Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big 12 Basketball: Dedric Lawson and Jarrett Culver lead POY race

By Bryan Mauro

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 23: Jarrett Culver #23, Keenan Evans #12 and Zach Smith #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrate their lead over the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 23: Jarrett Culver #23, Keenan Evans #12 and Zach Smith #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrate their lead over the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots a three pointer against the Memphis Tigers during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 01: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots a three pointer against the Memphis Tigers during the HoopHall Miami Invitational at American Airlines Arena on December 1, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

1. Jarrett Culver – Texas Tech

Chris Beard and the fans in Lubbock could not have asked for a better end to the season a year ago. They made the elite eight and were one of the more dominant teams in the country for most of the year. After that season Texas Tech lost a ton of production and much like Oklahoma the Red Raiders did not have much in the way of expectations coming into the year. They were also picked to finish near the bottom of the league. That was until this season.

Chris Beard has a legitimate final four contender in Lubbock, TX this year, and on top of all of that he has a team who could finally dethrone juggernaut Kansas at the top of the league standings. Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver has been at the center of virtually everything for Texas Tech this season. Culver is one of two starters who returned for Texas Tech last season and the one player returning who produced last season.

The guard was overshadowed last season by two tremendous players in Zhaire Smith and Keenan Evans. Those players are now playing in the NBA and Culver can now show the country and the NBA scouts that he will be joining them after this season.

Culver is can do it all. If you play for Chris Beard playing defense is a requirement to see the floor. Culver is a very good defender to go along with his scoring and rebounding. The guard has taken the league by storm and he is the most important player to his team’s success in the conference. The emergence of Texas Tech on the national scene, in a year virtually everyone wrote them off. Culver would be at the center of those conversations.

Next. Big 12 Power Rankings. dark

Culver has a chance to lead his team to a historical season. If Texas Tech makes the final four, which at this point seems like a real possibility the sophomore guard will forever be remembered in Lubbock for his contributions. If the sophomore continues to play like he has all season, the award will be his.

Home/Big 12