Texas Tech basketball program, will announce his college choice this Saturday.

It has been quite entertaining to watch Chris Beard operate on the recruiting trail in the two months since the end of the Texas Tech basketball season.  The Red Raider head coach has seemingly been anywhere there is a quality prospect to be found.

But while Beard has had success in landing two of the top graduate transfers on the market in center Tariq Owens and forward Matt Mooney, he has not brought in a high school prospect since the end of February.  That could change this weekend.

Austin, Texas native Keonte Kennedy, a three-star prospect is set to make his college decision Saturday.  He has narrowed his list to Texas Tech, Xavier and SMU.

https://twitter.com/KeonteKennedy/status/999077378835042304

The 6-foot-4, 175-pound guard committed to Xavier in October and signed a letter of intent with the Musketeers in November.  But when former Xavier head coach Chris Mack left to be the head coach at Louisville in April, Kennedy was granted his release from his letter of intent.

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That is when Texas Tech entered the picture.  Now, Beard is hoping to add him to a 2018 high school signing class that already includes four-star Georgia forward Khavon Moore and three-star Nevada point guard Kyler Edwards as well as JUCO transfer Deshawn Corprew from South Plains JC.

Kennedy is a versatile forward with a seven-foot wing span.  His most exciting trait is an ability to hit jumpers and three-pointers off the dribble, something Texas Tech needs to add with the loss of 2017 senior point guard Keenan Evans.

Shooting nearly 40% from deep for his club team, the No. 18 overall prospect in Texas averaged 11 points per game playing on one of the top club circuits in the nation.  He would be a welcome addition to a Texas Tech basketball team trying to replace six key contributors from last year’s Elite 8 team.

But 247Sports.com does not have the Red Raiders as the favorite to land Kennedy.  The site gives SMU a 56% chance and Xavier a 33% chance to be Kennedy’s choice while listing Texas Tech as having just an 11% chance.

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Still, with Chris Beard and his staff, Texas Tech basketball fans have to believe that the Red Raiders have as good of a shot as any program when it comes to landing any recruit.  Here’s hoping that Saturday will bear that out again and Texas Tech will add another key piece for the future.

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