It’s Time for Another Texas Tech Basketball Roster Update
If you've been paying attention to the Texas Tech basketball offseason, you know there have been incredible changes in the last month and a half. If you haven't been paying attention, Texas Tech basketball has a brand new staff, a revamped roster, the Dustin R. Womble Facility is completely open, and at least one player has officially announced his decision to stay in the NBA draft.
That one player was Mac McClung, who entered his name into both the transfer portal and NBA Draft when the season ended. Later on, he removed his name from the transfer portal, but remained undecided on the NBA draft...until now.
McClung is officially staying in the NBA draft process. Best wishes to him, but what does that mean for Texas Tech?
Well, after getting another transfer commitment over the weekend, Florida State's Sardaar Calhoun, Texas Tech now has nine guards on the roster and two forwards. Now, all the guards don't do the same things, but there's a glaring hole on the roster around the rim. Even so, the players who have committed so far say to me that Mark Adams had a distinct plan to play a guard-heavy lineup. It worked for Texas Tech in 2019 and just won a national championship for Baylor, but both of those rosters had a rim protector.
The 2021-22 Texas Tech roster does not, at least not in the traditional sense.
New guard Mylik Wilson averaged a block a game and stands at 6'3". Either you have the instinct to get to the ball, or you don't. That being said, I wouldn't call Wilson a rim protector. He's just a solid defender who can read the shooter's body.
Back to the guard-heavy lineup, I can totally see a lineup with Clarence Nadolny, Davion Warren, Sardaar Calhoun, Kevin McCullar and Marcus Santos-Silva. It has the offensive production you want and will be a nightmare defensively if you can keep the ball out of the paint, which, coincidentally, is the entire point of Adams' defense. By the way, there's nobody above 6'7" in that lineup, but only one guy shorter than 6'6".
That's four guards. It's also a lineup that is full of mismatches for Texas Tech and run-and-gun potential. You could go even further with Chandler Jacobs, Davion Warren, Sardaar Calhoun, Chibuzo Agbo and KJ Allen. Talk about going "small." The only "forward" on the floor would be 6'6", but the rest of the guys on the floor are potential assassins from long range. Yes, even Agbo, who I think has all-league potential as a shooter.
All that being said, with 12 guys on Texas Tech's roster today, May 17th, there will be at least one more scholarship player brought into the Texas Tech program. At this point, I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see another 6'6" guard come into the program, even with five of them already here. If it's another guy that fits that physical build, I'll bet it's a guy touted as a premier defender with shooting being his secondary skill.
I don't expect Adams to sign a 7-footer just because he's 7-feet tall. That hasn't worked; why keep forcing it. If there's a 6'9" guy that can guard the perimeter in the portal, he might be headed to Lubbock. Otherwise, I think Coach Adams will stick to his brand.
Beard talked a lot about going position-less, but never fully committed aside from the Final Four run. For better or worse, Adams is going full-on position-less. It might not work out, but it'll be entertaining either way.