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Texas Tech basketball: NCAA denies Joel Ntambwe’s waiver once again

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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Wednesday, we learned that the NCAA has once again denied the waiver of Joel Ntambwe, dealing a huge blow to the Texas Tech basketball team.

In Tuesday night’s 65-54 loss to TCU, the Texas Tech basketball team was once again dominated on the glass (as well as in a number of other areas).  That’s why Wednesday’s news that forward Joel Ntambwe has been denied eligibility by the NCAA for the second time in the last three months was especially difficult to swallow for Red Raider fans.

On his weekly radio show, Texas Tech Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt confirmed that the sophomore transfer from UNLV has had his reconsideration waiver denied meaning that he remains sidelined during a time when his team is in desperate need of more size and scoring in the post.  (The Kirby Hocutt Show airs Wednesdays at noon on Double-T 97.3 FM in Lubbock and can be streamed here.)

This is a tough blow to a Red Raider team that is being dominated on the boards almost nightly by Big 12 opponents.  In conference play, Tech is being outrebounded by an average of 4.4 boards per game.

In fact, Tech has won the rebounding battle only once in six conference games and that was against Oklahoma State, which is currently the only winless team in Big 12 play.  Ntambwe could be a tremendous help in that regard.

The 6-foot-9 native of The Congo averaged 5.5 rebounds last season as a true freshman.  He was the starting power forward for UNLV for the majority of the season moving into that spot on the floor after a teammate was lost to injury.  He had five double-digit rebounding games including a season-high 15 against Indiana State.

As currently constructed, the Red Raiders are just too small to battle elite big men in the Big 12 such as 6-foot-11 TCU center Kevin Samuel who had 11 points and 11 rebounds on Tuesday with seven of those rebounds being of the offensive variety.

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Grad transfer T.J. Holyfield is the team’s only legitimate post presence.  But the 6-foot-8 forward is not proving to be a rebounding machine as he’s averaging just four rebounds per game and had a mere two against TCU.

What’s more, Holyfield often struggles to stay on the floor because of foul trouble.  When that happens, Chris Beard usually has to turn to a 5-guard lineup with either 6-foot-6 Chris Clarke or 6-foot-7 Terrence Shannon Jr. as the biggest player on the floor for their team.

"“The biggest key to any…game is rebounding,” Beard said following Tuesday’s loss.  “If you’re going to get outrebounded, there’s still a way to win the game but it’s a fine line, it’s a small margin for error.  If you’re not going to rebound with your opponents, you’ve got to have a magical night.”"

What should terrify Texas Tech fans is that the next three games on the schedule are against Kentucky, West Virginia, and Kansas, three teams that have elite size inside.  Thus, if Ntambwe isn’t going to be part of the equation, one has to wonder where the answers for the Red Raiders lie.

At some point, Tech might have to simply live with the bumpy ride that is 7-foot freshman Russell Tchewa on the offensive end of the floor.  A 3-star signee in 2019, he’s 254-pounds giving him plenty of size to battle opposing big me but he’s as raw as steak tartare when it comes to his offensive game which has been a huge reason he’s seen only sparse playing time in conference play.

However, it might be worth the occasional fumbled pass or air-balled jumper if he can help at least slow down the opposition’s big men on the glass.  That feels like the only card left to play now that it appears that Ntambwe is not going to be part of this year’s team.

Hocutt did indicate that Tech could appeal to a four or five-person panel regarding Ntambwe’s eligibility and that he hopes to have a final answer from that panel at some point this week.  But given that the NCAA has already denied Ntambwe’s waiver twice, you can’t blame anyone in Scarlet and Black for feeling like that is a long shot at best.

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