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NCAA Basketball: Look at 2019 recruiting classes for each state of Texas program

By Andrew Dieckhoff

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 18: Jahmius Ramsey #10 of Team Ramsey looks on during warm ups before the game against Team Stanley during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 18: Jahmius Ramsey #10 of Team Ramsey looks on during warm ups before the game against Team Stanley during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 08: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates the play against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during the 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 08: Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates the play against the Virginia Cavaliers in the second half during the 2019 NCAA men’s Final Four National Championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 08, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

The state of Texas is one of the biggest NCAA Basketball recruiting pipelines. How did the programs inside the state perform with their 2019 recruiting classes?

For the third installment of our state-by-state recruiting coverage, we head down south to the Lone Star State. It shouldn’t come as a shock that the Big 12 has owned this recruiting cycle for the state, but a few other teams outside of this league also make appearances in the Top 100 of the 247Sports Composite class rankings.

Let’s start first with the national runners-up, who are bringing in the state’s top recruiting class.

Texas Tech (#16 in 247Sports Composite rankings) – After last year’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament final, expectations for Chris Beard’s Red Raider program have never been higher. There’s no doubt that Texas Tech lost a huge amount of talent. Jarrett Culver, Matt Mooney, Tariq Owens, Norense Odiase, and Brandone Francis are all gone, but that doesn’t mean that this team is destined for a precipitous fall. Davide Moretti, Kyler Edwards, and Deshawn Corprew return to give the team a solid, experienced set of players. But who will join them?

Let’s look first at the top recruits that Beard is bringing in. He’s got a pair of four-star freshmen coming to Lubbock in Jahmius Ramsey and Terrence Shannon. Ramsey is a 6’4” combo guard and is rated in the top-5 for his position. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him log some serious minutes at the point guard position for the Red Raiders and he should also develop into a dangerous scoring option. Shannon, also ranked in the Top 100, is a Chicago native who played at the famed IMG Academy. He will bring some strong defensive chops to the wing position and will contribute on the other end of the court as well.

The Red Raiders also have a group of three-star recruits joining the fold, as they nabbed commitments from Tyreek Smith, Clarency Nadolny, and Russell Tchewa. Smith and Tchewa will help make up for some of the size that was lost with Owens and Odiase. Smith is a 6’8” power forward rated in the Top 25 for the position. Tchewa is a little more raw, but his seven-foot frame is certainly capable of developing into a strong low-post addition. Nadolny, originally from France, will provide some depth at both guard positions.

Aside from these recruits, Beard has also scored some good ones on the transfer market. Former Virginia Tech standout Chris Clarke comes over after sitting out last season following his dismissal from the Hokies. The 6’6” guard is eligible immediately and will bring size and an ability to get to the rim to score and rebound. Joining him is TJ Holyfield, a graduate transfer from Stephen F. Austin. A forward capable of playing anywhere in the frontcourt, Holyfield was an excellent defender in his time at SFA and showed the ability to score on the interior. He also developed some range, making 28 three-pointers last season.

This group may not fly quite as high as last year’s, but then again, Texas Tech wasn’t really on a lot of radars then, either. Preseason expectations will surely be a bit higher this time around, but with the group of players that they’ve brought in, they shouldn’t have too much trouble meeting them.

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