Red Raiders set to host four-star standout V.J. Bailey
The Texas Tech football team will be playing host to the Kansas Jayhawks Thursday night in front of a national television audience. While the Red Raiders will have some football recruits in town at the game, the highest-profile visitors on the sideline will be hosted by Chris Beard and the Texas Tech basketball program.
From Thursday through Saturday, Beard and his staff will be hosting one of the top prospects in the entire country in Rivals100 guard V.J. Bailey. Bailey, a Round Rock (Texas) McNeil product, has been offered by more than 20 of the top programs in college basketball and is very excited about the opportunity to visit Lubbock this weekend.
“I have never been to Lubbock, but I’ve heard it is beautiful and it’s a great place,” Bailey said. “I really wanted to check it out. I didn’t want to pass up this opportunity to go and visit because I’ve only heard great things about it. I really like the coaches, so I thought I should definitely take a look at it.”
Bailey has had plenty of programs in his ear throughout the process so far. His biggest takeaway, though? All the good things he has heard about Lubbock, which has only fueled his interest even more to visit.
“My English teacher (Andy Dawson) played baseball for Tech way, way back in the day, and I’m surrounded by people who only have good things to say about Tech, and I haven’t heard a negative thing about it yet," he said. "That’s what kind of draws me to Lubbock. Other places, you might hear some negative things about the places that might make you re-think, but for Tech, I’ve only heard great things. I want to check it out myself and see what everyone is talking about.”
Bailey’s official visit to Lubbock is a big win for Beard and his staff and Texas Tech fans should be taking notice, too. Bailey holds a total of 23 scholarship offers – from programs such as Kansas, Ohio State, Texas A&M and USC among others – and he is ranked as the No. 3 player in Texas and the No. 94 overall prospect in the country.
The four-star prospect could potentially be one of the highest-ranked prospect to ever commit to the Red Raiders. While that accolade is something to get excited about, his relationship with the program's coaches and the opportunity to play early is what really draws his attention to Texas Tech.
“That is something they have definitely mentioned,” Bailey said. “They said that I would be one of the highest recruits to ever commit there for basketball. That is a big deal, but that isn’t really what sold me on wanting to visit. Knowing the coaches and having my family feel comfortable and the whole set up with the opportunity to be able to work to play and stuff was what really made me excited.
"It’s definitely good to hear that you would be kind of a big deal, but that really isn’t a main factor for me. You still have to put in the work and work for anything you get.”
While official visits are typically fun experiences no matter what program is playing host, Bailey is taking the trip first and foremost to see if Texas Tech could be his home for the future. There are plenty of “fun” aspects Bailey is looking forward to, but getting a true feel for Lubbock, sitting down with the coaches and meeting the team are things that are highest on his priority list.
“I’ve never been there before, so I definitely want to get a feel for it,” Bailey said. “Is it a place I could be for the next few years? I’m excited to get a look at it and get a feel for it and ask myself if this is a place that I want to be at, a place where I could live. I’ll definitely be feeling the place out and meeting people and seeing how the people act. I think that’s a big thing.
“I’m excited to get a feel for my teammates, too. I’m with them 90 percent of the time, and I really want to get a feel for them and make sure they are comfortable with me and they like me and that I feel comfortable with them. I’m looking forward to reviewing the game plan again with the coaches and see specifically what they have in mind and see if that matches up with what me and my family have in mind. Will I be able to play and fit the system? Some guys don’t fit in every system. I’m just looking to see if Tech’s style of play matches up with mine and if it is a good fit and if I feel okay in it or not.”
Bailey has already taken official visits to Texas A&M and Tulsa and has an official visit to Oregon set up following his Texas Tech visit. He currently does not have a fifth visit scheduled.