Texas Tech basketball: Players to watch tonight vs. Abilene Christian

Burton might get the start in Shannon’s place

The assumption is that if Shannon can’t play, Jamarius Burton would get the start in his place.  But regardless of what role the Wichita State transfer plays tonight, let’s see if he can follow up his best game as a Red Raider with another solid outing.

Against Grambling, Burton was able to put up 10 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action.  That performance was important given that Tech’s leading scorer, Mac McClung, struggled against the Tigers going scoreless in the first half.

Perhaps Sunday’s double-digit scoring output will help Burton feel more comfortable with his new team, especially when he has the ball in his hands.  This is a player who averaged over 10 points per game for Wichita State last year so we know he can put the ball in the basket but so far as a Red Raider, he hasn’t necessarily been as assertive as we would like to have seen.

One of the most important skills Burton can bring to the court is his 3-point shooting.  For his career, he’s been a 36.1% shooter from deep, and this year, he’s been on fire in that regard hitting 5 of his 7 attempts (71.4%).

Tech needs Burton, McClung, and Kyler Edwards to help carry the 3-point load this year because now that Joel Ntambwe is off the roster and in the transfer portal, they are the only three proven 3-point options on the team.  So let’s keep an eye on Burton to see if he can continue to have a hot hand in that aspect of the game.

Tech needs Burton to be an offensive option this year, typically off the bench where having a weapon to bring into the game is a necessity.  But he may get the start tonight and if he does, he will have plenty of opportunities to be an offensive force in Shannon’s place.  So let’s see what he can do to follow up his best game to date as a Red Raider.