Texas Tech’s former top recruit gets second chance with power conference program

After two years at lower-level programs, former top-50 recruit Elijah Fisher is back in one of college basketball's top conferences.
Feb 8, 2025; Stockton, California, USA; Pacific Tigers guard Elijah Fisher (22) before the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Alex G. Spanos Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Feb 8, 2025; Stockton, California, USA; Pacific Tigers guard Elijah Fisher (22) before the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Alex G. Spanos Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The miss rate on blue-chip high school prospects has been remarkably high for the Texas Tech basketball program. One of the biggest flops the program has seen come through Lubbock was former 4-star recruit Elijah Fisher. Now set to be a senior in 2025-26, the wing has resurfaced at a major college program after establishing himself as a respectable player at the mid-major level.

Joe Tipton of On3 Sports is reporting on X that Fisher has committed to Seton Hall of the Big East Conference. That comes after he spent 2024-25 at Pacific.

Fisher is a 6-foot-6, 190-pound wing from Canada. In the class of 2022, when he signed with Texas Tech, he was a four-star recruit and the No. 48 overall player in America according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

That made him the fifth-highest-ranked high school player to ever sign with the Red Raiders (according to 247Sports). Unfortunately, as has been the case with so many of the top players Tech has signed in its history, Fisher didn't pan out in West Texas.

As a true freshman, he appeared in 28 games but made only one start. Averaging just over 12 minutes per appearance, he put up 3.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.

Then, he decided to enter the portal, and on his way out of town, he made a rather strange comment about his time with the program. It was one that both confused and irritated Texas Tech fans.

In April of 2023, on his way out of Lubbock, Fisher went on a podcast and complained about Lubbock's lack of diversity and quiet atmosphere. Then, he even went so far as to complain about having to eat steak and salmon as often as he did. Of course, most Texas Tech alums remember living on junk food and takeout during their college careers, so they couldn't relate to being overfed such awful meals as steak and salmon.

After that, Fisher ended up at DePaul in the Big East. There he spent only one season, averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while starting 30 of 32 games.

For 2024-25, Fisher would find his way Pacific of the West Coast Conference. There, he started all 33 games while averaging 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Now, he'll be back at the power-conference level with Seton Hall.

Fisher is just one of a number of high-profile recruits who have not panned out as Red Raiders. In fact, of the five highest-rated players to ever sign with Tech out of high school, only one, guard Jahmi'us Ramsey, ever lived up to the hype. As the highest-ranked high school signee in Tech history, Ramsey averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in his lone season in Lubbock before heading to the NBA Draft.

However, the rest of the top recruits in program history have been flops. No. 2 all-time Texas Tech recruit, Nimari Burnett, played only 12 games in scarlet and black, averaging a meager 5.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game before leaving the program mid-season.

Jaylon Tyson, the No. 3 signee in Tech history, signed with Tech but backed out to sign with Texas before ever suiting up for the Red Raiders. Then, after half a season in Austin under Chris Beard, he transferred to Texas Tech, where he would play only one season. He averaged 10.7 points and 6.1 rebounds before leaving for Cal in the wake of the Mark Adams debacle.

The No. 4 all-time Tech recruit, Micah Peavy, spent only one unspectacular season in Lubbock, averaging 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. After his freshman season, he transferred to in-state rival TCU.

Taking a step further, none of the top-10 recruits in program history have finished their careers as Red Raiders. That list includes players such as Pop Isaacs, Khavon Moore, Dior Lowhorn, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Lamar Washington.

Fisher is among those who didn't stick with the Red Raiders despite exciting the fan base as a high-profile signee. Now, he'll finish out his career with one more season at the power-conference level, where he will try to finally prove worthy of the hype that surrounded him when he began his college career.