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Texas Tech basketball: Why Jahmi’us Ramsey should wait to go pro

By Matthew Conner

LAWRENCE, KANSAS - FEBRUARY 01: Jahmi'us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders pass the ball around David McCormack #33 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on February 01, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KANSAS - FEBRUARY 01: Jahmi'us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders pass the ball around David McCormack #33 of the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on February 01, 2020 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /
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Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders passes the ball (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /

Ramsey isn’t a guaranteed first-round pick

Perhaps the best reason for Ramsey to return to school is the fact that he could improve his stock greatly if he takes his game to another level next season.  Right now, he’s just projected to be a mid-20s pick, which is dangerously close to being out of the first round.

The goal for any underclassmen is to be a lottery pick, which is one of the top 14 selections.  That’s because the No. 14 pick in the 2019 Draft made a salary of $2,878,400 per year while the No. 30 pick (the last pick in the first round) made just half of that at $1,611,700.

What’s more, only first-round picks are given guaranteed rookie salaries.  That’s important because if Ramsey isn’t one of the first 30 picks, he could easily be cut because his team will not be on the hook for his salary should they decide not to keep him on the roster.

Meanwhile, if he comes back and establishes himself as a potential lottery pick, he could more than double what he might make on his rookie deal while also guaranteeing his salary and his spot on a team for his rookie year.  The ditches of the NBA are littered with players that thought they were first-round picks only to find that they were destined for the second round, thus making their journey to the NBA infinitely more difficult and we’d hate to see that happen to Ramsey.

Six players in Texas Tech history have been second-round picks.  Only two have had NBA careers longer than three years.  Jason Sasser (1996 Draft) and Mark Davis (1995 Draft) each played six years in the Association while the program’s leading scorer, Andre Emmett, was only in the NBA for two years after being taken in the second round in 2004 as was Cory Carr, who was taken in the second round of the 1998 Draft.

If Ramsey enters the draft this year, he will be gambling on being a first-round pick.  Some mocks even have him falling to the second pick of the second round.  Thus, it might be wise for him to return so that he can elevate his stock and make his decision less risky.

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