Speaking of players who could have become the face of the program, Terrence Shannon Jr. could have been that as well. His elite athleticism and high-flying play made him a favorite of the Red Raider populace but after three years at Tech, he also left to get closer to home.
The Chicago native left West Texas for Illinois after the 2021-22 season and it was not fun to watch his career from afar. That's because he became a superstar with the Illini.
In 2022-23, Shannon posted 17.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. This year, he saw his scoring rise to 23.0 points per game as he helped Illinois get to the Elite 8.
It is believed that former Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams put forth little effort to re-recruit both McCullar and Shannon when Adams took over the job from Chris Beard in 2021. If that is true, it was a mistake in both instances as both players ultimately ended up being All-American candidates for other programs.
Shannon is expected to be a first-round NBA Draft pick this year and even potentially a lottery pick. Players of that caliber have been rare for Texas Tech over the years so it is a shame that such a talented player was let walk away from Lubbock.
Perhaps the next time we have an NBA talent on our hands at Tech, he will see out his career as a Red Raider. Of course, in the transfer portal era, that seems like a pipe dream.