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Texas Tech basketball: What Nimari Burnett’s departure means for remainder of season

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: Guard Nimari Burnett #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders dunks the ball during the second half the college basketball game against the Grambling State Tigers at United Supermarkets Arena on December 06, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: Guard Nimari Burnett #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders dunks the ball during the second half the college basketball game against the Grambling State Tigers at United Supermarkets Arena on December 06, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Nov 27, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Nimari Burnett (25) goes to the basket against the Sam Houston State Bearkats in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Nimari Burnett (25) goes to the basket against the Sam Houston State Bearkats in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

One more open scholarship to fill

The Red Raiders have made the annual scholarship shuffle an obsession for fans during the Chris Beard era.  That’s because this program is starting to bring in the type of recruits that we once only dreamed of landing.

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Now that one such recruit has left town, that opens up another scholarship for Beard to fill this offseason.  While we can probably expect the team’s only walk-on, Avery Benson, to fill Burnett’s scholarship for the spring semester, look for Beard to try to bring in another impact transfer or high school recruit in the offseason.

Right now, 247Sports lists only three uncommitted players who have an offer from Texas Tech in the 2021 class.  The name to watch seems to be guard Jaden Hardy from Nevada who 247Sports lists as “warm” on Texas Tech.  The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder is a 5-star prospect and the no. 4 player in the entire nation.

Tech already has 4-star forward Jaylon Tyson from the Metroplex signed and ready to arrive next season.  Of course, the whole scholarship limit issue is in flux given that the NCAA has voted to give winter sports athletes an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic meaning Santos-Silva may return.

But if senior Marcus Santos-Silva were to end his college career after this season or another player heads to the protal, that would give Beard an extra scholarship to play with.  I suspect that he would head back into the transfer pool to add some age to his team but he could try his hand again with an elite high school prospect and hope that it turns out better than the Nimari Burnett chapter of Texas Tech basketball did.

Related Story. Why the Red Raiders beat Kansas State. light

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