Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders back in play for elite 2022 center

Now that he’s back on the open market, the Texas Tech basketball program is once again in the mix for 5-star center Enoch Boakye.

In the world of college basketball recruiting, the most precious commodity is elite big men. Now, one of the most talented centers in the class of 2022 is back on the open market and the Texas Tech basketball program is throwing its hat in the ring again.

6-foot-10, 240-pound center Ench Boakye from Canada had been a Michigan State commit since July but on Monday, he decommitted thus sending the recruiting world into a frenzy. According to this article from Sports Illustrated, he’s already heard from Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Arizona, USC, Duke, Kentucky, Washington State, and Gonzaga. What’s more, he’ll likely hear from every big-time program in the country in the upcoming days.

Boakye told S.I.’s Jason Jordan that immediate playing time is his top priority and that’s something that isn’t guaranteed if he stays with Michigan State, which has a handful of talented young big men on this year’s 10-8 squad. But of course, Texas Tech doesn’t have such a logjam.

Marcus Santos-Silva will have moved on by the time Boakye arrives on campus. Of course, the hope is that at that point in the program’s progression, forward Tyreek Smith and center Vlad Goldin will have developed into key contributors but the program would make room for a player of Boakye’s talent.

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Rated the No. 32 player and the No. 4 center in his class, he’s a 5-star prospect according to 247Sports.com. Last year, he averaged 13 points and 14 rebounds per game in Canada.

"“I don’t really have a timeline for deciding now,” he told Jordan. “At the same time, I don’t want to waste anyone’s time. I think things will move fast. I think eventually I’ll get to a top three and then I’ll announce.”"

Of course, Texas Tech basketball fans are still pining away for the next game-changing big man to arrive and impact the game the way Tariq Owens did in 2019. That year, the bouncy 6-foot-11 transfer from St. John’s averaged 8.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game while anchoring Tech’s elite defense.

Since then, Chris Beard has twice dipped into the transfer portal to try to find another big man of that caliber. But while both T.J. Holyfield and Santos-Silva proved to be useful pieces, neither could replicate what the Red Raiders got from Owens.

Perhaps Boakye could be that type of player for the Red Raiders but in order for that to happen, Tech is going to have to win a huge recruiting battle. Of course, the first domino has already fallen given that this elite center is back in play after decommitting from the Spartans.