Wreck'Em Red
Fansided

Texas Tech basketball: Wildcards on the 2019-20 Red Raider roster

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: The Texas Tech Red Raiders stand for the national anthem prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 08: The Texas Tech Red Raiders stand for the national anthem prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four National Championship game against the Virginia Cavaliers at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Freshman Terence “T.J.” Shannon Jr. will be a key player off the bench

Last year, Beard had just a 3-man bench.  This year, he may have more options but being as his only returner from last year’s reserves, sophomore Kyler Edwards is set to join the starting rotation, someone else has to emerge to lead Tech’s second wave of talent.

Look for true freshman T.J. Shannon to be one of the first players Beard brings off his bench.  If the Chicago native proves as ready to contribute as his recruiting ranking suggests he should be, he will help this team tremendously.

Were it not for Ramsey, Shannon would be the most hyped true freshman on the roster.  He was ranked the No. 86 player in the nation and rated as a 4-star signee.  With offers from the likes of Louisville, North Carolina, Florida State, Illinois, and Texas A&M, it is easy to see how big of a win he was for Beard on the recruiting trail.

Possibly as athletic as Ramsey, Shannon is a slasher who can get to the rim.  He will also be a fantastic defender for Beard because of his tremendous motor and intensity, which is already earning him a reputation inside the program.

The question is whether he will be able to provide consistent offense.  That’s going to be something Tech must find off the bench this year with Edwards likely to start.

As it stands, every player coming off the bench will be a freshman (unless sophomore walk-on Avery Benson earns a regular role).  Shannon is the most hyped of that group but his game needs work.

His jump shot is far from college-ready.  The lefty is going to have to put in significant work in order to improve that aspect of his game.

There seems to be no reason to believe that he won’t but how quickly that pays dividends will be key.  If Shannon has a successful first season for the Red Raiders, especially offensively, Beard’s bench will be a true asset given the type of raw talent that he will bring into the game.

Home/Texas Tech Basketball