Texas Tech basketball: Five best-case scenarios for 2020-21

Shannon becomes a consistent contributor

The best NBA prospect on the current Texas Tech basketball roster is Terrence Shannon Jr.  In fact, some mock drafts have him as a potential first-round pick in next year’s draft.

But while there’s no question about his talent and athleticism, there remains a question about his consistency.  In fact, that was a point of emphasis that Beard recently brought up when talking about the sophomore from Chicago.

"“Consistency is something that he’s focused on,” Beard said last week.  “You can tell he’s trying to have back-to-back good possessions, back-to-back good drills, back-to-back good practices.  And ultimately, the measuring stick will be, can he put back-to-back good games together, back-to-back good weeks together?”"

Averaging 9.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last year as a true freshman, Shannon had an excellent debut season.  But far too often, he would have peaks and valleys and by the end of the season, he lost his starting job to redshirt freshman Kevin McCullar Jr.

Only twice last season did he put together a string of more than two-straight double-digit scoring games (each of those streaks was actually four games in length).  Meanwhile, in February and March, he scored in double digits only twice in eleven games.  He was even shut out in a win over Kansas State and he mustered just three points against Oklahoma State and TCU and only four points at Baylor.

Shannon was also inconsistent with his effort last year,  His defensive and rebounding intensity waned from game to game and possession to possession and that was why the ultra-consistent McCullar supplanted him in the rotation.

If Shannon can play every possession and every game with the same level of intensity, his ceiling is as high as any player’s on the roster.  It appears that consistency has been his offseason focus and should that translate to the court, he will be one of the best players in the Big 12.