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Texas Tech basketball: Preseason accolades for the Red Raider roster

By Matthew Conner

AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 22: Terrence Shannon Jr. #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives the ball in the first half of the play at Hilton Coliseum on February 22, 2020 in Ames, Iowa. The Texas Tech Red Raiders won 87-57 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - FEBRUARY 22: Terrence Shannon Jr. #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives the ball in the first half of the play at Hilton Coliseum on February 22, 2020 in Ames, Iowa. The Texas Tech Red Raiders won 87-57 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /
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WICHITA, KS – MARCH 08: Jamarius Burton #2 of the Wichita State Shockers pulls the ball away from Darien Jackson #11 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the second half at Charles Koch Arena on March 8, 2020 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
WICHITA, KS – MARCH 08: Jamarius Burton #2 of the Wichita State Shockers pulls the ball away from Darien Jackson #11 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane during the second half at Charles Koch Arena on March 8, 2020 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

Sixth man of the Year: Jamarius Burton

An award the NBA hands out that the NCAA doesn’t is the Sixth Man of the Year.  That goes to the best non-starter in the league.

Given how deep this year’s Texas Tech basketball team appears to be, it’s worth handing out a preseason Sixth Man of the Year title to signify which backup might be the most impactful off of Beard’s bench.  My pick is Wichita State transfer, Jamarius Burton.

There hasn’t been a ton of talk about the junior because when he initially transferred to Tech, it was believed that he was going to redshirt.  However, he’s now decided to play this year given that winter sports athletes won’t lose a year of eligibility.

Remember that Tech is being tasked with replacing last year’s top reserve, Chris Clarke.  Though he at times frustrated Red Raider fans with his lack of aggression on offense, he still played an important role.

He led Tech in both rebounding (6.6 per game) and assists (4.6 per game).  What’s more, he was the closest Beard had to a second power forward behind T.J. Holyfield.  Despite being just 6-foot-6, he was strong enough to guard larger players and he gave Tech some important defensive minutes.

Burton isn’t quite as big as Clarke (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) but he has a similar mentality.  Unafraid to mix it up and do the dirty work required to win, he should bring an element of physicality to the Red Raiders, which is always welcome in the rugged Big 12.

Last season, the North Carolina native averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the Shockers.  While he likely won’t match those numbers this year given that he may not be on the floor as often, he will probably end up being Beard’s top reserve and that’s a role that is critically important to this program’s success.

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