Texas Tech Basketball: Loss of Zhaire Smith leaves massive hole
According to reports, Zhaire Smith will remain in the 2018 NBA Draft and hire an agent, spurning the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the process.
Zhaire Smith was supposed to be a critical part of Texas Tech’s future.
Emphasis on the was.
The budding star stuck his name into the NBA Draft waters to see what his pro prospects looked like this summer. He must have liked what he heard, because Smith has chosen to remain in the draft pool and hire an agent, according to The Athletic.
Texas Tech freshman guard Zhaire Smith will remain in the NBA draft and will hire an agent, league sources told The Athletic.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) April 18, 2018
The decision leaves a gaping hole Chris Beard and the Red Raiders won’t easily fill.
Texas Tech’s freshman sensation took awhile to come on during his maiden – and lone – college voyage. But the team eventually realized what they had in the guard, with Beard starting him 21 times over the course of the year. Smith averaged 11.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
His play improved over the course of the year, with his athleticism and defensive acumen on full display. It seemed he would seize the torch from Keenan Evans to become Texas Tech’s next superstar.
One of his best games of the year came in the NCAA Tournament. With the Red Raiders on the ropes against the Florida Gators in the 2nd Round, Smith scored 18 points (on .615 shooting, no less), grabbed nine rebounds, and dished seven assists; Texas Tech prevailed by a bucket.
Nevertheless, Texas Tech will not fill the hole left by Smith easily. Losing Evans, one of the best players in program history, was already a massive challenge. Losing the second-leading scorer, leading rebounder, leading blocker, and leading three-point shooter compounds the issue.
All eyes will be on Jarrett Culver now. The rising sophomore and local product flew slightly under the radar with Smith in town for a year. Culver averaged 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, trailing Smith by a hair in each category.
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In 2018, Texas Tech made their first-ever run to the Elite Eight. Doing so in 2019 will be much harder.