Breaking down the 7 options for Texas Tech transfer guard Nimari Burnett
By Matt Melton
The NCAA Transfer Portal has become a place the past couple of seasons where countless players enter their name to be “re-recruited” as you’d say. The transfer portal has players from almost every school in the country, no matter the star-rating or star power of the player. One of the more interesting players in the transfer portal will be announcing his decision in the coming week in former 5-star guard Nimari Burnett.
Nimari Burnett, originally from Chicago, IL, was rated as a 5-star prospect in the Class of 2020 where he played for one of the best high school teams in the country Prolific Prep. Burnett was rated as one of the consensus top 40 players in the country, while also being rated as one of the Top 10 combo guards in the country.
Burnett has always been a dynamic and versatile player going back to his high school days. Playing against and with some of the best players in the country, Burnett averaged 25.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 5.5 APG during his senior season at Prolific Prep, while also showing his abilities to score from anywhere on the court along with his dynamic passing and defense. His accolades reflected how he played as he was selected to play in the 2020 McDonald’s All-American Game, among many other accomplishments.
Burnett committed to Texas Tech back in November of 2019 and appeared in 12 games for the Red Raiders during the 2020 season before entering the NCAA transfer portal in January. Burnett averaged 5.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.4 SPG on 28% shooting from two, 17.5% from three, and 88.9% from the free-throw line while averaging 17.7 minutes per game.
Even though Burnett did not play big minutes during his time at Texas Tech, Burnett’s skill set alone makes him one of the top players in the transfer portal this offseason. Whoever lands Nimari Burnett will not only be getting a bonafide scorer and shot creator, but also a versatile defender who can play and guard multiple positions.
Let’s take a look at the finalists to land former 5-star guard Burnett, and break down how each team will look next season at the guard position, as well as a potential fit with each.