Texas Tech basketball: Three players that Red Raiders need more from

Jamarius Burton has to be a bigger factor off the bench

Any good team has to have a scorer off of the bench.  Tech has yet to find that player this year but the most likely candidate is Wichita State transfer, Jamarius Burton.   However, so far in his Red Raider career, he’s not resembled the player that he was for the Shockers.

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After putting up 10.3 points per game last season, the junior has been scoring just 4.9 points per game this year.  Now, some of that has to do with a drop in minutes.  However, some of that also has to do with his offensive struggles.

Burton’s offensive rating (an estimate of the number of points he would score or contribute to per 100 possessions) last year was 103.3.  Meanwhile, this year, that number is just 81.3.

Against Kansas, Burton could have been a huge asset.  In 21 minutes, he attempted four shots but made only one.  He also missed both of his free-throw attempts.

The fact is that Tech is going to need either Burton or Nimari Burnett to provide some scoring off of the bench as guards.  That’s because McClung can’t continue to play as many minutes as he played against Kansas (34) and remain effective.

Remember that McClung is being asked to essentially be this team’s point guard and shooting guard at the same time and that’s going to take its toll.  It did on Thursday as he had 13 points in the first half but only eight after the break when he was just 1-7 from the field.

Burton has to give McClung an opportunity for more rest and he can do so by being more of an offensive option like he was at Wichita State.  However, he has yet to look comfortable on that end of the floor for the Red Raiders as he’s had just one double-digit scoring game thus far.  That needs to change quickly because Tech needs some punch from its bench.