Texas Tech freshman guard Jahmi’us Ramsey was picked 43rd by the Sacramento Kings. Early in the draft process, Ramsey was mocked going in the first round, but as the week and day of the NBA draft approached, Ramsey was being predicted to go in the 35-40 range.

This is the third year in a row where a Texas Tech player has been drafted, a feat that is impressive all by itself, with Zhaire Smith picked by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018, and Jarrett Culver picked by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2019.

CBS Sports graded every pick and had this to say about the pick:

As a freshman at Texas Tech, Ramsey was one of the best pure shooters in the Big 12. He still has a lot of growing to do to diversify his offensive arsenal but is a great catch-and-shoot threat who had first-round potential. Grade: B-

And NBC Sports’ James Ham had this to say about where Ramsey will fit:

Ham: Ramsey fell lower than expected on draft night. At 19-years-old, he’s a young prospect, but he has plenty of upside. He’ll need time to work out some of the kinks in his game, but he shot 42.6 percent from 3-point range in his lone season at the NCAA level and led his team in scoring at 15 per game. He needs to work on his shot selection and focus on defense, but there is potential for him to develop into a solid player at the NBA level. He’ll likely see time in the G League early in his career and he’s a candidate for the Kings’ lone remaining two-way contract.

Sacramento drafted Iowa State swing guard Tyrese Haliburton with the 12th pick and Mississippi State shooting guard Robert Woodard with the 40th pick, so Ramsey will have significant competition.

I know that there will be comments about Ramsey going too early, but usually when a player declares, the player is done with the college experience or is assured of a high draft pick (i.e. see Jarrett Culver or Patrick Mahomes who were clearly lottery picks or first round picks, while I think teams fell in love with the athleticism of Zhaire Smith). That’s okay because Ramsey gets to chase his dream and Texas Tech’s basketball season starts in a week or so. It’s a win-win as far as I’m concerned.