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Texas Tech basketball: Big men in transfer portal that could help Red Raiders

By Matthew Conner

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 08: Matt Haarms #32 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts to a play in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall on February 08, 2020 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 08: Matt Haarms #32 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts to a play in the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall on February 08, 2020 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
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Matt Haarms #32 of the Purdue Boilermakers  (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Matt Haarms #32 of the Purdue Boilermakers  (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Matt Haarms – Purdue

As soon as 7-foot-3 Purdue center Matt Haarms entered the transfer portal on Monday, Texas Tech fans began discussing whether or not he would be a fit with the Red Raiders.  The jury is still out but as far as has been reported, he’s not heard from Tech as of late Monday night.

Originally from the Netherlands, he averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and two blocks per game this past season.  And of course, his size is tantalizing given that no regular member of this season’s Red Raider team was over 6-foot-9.

But many wonder if Haarms is a fit for what Tech wants its big men to be able to do.  Is a player who is that tall capable of playing in Beard’s switch-everything defense where he will often have to check guards and wings in one-on-one situations?  What’s more, can he be an asset in the motion offense or does he have to play a traditional big man’s game with his back to the basket?

"A scout recently gave the following analysis of Haarms to Stadium’s Jeff Goodman: “He can really run the floor and protect the rim. He plays with energy and is a good shooter to the 3-point line, but needs to shoot the 3 at a higher percentage. He is an average rebounder and is also a good passer.”"

Being a good passer would certainly be a requirement in the motion offense and the fact that he plays with energy and can shoot well in the mid-range would indicate that he could be useful for Tech.  Rim protection is also something Beard would like to add but the fact that he’s just an “average rebounder” might not make him the ideal fit for what this team needs.

Red Raider fans got to see Harms in the 2018 Sweet 16.  Starting for Purdue against Tech that night as a true freshman, he scored four points, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked two shots in 23 minutes in Tech’s 78-65 win.

In the end, the old saying that “you can’t coach height” remains true.  But that height also has to be able to be more than just capable of taking up space in the middle.  There are legitimate concerns about whether Haarms is a fit in Tech’s system and that’s something only Beard and his assistants will know for certain.

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