Way back in April, we previewed and reviewed the guards for the men's Texas Tech basketball team. I was waiting on McDonald to make a decision (he chose Arkansas over Texas Tech) before discussing the forwards. Now that this is over, let's talk a little basketball.

Who's Gone:

I know, Rizvic isn't necessarily gone, but he only gets one semester next year. I've always thought that Rizvic is an 8-10 minute guy. You can't over-expose him because he's just not offensively gifted enough to stay on the floor. I really wish that Rizvic was just a tad more athletic, and he'd certainly have a spot in the rotation, but he struggles against more athletic guys and it's quite obvious.

I think it's safe to say that Hoffmeister is one of those guys who is going to be able to tell his grandkids some amazing stories. Hoffmeister was picked from a number of Texas Tech student athletes to become part of the 2006-2007 basketball team in a television series called Knight School. Being picked by Bob Knight to be on his team is a damn cool life experience and I wish him the best.

God speed gentlemen.

Who Returns:

Let's focus on the good stuff first. I loved the play of Singletary last year. I thought his addition to the team was vital. I always love guys who aren't afraid to mix it up inside, battle for boards, get fouls, etc. That type of play is invaluable, but also so rare it seems. I thought Singletary's emergence was one of the true bright spots last year and really enjoyed watching him play in the latter part of the season. The one point of improvement would have to be Singletary's outside shot. I know he has an outside shot, he hit quite a few outside shots while playing for Team USA last summer, now he just needs to work that into his game at the collegiate level.

Trevor Cook was incredibly inconsistent, but there's something to his game that I like. There were times where Cook was an absolute pleasure to watch, but then there were games where he was playing inconsistently or not getting consistent minutes. He's got a nice outside stroke and he's also not a bad athlete (one of the few guys who can dunk with some authority on the team). Of course there were times where Cook was horrible on the defensive side of the ball and I think this what caused his mid-season slide. The frustrating part of this whole situation is that I know he's athletically gifted enough to work inside and grab some boards, but it's got to be more about desire and positioning. I also think that Cook would be better suited if he's not having to play the team's biggest player. I just don't think Cook is quite there physically to play centers, but can take advantage of most power forwards, at least from the outside.

I can't wait to watch the progress of D'Walyn Roberts, but the more I consider what he can do for the team, the more I think that perhaps he needed to sit out last year as his playing time was sporadic and it seems it would have done him some good to bulk up and put some weight on an otherwise small frame. Here's the problem that RMK and PK faced last year. Roberts was arguably Texas Tech's highest rated recruit, coming off of a Texas state championship, if they make Roberts sit for a year then perhaps he transfers and decides he doesn't want to play here. If I were RMK or PK, I would have played him more early and gotten him more consistent minutes in conference play. Yes, Roberts was mistake prone, but he's also one of the more uniquely talented players on the roster, standing at 6'-7" with the ability to hit the three and defend most any player because of his length. I'm counting on Roberts making a big jump this year.

Damir Suljagic has shown that he has ability, and surprised me with some real post moves last year. But he gets lost in the shuffle, as most big men at Texas Tech. He doesn't do what he really needs to do, which is rebound the hell out of the ball. I wonder too if Suljagic is in the same boat as Cook, just not big enough to take the opposing team's biggest man, which limits his effectiveness both offensively and defensively. But here's Suljagic's biggest obstacle, he's not gifted offensively to create mismatches like Cook can, so he's almost a guy without a true position, or rather, he's a guy who can play excellent defense if the opposing player isn't a true center. Again, I need more from Suljagic. I need more rebounds more than anything else.

For some reason I really want Prince to succeed, but I think Prince's lack of success is his own fault. Prince has offensive ability, but chooses to defer to other players, and it's maddening at times. The bottom line for Prince is if his offensive game improves then he plays quite a bit next year, if not, then I think you see some of the freshmen.

I have no idea what to think about Craig and De Bem. I haven't seen enough of them to base a real opinion. Other that trusting PK, then I'm assuming these guys don't see the floor next year, at least not very much.

