Texas Tech basketball adds grad transfer T.J. Holyfield
The Texas Tech basketball team has added a huge piece to next season’s team by landing 6-foot-8 forward T.J. Holyfield who will fill a critical role for the Red Raiders.
During its run to the 2019 Final Four, the Texas Tech basketball program relied heavily on two grad transfers, Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens, to play key roles. And because that duo averaged a combined 20 points, 8.9 rebounds, four assists and 2.5 blocks per game, other programs around the nation have begun to take a stronger interest in using grad transfers to supplement their rosters.
But just being able to secure commitments from the college basketball version of free agents is no guarantee of success. After all, there are inherent challenges in bringing aboard a player from a completely different program and asking him to assimilate to your culture and way of doing business in a matter of only months.
Such factors as scheme fit, personality and a host of other unforeseen variables can determine whether graduate transfers are going to be able to truly transform their new program into a contender. For instance, had Matt Mooney, who was a ball-dominant lead scorer for two seasons at South Dakota before coming to Tech, not bought in to the defensive culture of his new team, he would not have been near the asset that he proved to be as one of the best on-ball defenders in the nation.
This is where having a coach with Chris Beard’s background is invaluable. A lifelong basketball nomad who has had coaching stints in the ABA, the JUCO and the D-II ranks, Beard has had plenty of training on how to mold ever-evolving rosters into cohesive units in short order. Thus far, Beard has had 12 stops on his coaching journey and all but two of those stints have lasted no longer than two years.
Therefore, coaxing the most out of a team comprised of new parts has become quite the specialty for Tech’s head coach. And on Saturday, Beard picked up a commitment from yet another new piece when grad transfer T.J. Holyfield committed to the Red Raiders.
The 6-foot-8 forward picked the Red Raiders over offers from Kansas and Illinois, the latter of which is coached by Brad Underwood, who recruited and signed Holyfield at Stephen F. Austin. But Illinois managed to go just 12-21 last season making it seem unlikely that Holyfield would be able to compete in the NCAA Tournament with the Illini next season. And one must wonder if he felt like he could play as significant of a role at Kansas where Udoka Azubukie and Silvio De Sousa are expected to start in the post.
At Tech, Holyfield immediately becomes the team’s best post player. After losing Tariq Owens and Norense Odiase, the Red Raiders are short on experience in the front court and prior to Holyfield’s commitment, there were no seniors on next year’s team.
Therefore the fact that one of the best grad transfers available is now set to join the Texas Tech basketball program is a huge development. So let’s take a closer look at the player the Red Raiders are getting in T.J. Holyfield.