Big 12 Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season
By Andrew Tineo
6. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Projected Starting Lineup:
PG: Chandler Jacobs
SG: Davion Warren
SF: Sadaar Calhoun
PF: Kevin McCullar
C: Marcus Santos-Silva
No one in the conference has had a more chaotic off-season and has lost so much as Texas Tech has. The head coach that has led them to a national championship appearance has dashed for his alma mater and rival in Texas.
The top two players have departed with Kyler Edwards heading to Houston and Mac McClung going through with the NBA process. The lineup at the moment consists of inexperience starting, with Santos-Silva being the lone returning starter from last year’s Texas Tech’s squad.
The Red Raiders have added some unique pieces, headlined by Florida State’s Sardaar Calhoun. With McClung heading to the pros, it gives Calhoun an opportunity to immediately start.
Calhoun produced 15 points and nearly 40% from beyond the arc per 40 minutes and produced 14 minutes per game off the bench.
A player fighting for a starting spot will be former Last Chance U star forward K.J. Allen. Allen’s body is unique and displayed his skillset on the lone Basketball series of the Netflix show.
Allen was planning on staying near home, as he was once committed to the University of Southern California, before pledging to the Red Raiders.
Although Texas Tech does not produce experience and a dominant scorer, there are opportunities for players to come up. This Texas Tech team reminds me of last year’s Oklahoma State, without a Cade Cunningham.
I predict the Red Raiders will be a fringe Tournament team and end up on the right side of the bubble.
Record: 19-12 (8-10)