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Texas Tech basketball: 3 Red Raiders that aren’t being talked about enough

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 21: Guard Kevin McCullar of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots a free throw during the first half of the college basketball game against the Tennessee State Tigers on November 21, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 21: Guard Kevin McCullar of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots a free throw during the first half of the college basketball game against the Tennessee State Tigers on November 21, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 10: Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard reacts during the second half of their game against the Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden on December 10, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 10: Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard reacts during the second half of their game against the Louisville Cardinals at Madison Square Garden on December 10, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) /

As we get ready for the upcoming Texas Tech basketball season, these three Red Raiders aren’t being discussed enough in terms of their potential impact.

The Texas Tech basketball season is now less than two weeks away and fans are starting to turn their attention from yet another disappointing football season to what we expect to be a fascinating year on the hardwood.

What makes this year so intriguing is the fact that the Red Raiders are expected to be one of the best teams in the nation while working seven newcomers into the mix.  While that’s become the standard operating procedure for Beard in Lubbock, it still flies in the face of conventional wisdom.

Even in the modern age of one-and-done players and the transfer portal, we are conditioned to believe that continuity is one of the keys to success in sports and that belief is reflected in the top of the preseason rankings.

For instance, four of the five projected starters for No.1 Gonzaga are returners from last year’s team.  Likewise, No. 2 Baylor returns all of last year’s key pieces outside of forward Freddie Gillespie, who was their defensive anchor.  Meanwhile, No. 5 Iowa returns its entire starting five including dominant center Luka Garza.

The same can’t be said for Tech which saw starters Davide Moretti, Jahmi’us Ramsey, and T.J. Holyfield, as well as sixth man Chris Clarke all, leave the program.  However, the reality is that Chris Beard has done a masterful job of replacing that talent by bringing in players that are more talented than those that departed over the offseason.

For example, Georgetown transfer Mac McClung actually had a higher scoring average last year than Ramsey (15.7 p.pg. to 15 p.p.g.).  And VCU transfer Marcus Santos-Silva is a much better fit on this team than Holyfield was given how rugged of an interior presence he is.

What’s more, Beard has supplemented his roster by adding the best recruiting class in Texas Tech history.  Rated no. 1 in the Big 12 and no. 10 in the nation, the 2020 signing class has two top-50 recruits (guard Nimari Burnett and forward Micah Peavy) and another (Chibuzo Agbo) who ranked the top 120 recruits in the country.

Thus, there is plenty of buzz around this year’s team, especially with all these highly-anticipated newcomers.  However, there are some potential key players on the roster who aren’t getting as much buzz as they should.  So let’s take a look at the Red Raiders that might be a bit overlooked as the season begins but who could play significant roles on this year’s team.

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