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Texas Tech basketball: Potential starting lineups after a busy offseason

By Matthew Conner

Jan 5, 2019; Lubbock, TX, USA; Introductions before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 5, 2019; Lubbock, TX, USA; Introductions before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas State Wildcats at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 19, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; DePaul Blue Demons guard Markese Jacobs (0) and Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) chase a loose ball during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; DePaul Blue Demons guard Markese Jacobs (0) and Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) chase a loose ball during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports /

McCullar, Shannon, Obanor, Williams, and a transfer

Though we are past the mid-point of July, there still remains the possibility that Texas Tech could bring another transfer to the roster and it would make sense for that transfer to be a point guard.  In fact, Tech was recently rumored to be heavily in the mix for Alabama point guard Jaden Shackelford but talk about him coming to Lubbock has cooled considerably in recent days.

Another name that has cropped up since then is Markese Jacobs, a DePaul transfer who reported on Instagram Saturday that he was on a visit to the Hub City.  This is an intriguing name to watch and it’s fair to wonder how he would fit with the Red Raiders’ current roster.

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At just 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, Jacobs is not of the mold that the other transfers Tech has brought on board this offseason.  Those players have been long and lanky and capable of guarding multiple positions on the court.  But it is fair to wonder if Jacobs would be able to do the same and prove to be a fit in Adams’ switch-everything defensive scheme.

Also, Jacobs suffered a knee injury that cost him the 2020-21 season meaning that the sophomore has played just 21 games averaging 3.2 points and 0.1 assists for the Blue Demons in 2019-20.  Thus, it is worth asking whether he is ready to step in and be a starter or even a key role player on a team that believes it will challenge for a Big 12 title.

However, Jacobs had quite the pedigree as a high school prospect.  In the class of 2019, the Chicago native was the No. 15 point guard in the nation and the No. 2 player in the state of Illinois.  And playing with an incredible burst of speed, he had the reputation of being quite the mismatch on the offensive end of the court before his knee surgery.

It will be worth watching to see if Jacobs is a take for the Red Raiders or if they hold their final scholarship open.  But the fact that Tech is even entertaining him is proof that the coaching staff is still exploring options to round out the guard rotation.

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