Mailbag: Your Questions on Texas Tech Basketball
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RedRaiderSports staff writer Chase Champlin responds to questions from Tech fans one week away from basketball season.
Everyone is questioning Texas Tech in regards to having no true point guard. What will they do? Kevin McCullar is the answer. McCullar will run PG for the Red Raiders this season and he has had experience playing the position in high school.
McCullar has continued to improve his dribbling, passing, and shooting this off-season and I expect him to make a huge leap in his stats this upcoming season and arguably be the best defender in the Big 12. He had 26 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals in the private scrimmage vs New Mexico State this past Saturday.
Mylik Wilson and Clarence Nadolny will also help with the point guard situation. I expect Wilson to play a decently big role this season and we will see about Nadolny after coming off his injury. McCullar could easily be the biggest asset on this team.
The leading scorer could be a few players. It could be Terrence Shannon Jr., Kevin Obanor, Bryson Williams, or even Kevin McCullar. The most likely player to lead the Red Raiders in scoring will be Kevin Obanor. Obanor shined in the NCAA Tournament this past season. Had three double-doubles, including having 30 points and 11 rebounds in a first-round upset of Ohio State, and followed it with 28 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Florida.
Who takes the last shot? Terrence Shannon Jr. Shannon averaged 12.9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists last season and I expect him to make a huge jump. Already going through the NBA Draft process, Shannon brings back experience, length, and athleticism. Texas Tech might not have that star player on the team but Shannon will be the closest thing to that in the last seconds of the game. As he continues to improve his shooting and beating the defender to the basket, he will be that "clutch guy" to take the last shot.
Texas Tech scored 72.5 points per game last season. With this new roster having way more depth, experience, and scoring options, I believe we will stay right around there and possibly even a little more.
This will obviously change throughout the season depending on game but I predict...
PG - McCullar: 30 mins
SG - Warren: 20-25 mins
SF - Shannon: 30 mins
PF - Obanor: 30 mins
C - Williams: 30 mins
6th - Calhoun: 20-25 mins
7th - Agbo: 15-20 mins
8th - Arms or Wilson: 10-15 mins
9th - Santos Silva: 10-15 mins
Compete for PT: Nadolny, Allen, Batcho, Duncan
There is a very high chance we finish off the class of 2022 with RJ Godfrey and Lamar Washington. I expect both to commit this month as the early signing period begins next week (Starting November 10th). Mark Adams will fight for Yohan Traore but as I have said in the past it will be a hard fight.
I expect Chibuzo Agbo to have a huge second year improvement. Agbo will bring much more to the floor than he did last year. Expect Agbo to play around 15-20 minutes every night, with improved defense and confidence. He has improved his shot this off-season and I expect him to take a lot of shots. I am very high on Agbo but I would predict him to average this season: 7 PPG, 5 RPG, and 2 APG.
We all want this team to be locked in and gelled together on night one. Obviously, that is never the case with a brand new team. It should take around 10 games to figure out the main rotations. I believe in this team and Mark Adams. I don't think it will take them long to gel together at all and I expect this team to be ready going into conference play. Texas Tech plays some tough competition before then, such as No. 1 Gonzaga, No. 18 Tennesee, and Providence. This team has a lot of experience and they will be ready. This team will be more improved on every single aspect of the ball. Scoring, rebounding, steals, frontcourt, and free throws... Especially free throws.
The season starts Tuesday, November 9th as the Red Raiders face off against North Florida in Lubbock at 7:00 PM. Will be aired on ESPN+