Who Is Going To Be Here:

I'm going to take Cohadarevic first because I think he starts immediately. Just like Cook and Suljagic, I'm not sure that Cohadarevic is big enough to play center, but I'm guessing that PK is trying something different, I think he's going to go with a more versatile and less traditional starting 5 than we are accustomed. I'm thinking that PK knows he can't get a true dominating low-post presence at Texas Tech, at least not right now. We've all read how PK wants a more up-tempo game and I think the key to all of this is to have a guy who can do a number of things offensively and create mismatches. Enter, Cohadarevic. Cohadarevic has an outside game and passes the ball well, so I think that what PK is trying to do is create mismatches on the court, where most teams have a low-post presence, PK is getting his big guys outside and letting Singletary and hopefully Roberts play on the inside and take advantage of opposing players who probably don't match-up as well. I'm certainly interested to see if this works and I'm not holding my breath, but I think PK is trying something different.

I think Lewandowski is a project, and if possible would love to see him redshirt. This is of course predicated on the thought that PK will be more inclined to play the more veteran players, which I'm not so sure is the best thing for the program right now. If it were me, Lewandowski would be the 2nd guy off of the bench behind Cohadarevic, especially if Lewandowski has any sort of offensive skills at all. If Lewandowski doesn't, then I would sit Lewandowski and hope that I get 4 good years from him. It's not easy to make a kid sit, and PK has an interesting balance between long-term and short-term success that I'm not sure I envy.

Corbin Ray is the real wild-card here and if anyone takes minutes away from Prince it's going to be Ray. If Ray shows any inkling of an offensive game, then Ray plays immediately, probably behind Cook. It seems I've read numerous places that Ray has both an inside-outside game, which means that he can take advantage of other post players with his outside shot.

Depth Chart:

I believe that PK goes with a 3-forward team, almost exactly like last year, but I think this year he stresses offensive ability over defensive ability, opposite from RMK.

Texas Tech Basketball:

PK is hard at work, LAJ's Jeff Walker confirms that PK has secured a verbal commitment from 6-5/185 forward from Clovis, NM, Jaye Crockett. Clovis head coach J.D. Isler had this to say about Crockett:

I like hearing the words, "above the rim," when referring to a potential Texas Tech recruit. We need more guys like that.

The internets are alive with Jaye Crockett items. First off, I could not find Crockett in the Scout.com database. In fact, these are the only players listed for 2009 in New Mexico, and has one of his teammates, Jaden Isler, but no Jaye Crockett. I almost didn't find Crockett in the Rivals database, but that's because they called him "Jayne" Crockett rather than Jaye (we might need to fix that).

I found an interesting tidbit on Crockett's MaxPreps profile is that Crockett grew 4 inches between his sophomore and junior years, which probably explains why he isn't listed in Scout.com's database and his name is incorrectly spelled in the Rivals.com database. So, here's Crockett's numbers through the year:

I actually found one video clip on Crockett, it's the first highlight (Jaden Isler looks like a pretty good player too, I wonder how tall he is).

Congratulations to Pat Knight as Montrell McDonald has committed to and signed with the Red Raiders. McDonald is a 6'6", 185 pound small forward. Trolling the internet, there's not much news on McDonald, other than McDonald's decision was down to Texas Tech and Kansas State, which means that that's at least one player who will not be opposing the Red raiders.

Here's McDonald's numbers from last year:

Firsts things first, I'm happy as hell we got McDonald. From all accounts, he's an athlete with an all-around game, probably very similar to Martin Zeno's game. I like the field goal percentage, the rebounds (5 boards a game would have led the team), the high number of assists (again, would have led the team) and the ridiculously high number of steals. That's a guy who can defend, pass the ball, score when needed and at a decent rate, but he can't hit his free throws. Granted, all of this was done at the JUCO level, but at the very least it shows that McDonald has basketball skills.

If you want to look at the spreadsheet I created on McDonald, then click here.

Searching YouTube, you come up with an instructional video with McDonald in the last third of the video, showing off some crazy-mad dunks:

Here's the only problem, this puts Pat Knight in a pretty serious numbers game in terms of scholarships. By my count, here's who returns: Roberson, Roberts, Singletary, Cook, Craig, De Bem, Prince, Suljagic, Rizvic, and Voskuil. That's 9 guys. With McDonald, you also have Cohadarevic, Graham, Lewandowski, Okorie, and Ray. You should also be aware that Graham hasn't qualified yet, but previously it was just a matter of Graham not taking his SAT's, rather than a grades issue. I think the limit for basketball teams is 13 and that's 16 guys. I'm wondering if Rizvic will hold a full scholarship for the entire year, but other than that, I'm really wondering who is going to go.

I don't fault Pat Knight for doing this. If he doesn't win, and win relatively quickly, then he's not going to be in Lubbock very long. He's got to be aggressive and he has to balance winning now versus building a program that can grow.

