Texas Tech Basketball Gets Big Play Boost From Returning Phenom

The Red Raiders have seen a roller coaster in the last month. They finished November with back to back losses, before getting a third straight to start the month of December. Two of those in overtime and all three finishes without their closer, Jahmi'us Ramsey.

Then, in true Chris Beard fashion, they beat the number one team in the country Louisville in Madison Square Garden. Still without Ramsey. Then they played within 5 points of a Southern Miss team with a bad record.

Mostly down, with some major ups.

Now, heading into Christmas break, the Red Raiders needed to get some momentum up heading into Big 12 play. That's where Jahmi'us Ramsey enters the fold. No, he didn't drop a double-double or go crazy in his return, but he did provide some stability and guided Texas Tech to another win over a bad team, this time by 10 as the Red Raiders beat UTRGV 68-58.

Ramsey went for 15 and 5 boards leading all scorers in his return. He's reached double digits in every game except the one he left due to injury against Iowa.

It's not the volume of Ramsey's plays that the Red Raiders missed most in his absence though, it's the splash. In Beard's first year on campus, it was Zach Smith that provided momentum-shifting plays. Then it was Zhaire Smith and his put-back dunks. Last year you could always count on Tariq Owens to get a big swat or an alley-oop to get the crowd back into it.

This year, that x-factor player that needs to be a highlight machine is Ramsey and right on cue he had a few in his return to action:

Elsewhere on the floor is a guy who has been all substance and little flash it's been Chris Clarke who is really starting to find himself on the floor with Texas Tech and this rotation as the 6th man. Here he is finding Kevin McCullar with a miraculous pass, one of his assists to go along with his 8 points and 9 rebounds.

With Ramsey back in the line up the Red Raiders will use one more game to tune-up before starting Conference play and will take their 53-game home non-conference undefeated streak into the weekend where they'll play CSU Bakersfield on the 29th of December.