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Texas Tech basketball: What the addition of Joel Ntambwe means for the program

By Matthew Conner

RENO, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 27: Tre'Shawn Thurman #0 of the Nevada Wolf Pack watches as Joel Ntambwe #24 of the UNLV Rebels takes a jump shot during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the UNLV Rebels at Lawlor Events Center on February 27, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images)
RENO, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 27: Tre'Shawn Thurman #0 of the Nevada Wolf Pack watches as Joel Ntambwe #24 of the UNLV Rebels takes a jump shot during the game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the UNLV Rebels at Lawlor Events Center on February 27, 2019 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

The 2020 Texas Tech basketball recruiting class is going to be small

With this final scholarship, many wondered if Beard was going to target another grad transfer who would be able to contribute immediately.  And it would not have been a surprise to see Tech try to add another big man but that group is now quite picked over.

So as it stands, Tech is going to have only two seniors on the roster this season, the two grad transfers Holyfield and Clarke.  Thus, Beard may only have to fill two scholarships in the next recruiting cycle.

Of course, there will almost certainly be some other players to leave the program next offseason as is the case with virtually every program in the nation.  Guard Davide Moretti may decide to pursue a professional basketball career in his native Europe where his father is a head coach in the Italian league.   Or one of the young players on next year’s team that does not find his playing time as plentiful as expected may pursue other options as was the case with Ondigo and Mballa this offseason.

Still, there is reason to believe that the next class Beard puts together is going to be far smaller than the 2019 class, which includes five true freshmen, three transfers and two redshirt freshmen who were added during the 2019 recruiting cycle and joined the program in January.

Two names to keep an eye on are Micah Peavy, a 4-star guard from Duncanville, TX who is the No. 61 player in the nation and the teammate of 2019 Tech signee Jahmius Ramsey and Moses Moody, a 4-star shooting guard from Florida who is the No. 34 player in the class of 2020.

It would also make sense for Beard to try to add a big man next year to help offset the loss of Holyfield.  And currently, two 2020 power forwards and two 2020 centers hold offers from Beard. But because Ntambwe can also play in the post, he could help fill that role after this season meaning that the next round of recruiting for Chris Beard will be far less expansive than the unbelievable chore he faced in putting together the class of 2019.

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