Culver's HS career comes to a close, excitement grows for Texas Tech
Texas Tech signee Jarrett Culver had his high school basketball season come to a close recently as his Coronado Mustangs fell in the Area Round of the playoffs. The Mustangs finished with a 30-4 overall record.
“I feel like it was a great season,” Culver said. “I know the coaches, the team, and myself feel like we could have went farther. I just enjoyed the season, it is fun playing high school basketball and now I’m just ready for the next level.”
Culver’s senior season of his high school basketball career didn’t quite go as planned with an early round exit in the playoffs. Culver has a unique situation compared to the majority of high school basketball players, though, as it is now only a matter of months before he moves down the road and gets ready to play Big 12 basketball at Texas Tech.
“I know that I always have to keep working hard and focus on what’s in front of me. At the time, high school basketball was in front of me, so I focused on that. Now the next level is in front of me, and I am focused on that each step of the way.”
“After we lost, I was real sad about the loss because I feel like I could have played better. I wanted to go far and it sucks not to accomplish your goal. It just makes me more excited and ready to get to Tech. After I got over the playoff loss, I got immediately excited for Tech. I’ve always been excited for Tech but now I’m ready to get there even more.”
Culver doesn’t have to go very far for the next step of his basketball career as Lubbock is home to Culver, and he has another four years to go at Tech in Lubbock. Culver took advantage of the opportunity of living so close to his future college and saw the team play at every opportunity. And while the Red Raiders’ season hasn’t quite gone as planned this year either, Culver is excited for the opportunity and expects big things from the incoming 2017 class and the upcoming 2017-2018 season.
“I’m excited to just be on the court with some of those guys. The juniors have been scoring a lot. I’m just excited to be out there with them. It should be a fun year. They’ve lost a couple games kind of close and there are some things I know they feel like they could have done better, but I’m proud of them.”
“I feel like we will have a great team next year. All the guys coming in are going to work hard, and I feel like we can accomplish what coach Beard has for us.”
“I feel like the 2017 class is full of great players. I know them all pretty well. I don’t talk to them all the time, but when we see each other we talk for a bit. I’ve seen them on Twitter and some of the things they do, and I think they are all good players. Jordan Brangers has some crazy range.”
After averaging around 30 points for his high school team, Culver is excited to bring that type of big-time scoring ability to Tech. Beard’s role for Culver is simple, score the ball.
“I hope to score. I can help be that scorer. Coach Beard has been talking to me about playing the 1 and the 2. Just scoring the ball and help scoring wise. I can get the ball and rebound on defense with my length, but I really see myself coming in and scoring.”
“I know my defense at the college level will have to step up a lot. I definitely need to work on that. The little things, too, like cheering on the bench or maybe diving on the floor more to go after a loose ball. Just little things like that, to do whatever coach has for me and be the best I can be.”
Before Culver can get to work on accomplishing some of his main goals – he wants to get to 200-205 pounds by the summer as well as improve his defense – he will have to go through a month or two of rehab following shoulder surgery for a slightly torn labrum. Culver found out about the labrum injury to his right shoulder about two months before his final season at Coronado. Not wanting to miss out on his senior year, Culver decided to postpone the surgery until after the season.