Texas Tech basketball: We may never see Joel Ntambwe in the Scarlet and Black

With considerable smoke in the air concerning Joel Ntambwe heading to the NBA G League, Texas Tech fans have to face the fact that we may never see the transfer forward in the Scarlet and Black.

After waiting for a calendar year and having to fight through three different appeals to the NCAA for eligibility, not it appears as if Joel Ntambwe might never actually suit up for the Texas Tech basketball program after all.  That’s because enough sources are reporting that the former UNLV transfer is heavily leaning towards going to the NBA G Leauge that it makes that scenario seem like a distinct possibility, if not a probability.

The website TexasTechmbbinsider.com is reporting that the 6-foot-9 gifted scorer is the only returning player not on campus going through summer workouts.  That’s likely because he is working out on his own to prepare for the G League evaluation process.

https://twitter.com/TTUmbbinsider/status/1281982036450910209?s=20

This wouldn’t be the first time that Ntambwe has tested the professional waters.  After his true freshman season at UNLV, he put his name in the Draft pool but decided to return to college after going through the evaluation process.

However, this time around, the G League seems to be his possible destination.  That’s because his NBA Draft stock has to be at its lowest being as he was forced to sit out all of the 2019-20 season after three times being denied immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

Of course, earlier this week, his younger brother, Jonathan Kuminga decided to head to the G League instead of joining Ntambwe in Lubbock.  Now, the two are reportedly trying to team up and get paid at the same time.

Recently, Chris Beard appeared on the Full Court Press podcast (which is linked in the above Tweet) and he was asked about Ntambwe’s status.  While he gave us no definitive information, when we read between the lines, it sure sounds like Ntambwe is on his way out of the program.

"“Yeah, I don’t have a lot of update right now with Joel. It’s a popular question now, and obviously is [having his] decision time,” Beard said.“What I can tell you with Joel is, he’s a great big brother to his younger brother. It’s been pretty cool to watch him, how he takes care of his family so what we’re wishing for here is really simple. We just hope that his brother makes the best decision for him and things work out for Joel as well.”More from Wreck'Em RedTexas Tech football: Red Raider fans need to know about these MountaineersTexas Tech football: Red Raiders land first commit for class of 2025Texas Tech football: Why have the Red Raiders struggled on the road under McGuire?Texas Tech football: Why the Red Raiders can compete for a Big 12 titleTexas Tech football: Plenty of questions remain as conference play arrives"

The fact that Beard hopes “things work out” for Ntambwe makes one fear that he is referencing the sophomore’s decision to leave school early and risk his future in the professional game.  After all, were he to be set on coming back, Beard would be more confident in Ntambwe’s future.

Remember, Ntambwe is a gifted offensive player.  As a true freshman at UNLV, he averaged 11.8 points per game.  And in our detailed scouting report on him, we discussed how he could be a tremendous asset to a Red Raider roster that is being forced to replace last season’s two top scorers, Jahmi’us Ramsey and Davide Ramsey.

If Ntambwe isn’t part of next year’s team, that will put a greater responsibility on sophomore Terrence Shannon Jr. to develop into the player that many predict he will be this season after an impressive but up-and-down freshman campaign.  It would also mean that Tech will need incoming forwards Esahia Nywie and Vlad Goldin, both of whom have to be considered much larger projects than Ntambwe, to be ready to contribute right away as the REd Raiders will need their size in the post.

But Ntambwe might not be as solid of a defender as Beard would like.  In 2018-19, his defensive rating (an estimate of the number of points he allowed per 100 possessions) was just 104.8.  By contrast, no player on last year’s Red Raider team allowed more than Moretti’s 98.4.

What might be the most frustrating aspect of all of this for Texas Tech basketball fans would be the fact that we have spent the better part of the last year almost obsessing over Ntambwe’s eligibility status and now all of that concern might have been for naught.

Also, it is yet another question about what next year’s roster will look like just when we thought we had finally gotten clarity on who might be part of the 2020-21 team.  But this is an important development to monitor as it could drastically alter the next season of Red Raider hoops, one that will arrive with massive expectations from the fan base.