NCAA Basketball: Analyzing transfer Marcus Santos-Silva final 6 teams
Texas Tech Red Raiders
After missing out on Matt Haarms as well, Texas Tech finds themselves right back into the picture for another frontcourt prospect. They look to improve their frontcourt standing this season, considering that their starting forward Chris Clarke, was technically their lead guard and passer. They lost TJ Holyfield to graduation and Russel Tchewa to the portal, leaving just Andrei Savrasov and Joel Ntambwe, who averaged 11.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg as a freshman at UNLV.
The Red Raiders did land JUCO transfer forward Esahia Nyiwe but it’s unknown how much he’ll contribute to the team next year. They could really use a center who can rebound and defend, making Santos-Silva an ideal fit for them. He and Ntambwe would work just fine, as the former Rebel shot 44/114 (39%) from three-point range two years ago and can be even better. With him at the power forward spot and Santos-Silva at the center position, Texas Tech will have both offense and defense secured in the frontcourt in 2020-21.
The Red Raiders have enjoyed a recent run of transfer players. Whether it’s Matt Mooney, Tariq Owens, and both Holyfield and Clarke from last year, incoming veterans won’t have to worry about fitting in Chris Beard’s system. They already landed point guard Jamarius Burton from Wichita State and want one more addition to solidifying a top-10 team for next season.
Next. Ranking matchups in next year's Big 12/Big East Challenge. dark
Of all the options, Arizona State and Texas Tech represent the best chances to win big next year. And with Romello White’s situation still up in the air with the Sun Devils, the Red Raiders currently looks like the ideal landing spot for Santos-Silva. But could they go 0-2 after losing out on Haarms?