Chris Beard introduces talented 2020-21 Red Raider basketball team

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by Joe Yeager for Inside the Red Raiders

The program is anxiously awaiting the NCAA’s decision on what college basketball will look like this season.

The current team has as many returners as has ever been the case with one of coach Beard’s teams at Texas Tech.

If he had been healthy the whole season Kevin McCullar would have been on the Big 12 All Freshman team. He may have been Tech’s best player at the end of last season.

The four incoming freshmen could be the best group of freshmen in Texas Tech basketball history. They will contribute immediately.

Marcus Santos-Silva is the best grad transfer from this class. He’s unselfish and a leader.

Mac McClung and Jamarius Burton are at the very top of the transfer list, as well.

Depth could be a big part of this team’s identity. And, if Covid strikes your team, the deeper you are, the better you should be able to weather that adversity.

Texas Tech recruited Marcus Santos-Silva to be a senior leader.

Returning players are a huge part of Tech’s program because they understand the culture of the program, and can be counted on to defend that culture and to teach it.

Jamarius Burton is working on shedding weight and Kyler Edwards is going to play lighter this year.

Kevin McCullar has put on weight and has improved during the off-season.

Recruiting has been unusual because you’re trying to build relationships with recruits digitally rather than face-to-face. And building those relationships is absolutely critical. Tech’s coaches executed their recruiting game-plan about as well as they could.

Mac McClung is a special player. He’s one of the best guards in college basketball. He went through the NBA draft process, got some feedback, and is working on improving in areas the NBA brass mentioned.

Esahia Nyiwe left the program to pursue professional basketball. “His decision was based on playing time and wanting to pursue pro basketball.”

The waiver situation with McClung and Burton “is in the process.”

The main goal for Kyler Edwards is consistency. He won the Big 12 Player of the Week award last season when the Red Raiders were playing their best basketball, and if you win that award, you are a pro. Winning that award shows what kind of talent Edwards has. He now needs to be his best on every possession and in every game.

Coach Beard doesn’t talk about officiating very much because he can’t control the officiating. By the same token, there isn’t a whole lot of talk in the program about the uncertainty of the upcoming season because that is out of the program’s control.

The current team has been focused like a laser. It has the chance to be “really, really good.”

Work on The Womble has been delayed in some areas because of Covid and the economy. For instance, chairs for one of the rooms in the building have been delayed. Nevertheless, is confident that the program will be using the facility this fall. It will be the best basketball training facility in the country. It will be “transforming.” It will help in recruiting, too; it already has.

Texas, Oklahoma and Baylor have most of their players returning, which will provide them an advantage. Texas Tech can make up the ground, though. The team that played for the national championship had many new players on it.

The current team is off to a great start in terms of building chemistry.

Believes Micah Peavy should have been a McDonald’s All American. He could play “a long, long time after college.” He’s also very humble.

Joel Ntambwe has a stronger, more athletic body than he did two years ago at UNLV. He’s also more mature and better in film study. He can play four, possibly even all five positions.

Tyreek Smith will make people mention him sooner rather than later. He would probably have been the team’s most athletic forward last season. He plays above the rim. He’s competing for major minutes and a major role. He can shoot the ball and will eventually be an effective three-point shooter. Perhaps even this year.

The 10 coaches in the Big 12 are connected with one another. They have had Zoom meetings.

On September 16 the NCAA will make a statement on the upcoming basketball season.

Nimari Burnett hasn’t had a bad day since he got with the program.

Tech basketball always has a graphic on a wall that features the seniors. This year, the only person in the graphic would have been Marcus Santos-Silva because he’s the only senior. When Santos-Silva heard about that he went to coach Beard and told him he wasn’t comfortable being singled out for that honor and instead wanted the whole team to be on the graphic. That’s an example of the unselfishness and the lack of entitlement on this team.

Takeaways: Chris Beard seems genuinely thrilled with where this team is right now. He loves the intangibles and is a huge fan of Marcus Santos-Silva, in particular.20COMMENTS

Look for Tyreek Smith to make a major impact.

If Mac McClung is eligible, he could be the best player on the team. Kevin McCullar could be the strongest competitor for that honor. Santos-Silva, however, could be the MVP.

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