Texas Tech basketball already working on 2021 class and it could be epic

The Texas Tech basketball program is turning its attention towards the 2021 recruiting class and there’s a chance that it could include multiple 5-star players.

The ink is barely dry on the Texas Tech basketball program’s 2020 signing class, the best in school history, and already Chris Beard is making waves in the class of 2021.  With two five-star targets squarely in his sights. the Red Raider head coach is already working on topping his most recent class, which is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation by 247Sports.com.

One target to keep an eye on is 5-star Dallas product, Harrison Ingram.  The 6-foot-7, 200-pound wing is rated the No. 17 player in the nation and the top player in Texas by 247Sports.

What’s more, he’s already set up a visit to Lubbock on January 25th.  The significance of that weekend is easy to grasp because that is when Kentucky will be in town for the Big 12 / SEC Challenge.

Already holding offers from the likes of Kansas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and every Big 12 school in Texas, Ingram is going to have plenty of teams trying to win his affection.

"Armand Sethi of the website Pypeline.co has the following thoughts on Ingram: “Ingram’s game is any coach’s dream. On the offensive side, he has a variety of skill sets that set him apart from the rest of the 2021 small forwards.“Ingram has the ability to play face up to the basket as well as with his back to the basket. Secondly, his range is really good for his position, as evidence by his three-point percentage. On the defensive side, his size and freakish athleticism should make him a strong rebounder. And Ingram hasn’t reached that potential against a high competition, yet. Overall, he can play every position which gives him a distinct advantage over other prospects in the 2021 recruiting class.”"

In reading up on Ingram, it’s hard not to be impressed with his family and their outlook on their son’s future.  For example, this 2017 article from The Undefeated takes a look at how important the educational side may be in Ingram’s decision, something that we don’t often hear about in the recruitment of a player that most think will be a one-and-done caliber of prospect.

Maybe this is where Beard’s love of Texas Tech and his ability to sell the university as an institution will pay dividends.  Make no mistake, this is a top priority for Beard and the Red Raiders are putting the full-court press on this in-state target.

But while Ingram would be the highest-ranked player to ever come to Tech, he isn’t the highest-rated 2021 target in Beard’s sights.  That would be the No. 1 player in the nation, Jonathan Kuminga.

The New Jersey native, who recently included Tech in his top 10, has offers from virtually every relevant program in the country including Duke, Kentucky, Auburn, Michigan, LSU and a host of others.  The 6-foot-8, 205-pounder is considered by many to be the best high school player in the country despite being just a junior this season.

Many have speculated that Kuminga may try to reclassify and jump to the class of 2020 but he says that’s not happening.  Still, it would be interesting to see how that decision, should he make the move, would impact Tech given that all three scholarships the program currently has available for next year are filled.

Make no mistake, if Kuminga wants to come to Tech, be that in 2020 or 2021, he will have a place in Beard’s program.  And there’s a great opportunity for Tech to sell Kuminga on the idea of being a Red Raider being as his brother is already representing the scarlet and the black…kind of.

Currently, Kuminga’s older brother, Joel Ntambwe is part of the Texas Tech basketball program.  But the 6-foot-8 transfer from UNLV has yet to play for Beard because he’s waiting to find out if the NCAA will grant him immediate eligibility for this season.

Don’t think that Ntambwe’s inclusion on this roster is only because of the chance to land Kuminga.  Scoring 11.8 points per game last year as a true freshman, Ntambwe is a fantastic player in his own right.

His length allows him to guard almost every spot on the court and last year, he played both small and power forward for the Running Rebels.  If Ntambwe is able to play this year, his presence will make this team absolutely lethal on both ends of the floor.

Granted, we are still a year away from the date that the class of 2021 can sign their national letters of intent.  However, Beard and his coaching staff are already putting in some serious work when trying to land both Ingram and Kuminga.  If he can land either, it will be a major win but if he can land both, the next Texas Tech signing class could be one for the ages.