I think we're far enough removed to start taking a look at the basketball team. Where we were, where we currently stand and what we can expect. Much in the same way we looked at each position with football, we'll do the same with basketball and probably take a look at each individual player as the summer progresses.

Let's go.

Who's Gone:

I've said it a million times, but I'll say it again, I loved watching Zeno play basketball. I know he's prone to making mistakes and there were times that he disappeared, but just based on athleticism, I thought he was one of the more gifted players to roll through Lubbock. I think it's a little more difficult to replace Zeno's production next year because I don't think there's a player as athletically gifted as Zeno on the squad. Remember, Zeno was the team's leading rebounder and also led the team in assists. Granted Zeno never did develop a long-range jump shot, but I thought he was invaluable to this club, even though we may not have seen it. I just don't think Zeno was the kind of guy who you could put the entire team on his back. That's just not who he was.

The play of Burgess during his senior year really bothered me. He was supposed to be so much better than he was, and whether it be because of injury, or whatever, he never lived up to my expectations. You could see that he had potential, and I thought that in the summer of 2007, if he could just develop an outside shot that an opponent would honor, then he'd really make an impact. Sadly, that didn't happen. Nevertheless, Burgess filled an important role on this team as the backup guard and occasional starter as well. Not spectacular, but certainly solid.

God speed gentlemen.

Who Returns:

If you're expecting that list of returning guards to be longer, you are incorrect. That's it. Roberson and Voskuil, which makes signing Okorie and Graham that much more important.

Roberson should start the season as this team's leader and point guard. For a true freshman, who is a bit undersized, I thought he played pretty well. Roberson did slump a bit towards the end of the year, but it's hard to fault a guy when it's his first year in conference play. Perhaps the most impressive part of his game was his outside shooting, where Roberson shot a respectable 40.0% from beyond the arc. The most frustrating part was Roberson's inability to score in the paint or driving to the bucket. I think that at some point during the year I suggested that Roberson take home during the summer every D.J. Augustin tape available and watch how he operates. That's how I'd love for Roberson to develop. Although I don't think that Roberson is the passer that Augustin is, I do think that he has quite a bit of talent.

Voskuil was for me the most improved player in the conference. I remember writing about Voskuil last summer as a guy that constantly deferred to Jackson and Zeno, and how incredibly frustrating that was. Voskuil started the year deferring to Zeno quite a bit, but at some point, RMK or PK got in Voskuil's ear and let him know that he's got to shoot the ball in order for this team to be successful. Without the improved play of Voskuil this year, I'm not so certain that this team 10 or 12 games. I'm looking forward to watching Voskuil take that next step, which includes getting off his own shot and learning to take the ball to the bucket, even if it means pulling up for a short jumper. It will be interesting to see how he develops and I'm expecting a 5 to 6 point increase from Voskuil next year.

Who Is Going To Be Here:

Counting your chickens before they hatch. Graham hasn't qualified academically, which means that we're all hoping that sometime this summer, Graham is headed to Lubbock. Without Graham, there's very little depth. In fact, it's downright scary how little depth there is at the guard position. Other than the numbers listed above, I don't know much about Graham, except that he's a combo-guard, who can play both the point and can score. It sounds like he has a little more size than Roberson, but it's probably not much.

I have high hopes for Okorie. He led his team to the NCAAJC Championship and he led his team in scoring. Again, another guy who can shoot and score and can also play a combo-guard position. He could pass as a point if needed, but is a much better scorer.

I've listed Ashford, although I think it's highly unlikely he plays for the Red Raiders this year. If nothing else, he's a guy that you can hopefully look forward to playing the year after. Ashford was only a freshman at Jacksonville College and put up some pretty impressive numbers. Ashford is exactly the type of guy who Texas Tech could really utilize, a big shooting guard with lots of athletic ability. If things go according to plan, Ashford will be on board in 2009-10 and will replace Voskuil in the lineup.

Depth Chart:

I'm still not sure what type of lineup we're going to see from PK. Part of me things that PK will go to a 3-guard lineup similar to UT's. The other part of me thinks that PK will go with a more traditional lineup with Roberson and Voskuil at the guard and Singletary at the small forward. I think the bottom line is that PK is going to put the most talent on the floor regardless of position. I'd like to see PK give equal time, if the talent is there, to Roberson, Voskuil, Okorie and Graham. Get all of these guys 20 to 25 minutes a game and I'm happy.

This is a series of comparisons between recent coaching candidates to Texas Tech's Pat Knight. We're taking a look at whether or not Pat Knight was the right man for the job at Texas Tech.

