Texas Tech basketball all-decade team: The power forwards

Honorable mention

Before we get to the all-decade power forwards, we must take a look at some players that just missed the cut.  That starts with one of the key players from this program’s renaissance, Zach Smtih.

From 2014-17, the 6-foot-8 Plano, Texas native was part of the class that helped reverse the fortunes of the program.  He averaged 8.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game and he ranks second in program history with 158 blocks, just four behind Tony Battie.

One of the pioneers in the graduate transfer movement at Tech, Anthony Livingston followed Chris Beard from Arkansas State to Tech in 2016-17.  In his lone year as a Red Raider, he averaged 9.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

JUCO transfer Kader Tapsoba averaged 2.3 points per game and 1.3 rebounds in 56 games for Tech from 2012-14.  Meanwhile, 6-foot-8 Aaron Ross was a stretch-four who was the best outside shooter on the roster for much of his career, which ran from 2013-17.  In 111 games, he averaged 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 35.1% from 3-point range.

Of course, right now the current team features a player who is the perfect example of how the power forward position is evolving.  6-foot-8 grad transfer T.J. Holyfield is a modern post player who is more comfortable running the floor and playing away from the basket than he is posting up on the blocks.  That’s likely what the future of the position will continue to look like for the Red Raiders.