NCAA Basketball: Early tournament games in 2020-21 to get excited about

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 22: Fans pack the Lahaina Civic Center to watch the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 22, 2016 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – MARCH 07: Guard Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Cincinnati vs Texas Tech at the NIT Season Tip-Off

Before the clock even starts, it is going to be interesting to see who steps to center court for the tip. Whoever is taking the jump ball for Texas Tech Basketball by the time the NIT Season Tip-Off comes around, will sum up their season in a nutshell. Taking the tip for Cincinnati Basketball will be seven foot one Chris Vogt, for Texas Tech it is a different story. If second-year seven-footer Russel Tchewa is not able to log more than the five minutes per game than he did in his freshman year, the Red Raiders have nobody else over six foot eight who stepped on the floor for them in 2019-20.

One 6’8 player that coach Chris Beard had in T.J Holyfield was a senior, along with six-six forward Chris Clarke. The 11th ranked recruiting class is not going to remedy this glaring shortcoming. The Red Raiders may have three four-star freshmen arriving, but none play the center position. The highlight of coach Beard’s signing is the top 30 recruit combo guard Nimari Burnet, who at six foot three elicits comparisons to Isaiah Whitehead. Accompanying Burnet in Lubbock will be Micah Peavy and Chibuzo Agbo Jr. both of who have NBA potential with development.

Coming off a first-place finish in the AAC, coach John Brannon put together a top 40 recruitment class that consists of a trio of three-star recruits who have signed their letter of intent and four-star power forward Tari Eason who is currently a hard-commit. Despite Gabe Madsen, Mike Saunders, and Mason Madsen not cracking the top 100 list of recruits, they will fill the roster spots that are being vacated.

Cincinnati rode a wave of experience to the top of the AAC, with Jarron Cumberland (15 ppg), Tre Scott, Jaevin Cumberland, Chris McNeal and Jaume Sorolla all contributing throughout the season but are now departing the ‘RUCKus”.

It will be interesting to see how the Bearcats prepare to hold on to the AAC title, while all eyes are currently on the Red Raiders’ star Jahmi’us Ramsey. The continued intrigue is that while he has not officially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, he is a projected mid-first round selection. If the Arlington, Texas native returns for the 2020-21 season, the NIT Season Tip-Off is must-watch basketball.

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