Fresh off of getting graduate transfer Tariq Owens, it appears the Texas Tech coaching staff is still on the recruiting trail as South Dakota graduate transfer Matt Mooney is interested in Texas Tech. The 6’3” guard played mostly the shooting guard position last year and would fit in well here at Texas Tech.
I have been give my release from South Dakota. I am not for sure leaving USD, but I will be exploring my options as a grad transfer.
— Matt Mooney (@MoonSwag13) April 5, 2018
Mooney averaged 18.7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game last year on a 7-loss team that made it into the CBI tournament. This team was by no means bad, and Mooney was most definitely the bright spot on the team. No one is surprised that Coach Beard is looking at this player, as the Red Raiders will need more scoring after losing two of its top three scorers from last year.
Matt Mooney with four points in one play! He sinks the 3-point basket and gets fouled! The junior is up to 18 points in the contest. #GoYotes pic.twitter.com/Qt9kBqbBZY
— Coyote Basketball (@SDCoyotesMBB) March 7, 2018
Mooney is a unique fit for the Red Raiders as he is a volume shooter and can put it in the bucket. His frame allows him to finish at the rim and reminds me a tad bit of now former Red Raider Superstar Keenan Evans. Mooney will have even more opportunity to score for the Red Raiders as with the weapons this team has, Mooney won’t be keyed in on as much.
I can see Mooney fitting into a number of roles on this team. The first of these is starting at the shooting guard spot. Here is a two-deep depth chart of what that would look like.
Starting Lineup
1st String | Davide Moretti | Matt Mooney | Jarrett Culver | Khavon Moore | Tariq Owens |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st String | Davide Moretti | Matt Mooney | Jarrett Culver | Khavon Moore | Tariq Owens |
Height and Class | 6'2" Sophomore | 6'3" Senior | 6'5" Sophomore | 6'8" Freshman | 6'11" Senior |
2nd String | CJ Roberts | Brandone Francis | Deshawn Corpew | Malik Ondigo | Norense Odiase |
Height and Class | 6'0" Sophomore | 6'5" Senior | 6'6" Junior | 6'11" Sophmore | 6'9" Senior |
Bringing in Mooney makes it look like freshman Kyler Edwards will not play much, but I believe that bringing a guard with as much as experience as Mooney will help Edwards develop his game even more. We must also consider that CJ Roberts will not be eligible until January. This gives other guards an opportunity to get some minutes against non-conference opponents. There is also a chance that Mooney comes off the bench, letting Jarrett Culver play the shooting guard spot, allowing Norense Odiase to start at center and Tariq Owens to start at the power forward. This is what that would look like.
Starting Lineup
1st String | Davide Moretti | Jarrett Culver | Khavon Moore | Tariq Owens | Norense Odiase |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st String | Davide Moretti | Jarrett Culver | Khavon Moore | Tariq Owens | Norense Odiase |
Height and Class | 6'2" Sophomore | 6'5" Sophomore | 6'8" Freshman | 6'11" Senior | 6'9" Senior |
2nd String | CJ Roberts | Matt Mooney | Brandone Francis | Deshawn Corpew | Malik Ondigo |
Height and Class | 6'0" Sophomore | 6'3" Senior | 6'5" Senior | 6'6" Junior | 6'11" Sophmore |
Here, Mooney would serve in a 6th man role, he would be the main scorer coming off of the bench. This also makes the starting lineup much bigger with both Odiase and Owens on the floor at the same time. Don’t forget, Coach Beard still has 6’11” Malik Ondigo to come off the bench ready to make an impact as a backup center/ forward. The Red Raiders will have more size and athletic size than ever before!
There is one more scholarship for this team as 12 of the 13 are already called for. Mooney would be a good fit for this team with his scoring and experience. With the Red Raiders losing 5 seniors this past season, Coach Beard will be looking to some graduate transfers for leadership. I am happy to say that it appears that this team wants to reload, not rebuild and make another run at the Final Four.
What do you all think of Matt Mooney? Will he help this team or should Coach Beard and staff pursue a younger player they can develop? Let me know in the comment section below!