The Sports Bank’s college basketball season previews undergo a facelift this season. Rather than counting down the top 111 teams in 111 days, we will go conference-by-conference. I’ve already counted down the Pac-12 and now we turn our attention to the Big 12.
In losing four of their top five scorers from a year ago, a pretty bad Texas Tech Red Raiders team should only be worse this season and figure to be the cellar dwellars in the Big 12.
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Last Season: 9th, 6-12 in Big 12, 14-18 overall
Predicted Big 12 Finish: 10th
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Justin Jamison (Jr)/Isaiah Manderson (Fr)/Norense Odiase (Fr)
F: Aaron Ross (So)/Alex Foster (So)/Clark Lammert (Sr)/Zach Smith (Fr)
G/F: Toddrick Gotcher (Jr)/Justin Gray (Fr)
SG: Devaugntah Williams (Jr)/Keenan Evans (Fr)
PG: Robert Turner (Sr)/Randy Onwuasor (So)
Gone: SF-Jaye Crockett, PF-Jordan Tolbert (transfer-SMU), C-Dejan Kravic, PG-Jamal Williams, C-Kader Tapsoba, SG-Dusty Hannahs (transfer-Arkansas)
2014-2015 Outlook:
Tubby Smith only returns four players who were part of the regular rotation last season. Robert Turner and Toddrick Gotcher must provide leadership as the only guys with starting experience. Both players are capable of initiating offense from the guard position but don’t shoot it especially well from the outside.
Outside of Turner and Gotcher, playing time is wide open across the roster. JUCO transfer Devaugntah Williams and freshman wing Justin Gray should factor into the equation and may be asked to play significant roles right away. Randy Onwuasor provides Texas Tech with a decent backup option at the point behind Turner.
The frontcourt is a total crapshoot with Aaron Ross and Alex Foster needing to make their presence felt as sophomores. Junior college transfer, Justin Jamison could immediately step into a starting role due to his toughness and physicality down low while a trio of freshmen hope to earn playing time as well.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/18 at LSU
12/3 vs. Auburn (SEC/Big 12 Challenge)
12/10 vs. Fresno State
12/23 vs. Boise State/Houston (Las Vegas Classic)
PAC-12 PREVIEWS:
#1 ARIZONA WILDCATS
#4 UCLA BRUINS
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities. David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Milwaukee to Honolulu. He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft and the most accurate 2012 NBA Mock Draft on the internet (Yup, repeat champ… #humblebrag), and finished with the second most accurate 2013 NBA Mock Draft (nearly a three-peat.) You can follow him on Twitter at David_Kmiecik.