Texas Tech basketball: Joel Ntambwe leaves the program

In a surprising move, sophomore forward Joel Ntambwe has left the Texas Tech basketball program leaving the Red Raiders thin at an important position.

We often talk about how every season is a roller coaster. On Tuesday, the Texas Tech basketball team’s season took an unexpected turn when sophomore forward Joel Ntambwe left the program, apparently of his own accord.

"“We appreciate Joel’s contributions to our basketball program,” head coach Chris Beard said in a statement released by the basketball program. “We wish Joel the best in his future. I’ll personally be pulling for him to succeed in his next step.”"

It brings to an end one of the more unusual Red Raider careers in recent memory. After joining the program prior to last season as a transfer from UNLV, Ntambwe and the Red Raiders three times appealed to the NCAA for immediate eligibility and on all three occasions, he was denied. That came despite the fact that four other members of the 2018-19 UNLV team were granted immediate eligibility.

Following his battle with the NCAA became almost as much of a storyline for fans last season as were the developments on the court. It was easy to see why given that Ntambwe had averaged 11.8 points per game at UNLV.

Then, this offseason, it appeared as if he had left the program when he did not report to Lubbock for summer workouts with the rest of the team. At the time, it was believed he was exploring his professional basketball options. However, he did return in short order and it was expected that the 6-foot-8 forward would play a key role for Beard’s team this season.

But so far, he’s been relegated to a reserve role behind true freshman Micah Peavy. And in Sunday’s loss to Houston, he saw the court for only five minutes while Peavy played 28.

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One would have through that Ntambwe would have played a greater role against the Cougars, a team with plenty of forwards his size, especially given the struggles of his teammate and fellow forward, Marcus Santos-Silva.

However, instead of giving Ntambwe some serious run in the second half when Santos-Silva went to the bench, Beard went to a 5-guard lineup. Thus, it is fair to wonder if what transpired against the cougars was what prompted Ntambwe to see greener pastures.

He now ends his Red Raider career having played three games and scoring a total of just 14 points. Still, his absence is significant because he possesses some skills that this roster could use.

First of all, he was the second-tallest player on a team that many feel was already too short in the post. While he isn’t a classic power forward, he does have the size to guard big men in the paint and battle on the boards (he averaged 5.5 rebounds per game as a true freshman at UNLV).

But even more useful could have been his 3-point shooting. A career 39.5% shooter from beyond the arc, Ntambwe could have been a nice scoring option off of the Red Raider bench.

This year, Tech is shooting just 34.5% from deep and that’s an area where Ntambwe could have been an asset. He was shooting 60% from 3-point range for the year (second-best on the team) and he was tied with three other Red Raiders for second-most 3-pointers on the team with three.

In the days to come, we will break down how this development will impact the roster but for now, it’s clear that Ntambwe’s departure is going to change the makeup of this team. And it brings a disappointing end to the career of a player that many Texas Tech basketball fans spent quite a bit of time obsessing over. Unfortunately, it turns out, all the hand-wringing was for nothing.

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