A potential transfer target who makes perfect sense for the Texas Tech basketball program

With at least five scholarships to fill before next season (and potentially more), the Texas Tech basketball program will be extremely active in the transfer portal this offseason. Tuesday, a new player put his name into that mix and he is exactly the type of player the Red Raiders need to add.

Arizona State point guard Frankie Collins is a player that Grant McCasland and his coaching staff need to seriously consider as a potential replacement for Joe Toussaint, who has exhausted his college eligibility.

He has one year of eligibility remaining and he's exploring his options. That apparently also means heading back to the Sun Devils.

This season, the Nevada native averaged 13.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. To put that in perspective, Toussaint averaged 12.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game in his lone season in Lubbock.

What would make Collins an ideal fit for McCasland's program, though, is that he is a rugged defender. In fact, he set an Arizona State record for steals in a season this year with 84. That's nearly double the 47 steals that Toussaint had to lead Texas Tech in 2023-24.

Collins also led Arizona State in defensive rating this year. For his efforts, he was named to the PAC-12 All-Defensive team.

It was quite the step up as a junior for Collins. He increased his scoring by over four points per game and his rebounding total was also a career-high.

However, it is his defense that may intrigue the Red Raiders most. Next season, Texas Tech needs to be better defensively across the board. Toussaint was a willing and dedicated defender but he wasn't an All-Conference caliber of defender like Collins.

Now, one aspect that might be a drawback with Collins is that he isn't any bigger than Toussaint. At just 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, he wouldn't present an upgrade in length or size at the guard spot. That's something that Texas Tech may look for given that starting shooting guard, Pop Isaacs is roughly the same size.

Still, Tech can get bigger by adding length at other positions on the floor. Remember, 6-foot-6 wing Devan Cambridge will be back next year after a knee injury limited him to just eight games this season. He will theoretically pair with Darrion Williams to give Tech two rangy and savvy wings in the starting lineup in 2024-25.

What's more, some of the best defensive guards in the Big 12 this year were not much bigger than Collins. Jamal Shead of Houston, Tamin Lipsey of Iowa State, and DeJuan Harris of Kansas were all elite defensive point guards this season and each is only 6-foot-1.

As for whether Collins has any interest in Texas Tech, there are connections in place. Cambridge and 2023-24 starting Red Raider center Warren Washington were teammates of his at Arizona State last season. What's more, he's from the same hometown and high school as Pop Isaacs.

So keep an eye on Collins' recruitment. Don't be surprised to see Texas Tech get in the mix here and try to add a third Sun Devil in the past two years. That's because Collins seems to check almost every box this program has when looking for a replacement for Joe Toussaint.