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Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders pursuing OU transfer guard

By Matthew Conner

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 09: De'Vion Harmon #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners takes a foul shot during a college basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers on December 9, 2020 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 09: De'Vion Harmon #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners takes a foul shot during a college basketball game against the Xavier Musketeers on December 9, 2020 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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If you are a guard in the transfer portal, you’ve probably heard from the Texas Tech basketball program.  While that’s a bit hyperbolic, the reality is that head coach Mark Adams and his staff are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of help in the backcourt.

One intriguing possibility is De’Vion Harmon, who played the past two seasons at Oklahoma.  In 2020-21, he took a significant step forward as he raised his scoring average from 7.4 to 12.9 points per game.  Additionally, he grabbed 3.4 rebounds and handed out 2.1 assists as he helped the Sooners reach the NCAA Tournament.  However, due to a positive COVID-19 test, he was unable to play in his team’s two games in the Big Dance.

Now, with a coaching change at OU, Harmon has decided it is the perfect time to explore his options.  Along with entering the transfer portal, he’s put his name in the NBA Draft but he’s not hired an agent meaning he could (and likely will) return to the collegiate ranks.  And it is being reported that Tech has thrown its hat in the ring.

"“Really it’s just keeping every single option open,” Harmon told Travis Branham of 247Sports. “That’s been the best thing for me, especially right now in this moment. The NBA is always the goal. I definitely want to keep doing that, I’m still training for it but as far as the portal, it’s just going in there and still being able to talk to coach [Porter] Moser and his staff but also being able to talk with everybody else, every other college program that may want me to come play for them. Really it’s just keeping the options open and just going by the day.”More from Wreck'Em RedTexas Tech football: Red Raider fans need to know about these MountaineersTexas Tech football: Red Raiders land first commit for class of 2025Texas Tech football: Why have the Red Raiders struggled on the road under McGuire?Texas Tech football: Why the Red Raiders can compete for a Big 12 titleTexas Tech football: Plenty of questions remain as conference play arrives"

Harmon would be an excellent fit in Lubbock for Adams.  A tough-nosed point guard who is already accustomed to life in the rugged Big 12, he would slot in perfectly as the lead ball-handler and facilitator for a Texas Tech offense that is searching for its next point guard.

This year, his usage rate (the percentage of possessions with a particular player on the court that end with that player either shooting the ball, assisting on a basket, or turning the ball over) sat a 20.8%.  Thus, he’s more than comfortable running the show for his team and Tech needs a player with that type of mentality to round out the backcourt.

The Red Raiders have presumably added some scoring punch to the guard position by signing Dallas Baptist transfer Chandler Jacobs to play shooting guard.  But being as he will be making the jump from the D-II ranks to the Big 12, it would be ideal to have a player of Harmon’s experience to pair with him.

According to various reports on social media, Harmon is also being recruited by the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, Gonzaga, Oregon, and others.  Thus, it will be a tough battle for this talented and tough Big 12 guard.  Here’s hoping he stays in the conference and joins the Red Raiders for next season.

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