Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders that will be X-factors in 2023-24
Is Chance McMillan ready for the big time at Texas Tech?
One intriguing newcomer is 6-foot-3 junior guard Chance McMillan, a transfer from Grand Canyon. Last year, he averaged 10.9 points and 2.2 assists per game meaning that he’s one of the highest-scoring players on the roster.
It was a big jump for McMillan in terms of offensive production. Nearly doubling his scoring output from the previous season, he helped lead his team to the NCAA Tournament.
What might intrigue Texas Tech fans most is his 3-point shooting. For his career, he’s shot 40.7% from beyond the arc, and last season, he was a 44.4% shooter from distance. That was a career-best despite the fact that he also increased his 3-point attempts by one per game on average.
A guard with his size who can also score in double figures could be just what this year’s roster needs. Remember that presumed starting guard and leading returning scorer, Pop Isaacs is only about 6-feet tall, and West Virginia transfer, Joe Toussaint, another capable scoring guard, is also the same height.
The question about McMillan, though, is whether or not he’s ready to compete in the Big 12 after spending the last three seasons in the W.A.C. That’s going to be a huge question he must answer.
In last season’s NCAA Tournament, he did put up 16 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds against Gonzaga in a losing effort. That day, he was 2-5 from 3-point range and 7-15 overall from the field.
However, in previous seasons, he failed to score more than three points in games against major conference teams such as Colorado, Iowa, and Arizona State. So it remains to be seen if he can be a consistent scorer when playing against top competition.
McMillan will be in the mix to earn a starting job given his size and versatility. But regardless of whether he starts or comes off the bench, he will need to be a scoring threat for a team that is devoid of superstar offensive talents. It will be interesting, though, to see if the scoring touch he showed last year will translate to the Big 12, one of the most rugged leagues in the nation.