A post-spring look at the Texas Tech basketball roster

It’s been almost two months since the Red Raiders played in the National Championship. Since then, there’s been plenty of movers and shakers among the Red Raiders, with tons of new pieces coming in and some would-be returners transferring and finding new homes elsewhere.

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The biggest move this off-season has been extending Head Coach Chris Beard for 6 more seasons and making him the third highest paid coach in the nation. The second biggest move this off-season wasn’t a move at all. After being pursued by Southern Miss and the Chicago Bulls, associate head coach Mark Adams decided to come back to Lubbock.

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I’ll be looking through each individual position group and look at what this roster looks like as of now. There has been a ton of change, so let’s take a deeper look at this roster.

Point Guard:

Starter: Davide Moretti

This one is pretty obvious. Moretti led this offense with great skill last season and should do the same this upcoming season. He is a lethal three point shooter and his ability to get his own shot off the dribble was almost at an elite level at the end of last season. The now junior from Bologna, Italy could lead this team in scoring next season. He might start at point guard but I believe he could play more off the ball this season as well.

Backup: Kyler Edwards

Edwards will get his minutes, most likely in the sixth man role for the Red Raiders. He is also a great off the ball guard and can create his own shot. He was never nervous about shooting his shot last season and that is one of the reasons the Red Raiders were able to stay in the National Championship game.

Shooting Guard:

Starter: Jahmius Ramsey

This freshman will most likely start immediately. It won’t be his offensive ability but his defense that will get him on the court so early for the Red Raiders. He can also shoot from anywhere and will look to have a huge role on this team as someone who can not only shoot but get to the basket and score if need be. He is a prolific at the rim and could be the receiver of some lobs at the rim.

Backups: Kevin McCullar, Clarence Nadolny, Avery Benson

These are three guys that could all play minutes this season. Benson was the only one that played last season and could get some minutes this season for his defense. McCullar will play this season, he could even start at some point. He has a good shooting touch, can handle the ball, and he can get the ball to the basket.

He has also had a solid six months to develop under this great staff. He should be right up the speed when the team tips off in November. Nadolny in my opinion is a project guy but he could receive minutes this season. He has a great offensive skill set but needs to bulk up and get better on defense.

Forward:

Starter: Deshawn Corprew

Corprew saw time last season and should make the jump to starter this season. He has everything you want in a player, shooting, size, defense, and rebounding. He averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds per game last season and should fit right in no matter what role he has this season.

Backups: Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon Jr. is another highly touted true freshman that looks to get tons of minutes this season. He has a very refined offensive game and can score at all three levels. For someone who is listed as a small forward, he has very explosive guard moves that allow him to get to the bucket. His defense is very underrated and I believe that with his athleticism, he should carve out a role in this rotation.

Forward:

Starter: Chris Clarke

This position was the hardest to gauge. Clarke could honestly start at any forward or guard spot this season. He is listed as a guard, but his size allows him to play a bit of a stretch four position. I’ve listed this position as forward but if this is what the lineup looks like, there will be more of a four guard look coming into the starts of games. Don’t be surprised if Beard went two bigs starting out and put Andrei Sarsov here and relegated Deshawn Corprew to the bench.

Backups: Andrei Sarasov, Tyreek Smith

Both of these guys could play this season, we’re just not sure how much or how often. We don’t know too much about Sarasov other than he’s got a nice looking jumper. Smith could also make an impact early but again, we’re just not sure on either of these guys at this point.

Center:

Starter: T.J. Holyfield

The Graduate Transfer from Stephen F. Austin will make an immediate impact on this team with his scoring and size. He can score from anywhere and has a very nice looking jump shot to go with his inside game. He will get a bunch of minutes, especially if the depth isn’t up to Beard’s expectations.

Backups: Russel Tchewa

Tchewa is a legit 7-footer. He’s got size and a nice inside game but is still looked at as a project player. He might get some minutes this season but needs to put on some muscle and get more agile in the paint.

This is just a projected roster as of now. There is still one scholarship up for grabs and any grad transfer could walk in and take it, not to mention a certain top-5 prospect. Tell me what you all think of this in the comment section below!