How Good is Red Raiders Men's Basketball Transfer Class?
The Texas Tech Red Raiders and coach Mark Adams have lost a solid chunk of the roster this offseason. But in the world of college basketball, as we know it today, the transfer portal is king. Players are jumping ship to other destinations at a historic rate.
Tech, who lost Bryson Williams, Kevin McCullar, and Terrence Shannon Jr, the team's top-three scorers from a season ago, was still able to secure some of the country's top available transfers.
247Sports made a list Monday of teams that have landed multiple elite players via the transfer portal so far this offseason and have Texas Tech right in the mix.
Here's what 247 had to say about Texas Tech's transfer haul:
The Red Raiders just barely occupied this spot: the two Texas Tech transfers who qualified as five stars literally sit in the last two five-star spots. Of the 48 players to earn five-star rankings on EvanMiya.com, Oregon transfer De’Vion Harmon ranks 47th, while Utah Valley’s Fardaws Aimaq is one spot lower at No. 48. Aimaq has a well-balanced profile, ranking 17th among five-star transfers in defensive BPR, while his offensive BPR number is almost identical. Harmon trends more toward the offensive end of the court, though it’s worth noting he’s had success before in the Big 12, when he played at Oklahoma.
Despite playing for a mid-major at Utah Valley, Aimaq's arrival in the transfer portal this offseason immediately made him one of the most sought-after transfers headed into next season. He averaged a dominant 18.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks last season for the Wolverines in the WAC.
Aimaq was the go-to guy for the Wolverines all season, but had one of his best performances in Utah Valley's huge upset over No. 12 BYU on Dec. 1, putting up 24 points and 22 rebounds. His dominant presence in the paint proves the competition in a major conference won't be an issue.
Harmon, a former standout at Oklahoma, will give the Red Raiders some much-needed depth in the backcourt. Even in a crowded and talented Oregon backcourt last season, he averaged 10.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals on 41.5 percent shooting while starting all but one game for the Ducks.
D'Maurian Williams is another transfer that should bring some elite scoring upside off the bench for Adams and staff. At Gardner-Webb in the Big South last season, the 6-5, 195-pound guard averaged 14.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, in 31.7 minutes per game.
Even after struggling against elite competition like Duke and Arkansas early in non-conference play, Williams managed to bounce back in a nice way, reaching double-digit scoring efforts in all but five games the rest of the season.
Texas Tech will have to acclimate two of its new additions to life in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball. But pairing their budding talent with a coaching genius like Adams could make playing Tech a scary sight for teams once again this season.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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