10. Jazz Gardner – No. 121
The 7’0 center comes from the state of California and at one point was a consensus four-star prospect in the top 60. Gardner is a true rim-protector and shot-blocker and projects to be a quality defender at the NCAA Basketball. His scoring ability is okay but still needs development.
What’s interesting about Gardner is that at in November, he looked to be close to a decision. He was down to six options, including Pepperdine, Dayton, Virginia, Texas Tech, Saint Mary’s, and Kansas. The Waves seem to be the outlier of the group but that’s where his father, Jelani Gardner, played.
Gardner was rumored to be heavily favored to the Red Raiders at one point, which made sense since he was a natural fit with then-head coach Mark Adams’ system. Now, with Texas Tech having changed everything including its head coach, they very well could be out of the picture.
With the big man delaying his decision until the Spring, there’s a good chance that his next group of options will be different from the original six. For the team still needing a power conference-level big man if the transfer portal doesn’t work out, look for Gardner to get more interest.