Quick Reaction: Texas Tech reels in 3-star SF CJ Williamson

During his visit to Texas Tech, CJ Williamson shuts down his recruitment and commits to the Red Raiders. He becomes the 2nd commitment of the class and the first forward for 2015. CJ Williamson gives Texas Tech another tremendous athlete and a vertile player that can play the 2, 3 or 4 if necessary. Here is my review of CJ WIlliamson from back in May:

CJ Williamson - Small Forward (Evans, Orlando, FL)

Height	Weight
6'6"	180 lbs

Ratings: 87 by 247 / NR by ESPN / 3-star by Rivals

Interest: Texas Tech (Warm), Kansas State (Warm), Louisville *(Warm), Texas (Warm)

We first knew about CJ Williamson back in January when he learned that Coach Esposito went to Florida to offer Williamson. At the time, he mentioned that Kansas State and Louisville were atop his list, even though Louisville hasn't offered Williamson. Recently though, he mentioned that Texas Tech was the favorite. Before Tubby Smith was hired, Tech didn't get any recruits in the Florida area, but with Gray signing, and Tech going after recruits like Williamson and Griffin, Florida will be important in Tech's recruiting. Now let's take a look at what Williamson can do. What I like about Williamson is that he is versatile. In his highlight film, he plays more of a PG position, passing to open guys in the paint and attacking the basketball. However, he also is athletic enough to do some acrobatic dunks and lay-ins, along with the ability to shoot from the outside. He seems a lot to me like Justin Gray with his length and ability to make plays around the basket. CJ Williamson would be a great addition to the Red Raiders backcourt and could provide key depth at the SF spot.

We first learned about CJ Williamson in January when Texas Tech offered the Small Forward from Florida. He became a priority right away for the Red Raiders and quickly became one of their top targets. While Kansas State and Louisville took early interest, Texas Tech started to pull away from the pack. In the summer, CJ Williamson named his Top 6 of Alabama, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Missouri and another school. He later named a narrowed his list to Clemson, VT, TTU and Missouri, then removing Clemson and then Missouri after visiting the two schools in September. He scheduled visits to Texas Tech and Virginia Tech this weekend and next weekend before deciding to commit on October 27th. However, he decided after his visit to Lubbock that Texas Tech was the place for him and decided to shut it down right there.

Now let's take a look at what CJ Williamson can do on the hardwood. The first thing I noticed about CJ is his athleticism. He moves quickly, has a powerful body and has an insane jumping ability. He uses that ability well by driving in the post and creating his own shot. When CJ does drive in the paint, he finished at the rim or disrupts the ball an open teammate. Another aspect of his game I like is CJ Williamson's outside shot. Tech really lacks a long range threat at the moment, and CJ gives them that threat from the outside. He has a sweet stroke and can extend Texas Tech's offense on the court. Finally, CJ Williamson is a selfless player. While he can drive and create his own shot, he also has great vision and find the open man. Several times in his film, he finds the open man and gives them an easy, open shot opportunity.

A

So there you have, that wraps up the 2015 class (unless Texas Tech can find a scholarship somewhere). You have an explosive, talented Tech legacy in Jordan Jackson and an athletic, play making Small Forward in CJ Williamson. Both players bring a lot of talent and athleticism to the team. Tech is bringing in guys that can create their own shot, can be coached and get their teammates involved in the game. Adding these players, along with this year's freshmen, give Texas Tech all the potential in the world and the capability to compete in the Big XII again. I really feel that. They are matching commitments with a majority of the Big XII teams (with the exception of Kansas, Baylor and Texas) with talent and skill. As for the 2016 class, Texas Tech has 3 scholarships to use. Tubby Smith and Co are already working extremely hard for that class, and now with Williamson and Jackson committed, they can focus entirely on that recruiting class. They'll likely add two big men and a guard for the 2016 class. It's about to get real fun real quick. Watch out, Tech won't be a laughing stock for long.

Get your Guns Up CJ Williamson!!!