As many expected, the Texas Tech basketball program landed a verbal commitment from high school point guard Christian Anderson on Monday evening. That could be an important building block for the future of the program.
Listed as a 4-star prospect by most recruiting services, he's the No. 101 player overall and No. 10 point guard in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports.com. Previously committed to Michigan, he picked the Red Raiders over offers from international professional organizations as well as Florida, Stanford, Tulane, and Fresno State.
This is an addition that is likely for the future of the program as much as it is for the 2024-25 season. Anderson is a point guard. That's a position that Texas Tech has secured for the next season with the addition of Elijah Hawkins, a super-senior transfer from Minnesota who is one of the top assist men in the NCAA.
The plan for Anderson could be to learn the ropes and develop physically in the upcoming year and then take over the point guard spot for the 2025-26 season when he would be a sophomore. That would potentially secure the future of one of the most important spots on the court for Grant McCasland and his program.
Anderson needs to work as much on his body as he does his game. Listed by 247Sports as being just 5-foot-11, he's listed by other sources as being as tall as 6-foot-1 now. Regardless, he's likely going to need a year in the Texas Tech strength and conditioning program to be ready for the rigors of playing 25 or more minutes per game in the Big 12.
It is interesting to see that the Red Raiders are investing in the high school ranks. Though most fans have been obsessing over the additions the program has made in the transfer portal, McCasland isn't ignoring the prep pipeline.
This is the second high school scholarship player that the Red Raiders have added. Earlier this month, Tech brought Leon Horner, a 3-star small forward from Dallas, Texas, on board in a move that was a bit under the radar.
Neither the 6-foot-6 Horner nor Anderson are expected to make significant contributions this coming season. However, Anderson is the more likely of the two to have a regular role as a true freshman.
That's because Tech doesn't have a backup point guard other than Anderson. The good news is that Hawkins played around 33 minutes per game for Minnesota this past season so he is accustomed to handling a heavy workload in a major conference. Thus, Anderson might have to give Tech only a handful of minutes each game behind Hawkins.
On the other hand, Tech is rather deep at the wing spot, where Horner slots in. With Darrion Williams, Devin Cambridge, Kerwin Walton, and Chance McMillan all set to return, there likely won't be much of a need for Horner to be a rotational piece. What's more, the program is likely to add another impact wing via the portal before the season begins.
Thus, the young pups that Tech has added from the high school level won't be asked to carry the team next season. However, Horner and Anderson now form what could be an interesting pair of developmental prospects who could eventually become significant contributors at Tech.