NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing Nimari Burnett’s final five

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Official Visit: Scheduling in the works.

Texas Tech is a program that is clearly on the rise. Head coach Chris Beard has not been at the helm of the program long, but he has quickly turned things around. In addition to successes on the recruiting trail, the Red Raiders are fresh off reaching the national title game during this past season. There might not be a single program in the country that is trending up faster than the one down in Lubbock, TX. In the 2020 recruiting class, Coach Beard recently secured a commitment from fast-rising wing Chibuzo Agbo Jr. as a starting piece to build around.

Even though the program only recently started recruiting Nimari Burnett a few weeks ago, it is clear that the coaching staff has made an immediate impression. Burnett is originally a native of Illinois and recently hired assistant coach Ulric Maligi, who has plenty of ties to the area. Burnett explained this to 247Sports as he said that Coach Maligi “watched me grow and prosper and he just wants to be a part of the recruitment.” The Red Raiders are in the running for top-tier talent like Burnett due to their immense level of success on the court and that is thanks to elite player development.

Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver both turned into major NBA Draft prospects for the program in the past two years and Burnett could be the next on that list if he ends up committing. Considering Texas Tech already made Burnett’s top five after only recently expressing interest, it is clear that they have a solid shot at landing his commitment. This is especially true when you consider that Burnett is planning on scheduling visits to each of his remaining schools and commit later in the process. That will give Coach Beard time to make an even better pitch.