Small Forward
I'm going to have a lot more on how this team is currently structured later in the summer and a lot of my thoughts has to do with the high number of forwards and athletes in that 6-6 range that are on this club. By my count, I've got four small forwards on this team and it could be argued that there are actually six. Mike Singletary, Brad Reese, Theron Jenkins and Jaye Crockett in my opinion are all small forwards and you could have an argument that D'Walyn Roberts and Corbin Ray should also be at the small forward position. For now, Roberts and Ray will be considered as power forwards, although they may not fit that position and I think that Pat Knight is going to try something a little different this year.
Mike Singletary; 6-6/230; Junior
Positives: When he puts it together, he's really tough to stop. Singletary brings an excellent combination of size and scoring ability with Texas Tech. Singletary can score in numerous ways, but perhaps he's best suited in and around the rim, against a smaller opponent. Even then, Singletary seems to have some nifty moves around the bucket to either get in a position for an easy bucket or to shoot free throws. Defensively, Singletary is more than adequate, although he could be better. He has the athleticism to compete on the Big 12 level, I think it's a matter of concentration more than anything else.
Negatives: Consistency and concentration. Those are my two biggest complaints about Singletary. There are times that it seems like he completely loses focus, which can come in the form of careless turnovers, losing his defensive assignment or not going after an opposing defender like he's capable. The consistency issue is something that Singletary has got to improve, which includes improving his three-point shot, like he utilized it late last year.
Brad Reese; 6-6/200; JUCO
Positives: I've looked high and low for video on Reese and come up empty handed (and Jenkins). From what I've read, Reese is your typical wing player. Very athletic, can shoot the three and is capable of getting to the bucket. Anytime you can improve your team athletically you do it and Reese and Jenkins fit that bill. If I had to guess, Reese and Jenkins are similar to Zeno in terms of athlete and I'm hoping that they both offer a little more offensively than the current team, which doesn't have a guy that can take the ball to the bucket with much success.
Negatives: How quickly can Reese adjust to playing major college basketball. I get the feeling that both Reese and Jenkins are gifted basketball players, it's just a matter of getting down their offensive and defensive schemes and let them play.
Theron Jenkins; 6-6/211; JUCO
Positives: Much like Reese, Jenkins, is a wing athlete, a definite upgrade athletically over previous Texas Tech teams. He's got a more mature body than Reese's, which could mean that he might be a little more versatile as far as what Pat Knight can do with him on the floor.
Negatives: See above.
Jaye Crockett; 6-7/205; Incoming Freshman
Positives: When Crockett first committed to Pat Knight, he was probably 6-5/185, early in his junior year. As the months have rolled by, Crockett is still growing, being listed by ESPN as being 6-7/205, and possibly still growing. Crockett is the best player on his high school team, plays both inside, out of necessity, and outside. There seem to be a few stories that I've read where Crockett would lead his team all over the court, rebounding, blocking shots, hitting threes. The nice thing about Crockett is that he still appears to be growing into his frame and from what little I've seen of him, he's a guy that's extremely athletic.
Negatives: As you can imagine, Crockett has a relatively slight frame when compared with his counterparts and it would do him some real good to put on a few pounds, continue to hone his outside game and redshirt his first year. I know it's something that Pat Knight doesn't tend to do, but I think with Crockett, with the players in front of him, it would do us all some good to have Crockett sit out a year and learn the game.