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Texas Tech basketball: Top questions facing Red Raiders during the offseason

By Matthew Conner

AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 08: Kevin McCullar #15 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders plays defense against the Texas Longhorns at The Frank Erwin Center on February 08, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 08: Kevin McCullar #15 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders plays defense against the Texas Longhorns at The Frank Erwin Center on February 08, 2020 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders  (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders  (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

Will Jahmi’us Ramsey go pro?

The biggest question Red Raider fans will be anxiously awaiting the answer to is whether or not the team’s leading scorer Jahmi’us Ramsey will head to the NBA after just one season in Lubbock.  In fact, that possibility has been debated since the moment he became the highest-rated player to ever sign with the program (a distinction that he has since handed over to 2019 signee Nimari Burnett).

Most projections have Ramsey going near the end of the first round (one CBSSports.com mock puts him at No. 24 to Denver).  In the NBA, it is important to be taken in the first round because only those players receive guaranteed contracts.

Thus, Ramsey has to seriously consider whether or not he is willing to take the gamble of possibly falling into the second round.  Should that happen, his chances of making an NBA roster would diminish because teams don’t feel as pressured to keep second-round picks on the roster given that their contracts are not guaranteed.

Also making Ramsey’s decision tougher this summer could be the elimination of NBA pre-draft workouts and evaluations.  Typically, players can go through workouts in front of NBA scouts and team executives and receive feedback before deciding whether to return to college or stay in the draft.

But this year the NBA Combine, which was scheduled for late May, has now been put on hold and is in danger of being canceled altogether because of the coronavirus outbreak.  Thus, players such as Ramsey that are not sure-fire top-15 picks have some tough decisions to make.

This year, Ramsey was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.  He averaged 15 points per game, good for fifth in the Big 12.

So it’s easy to see why Red Raider fans want him back.  Many think that his game is not yet ready for the NBA, especially when it comes to ball handling and creating off the dribble.  However, the NBA often drafts players based on potential, especially near the back of the first round and if Ramsey gets the sense that he is going to hear his name called in the first 30 picks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him become Tech’s second-ever one-and-done player.

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