Tariq Owens – Forward (St John’s Transfer)
| Height | Weight |
|---|---|
| 6’11” | 205 lbs |
Ratings (HS): 89 by 247 / 75 by ESPN / 3-stars by Rivals / 87.52 by 247composite
Interest: Maryland (Warm), Texas Tech (Warm), Western Kentucky (Warm)
We mentioned back when Khavon Moore committed to Texas Tech that there were two scholarships open, and they were likely going to take another JUCO and a high school player. We’ll get to the high school player later, but we’ll start with Owens right now. Although he’s not a JUCO, this may be even better for Tech, as they get a more experienced player that can play down low and provide the Red Raiders immediate help. Last week we noticed that Owens was on Texas Tech’s radar after he decided to transfer from St. John’s. Several schools were listed until this past week, when it appeared Owens was down to Maryland, Texas Tech and Western Kentucky according to Evan Daniels of 247sports. He already visited his home state team of Maryland and plans to visit Lubbock after the Final Four. Owens is a player that could be the next Livingston, Hamilton type player for Texas Tech, providing a much needed body down low after the graduation of Zach Smith and Tommy Hamilton IV. Let’s look at what Owens can do (Song in video NSFW). First off, Tariq “The Eraser” Owens averaged 8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and shot 50% from the floor. In his film, he looks like he can fill the Zach Smith role on the team. He can shoot the mid-range shot and is a vicious shot blocker. He moves well on the floor and looks like he is smart enough and athletic enough to be apart of the motion offense. He is an energizer as well, and will be able to bring great energy. I like what I see from Owens and I believe he could be great for Tech while Ondigo develops.
Nigel Hawkins – Shooting Guard (Cy Falls, Houston, TX)
| Height | Weight |
|---|---|
| 6’2″ | 175 lbs |
Ratings: 83 by 247 / NR by ESPN / NR by Rivals / NR by 247composite
Interest: Butler (Cool), Oklahoma (Cool), SFA (Cool), Texas Tech (Cool)
Since Beard took over, outside of his first month on the job when he was trying to fill out a roster, he’s been linked to big names throughout the state and country. So we haven’t really seen him go after someone who isn’t quite as recruited. Hawkins appears to be someone that hasn’t gotten a ton of attention but could join the Tech roster. I’m not sure if this would be a scholarship player or not, but with two spots open and no one else on the radar, he could fall into the scholarship count. Hawkins has interest from teams such at Maryland, UTA, UTEP and Virginia Tech, along with the few mentioned above. According to VYPE Houston, Hawkins will choose which teams he will visit after the NCAA Tournament wraps up, and Tech being on of the closer teams could play an advantage. Let’s take a look at what Hawkins can do. Hawkins attacking the rim often and uses a various of moves to get the shot he wants at the basket. He also is a little shifty and can get the shot he wants inside the three point line. Mable most importantly, Hawkins attacks the ball on defense and tries to cause deflections often. Hawkins could be a sneaky sign for the Red Raiders.
Now for our recruiting updates, starting with football:
Football 2019:
- Melquan Stovall, 84 rated WR, visited Texas Tech and enjoyed his visit last week. Stovall currently does not have a Tech offer.
- Preston Wilson, 84 rated OT, visited the Red Raiders and received an offer from them on Tuesday. Wilson has 16 offers so far.
Football 2019+:
- Michael Henderson Jr., NR 2020 QB/OLB, received an offer from Texas Tech on Monday. He other two offer thus far are from Florida and Oklahoma.
Basketball 2018:
- Kyler Edwards, 89 rated TTU signee, played on national television last Thursday for Findlay Prep. He had a line of 23 points on 8 of 13 shooting (6-8 free throws).
- Anthony Tarke, Transfer from NJIT, will visit Texas Tech after the Final Four. Tarke will set out a year then have two years to play. Tarke averaged over 15 points a game last year in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
- Joe Cremo, Transfer from Albany, has received interest from Texas Tech. Cremo averaged 17.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 3.8 apg last season.
Basketball 2019+:
- Kevin McCullar, 87 rated 2019 SG, received a visit from Chris Beard and Chris Ogden on Wednesday. McCullar has Tech in his Top 5 and is a Red Raiders legacy. He also talked to Corey Evans of Rivals about his Top 5, including Texas Tech.