Texas Tech basketball: 3 players that will be x-factors this season

For the 2020-21 Texas Tech basketball team, the following three players will be x-factors who could shift the balance of the entire season.

If there was ever a year for Chris Beard to try to get his team to embrace being uncomfortable, it would be 2020-21 when nothing inside or outside of the game of college basketball is going to be guaranteed.  Now, using the word as his team’s theme for the season, the fifth-year head coach is trying to prepare his team for what could be the most unpredictable and unprecedented season anyone has ever seen.

"“It’s just what elite people do.” Beard said last month.  “You know, comfortable gets you beat every single time.  You see it all the time in sports…It takes a special person, we use the word “elite”, to remain uncomfortable.”"

Uncomfortable has been the norm in Lubbock during Beard’s tenure.  Given the type of turnover that Beard brings to his roster on an annual basis, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the program being too set in their ways.  That’s certain to again be the case this season with seven newcomers added to the mix.

"“I think uncomfortable is where growth comes from,” Beard said.  “Uncomfortable is what you have to be to play and compete in the Big 12.  So our guys have really embraced this.”"

But while Beard has vowed to make his players as uncomfortable as possible, external forces will do the same.  That’s because the Big 12 is going to be as top-heavy as we’ve seen in quite some time.

In fact, Andy Katz of NCAA.com has five teams from this conference (Baylor, Kansas, Tech, Texas, and West Virginia) in the top 25 of his preseason power rankings.  What’s more, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State were just outside of his top-36.

Thus, the Red Raiders won’t be able to take almost anything for granted in the conference this year, not that Beard would let them to begin with.  And if this team keeps its edge, the head coach believes they can be in the Big 12 and National Title races.

"“…if this group can stay uncomfortable because we like our talent, we like our culture, if this team can keep pushing, don’t get too high, too low, just stay uncomfortable right there in the median, we think we have a great chance to grow,” he said."

Growth will be the key to this season because there are a number of players who will need to grow into new or expanded roles in order for the Red Raiders to maximize their full potential.  So let’s take a look at three members of the 2020-21 team who will have important roles to play and who should be considered x-factors given that their growth will be imperative for Beard’s program.