Previous Coaching Comparisons:

• John Brady

Who knows how to pick 'em? After going 4-4 in the first two days, I went 2-0 yesterday, bringing my record to a sterling 6-4. Gambling is easy.

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Game 9: No. 1 Texas v. No. 2 Kansas (2:00 p.m. ESPN)

Yesterday's Results: Oklahoma 49, Texas 77 and Texas A&M 71, Kansas 77.

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: Although the Longhorns looked really good yesterday and their defense was outstanding, I'm picking Kansas today. It's less about Texas and more about Kansas than anything else. Where most teams don't have an answer for Augustin, Kansas has Chalmers, Collins and Robinson. I like the Jayhawks in a close one.

Prediction: Kansas

After going 1-3 on Thursday I went 3-1 on Friday. Back to .500. Who doesn't love to break even?

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Game 9: No. 1 Texas v. No. 4 Oklahoma (1:00 p.m. ESPN Plus and ESPN2)

Yesterday's Results: Oklahoma St. 59, Texas 66 and Colorado 49, Oklahoma 54.

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: I think the Horns absolutely run away with this game. The Big 12 Tournament is setting up for a No. 1 v. No. 2, which is the way it should be. I don't think that OU has the athletes to keep pace with Texas and Texas can counter Blake Griffin with Damion James, who had a monster game yesterday (23 points and 11 rebounds).

Prediction: UT walks away on this one.

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Game 10: No. 2 Kansas v. No. 6 Texas A&M (3:20 p.m. ESPN Plus and ESPN2)

Yesterday's Results: Nebraska 54, Kansas 64 and Texas A&M 63, Kansas State 60.

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: Just like the OU/UT game, I think the Jayhawks absolutely roll through this game. The Aggies have done a lot better than I expected, but Kansas is just too talented and too deep. Kansas has an answer for whatever matchup problem the opponent throws out. Athletic and tall front court - check. Quick guards who can defend - check. Playmakers who can go inside and out - check.

Prediction: Jayhawks win easily.

Whatever you do, I hope you're picking games exactly opposite of how DTN is picking them (I went 1-3 without a line). This does not bode well for me picking teams in the NCAA Tournament.

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Game 5: No. 1 Texas v. No. 9 Oklahoma State (11:30 a.m. ESPN Plus and ESPNU)

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: Athletically, OSU can keep pace with the Longhorns. I think Eaton can get abused by Augustin and that could be the biggest difference of the game. Of course OSU is playing for a possible NCAA Tournament so I think they've got a little more motivation that UT. This would be another opportunity for Anderson to step it up again (he had 18 against Texas Tech last night) and UT should have problems matching up with OSU's athletes.

Prediction: Give me UT because I think they'll be more efficient at putting the ball in the basket.

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Game 6: No. 4 Oklahoma v. No. 12 Colorado (2:00 p.m. ESPN Plus and ESPNU)

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: Roby was huge, exploded for 32 points against Baylor and had 12 rebounds. As a team Colorado out rebounded Baylor by 8 and the Buff's aren't exactly a big team. So long as Blake Griffin plays, this should be a pretty easy game for the Sooners. OU has won their last three and I just don't see the Sooners getting beat on the boards.

Prediction: I'll take the Sooners, but this one will be pretty close.

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Game 7: No. 2 Kansas v. No. 7 Nebraska (6:00 p.m. ESPN Plus)

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: I didn't think that Maric was going to be that big of a factor against Missouri, luckily for Kansas they have their own center who can match up with Maric in Kaun. And if Kaun doesn't work out then they also have Arthur and freshman Aldrich. The Jayhawks are just too deep and too talented to get beat here.

Prediction: The Jayhawks run away with this one.

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Game 8: No. 3 Kansas State v. No. 6 Texas A&M (8:20 p.m. ESPN Plus)

Probable Starting Lineups:

What I Think: With Sloan losing his mother and Jordan out sick, I just don't see how the Aggies have enough to beat K-State. Of course, if Carter and Kirk get hot, then all bets are off. On the K-State side, I'm interested to see how Beasley steps up in a big-time game, but even moreso, I'm interested to see what his teammates will do.

Prediction: I'll take the Cats tonight.

After watching that game on Tivo, I thought that was a typical Texas Tech game and an atypical Texas Tech game all at the same time. Typical: no rebounding, Voskuil lights it up, Singletary knows how to score, and did I mention there was no rebounding? Atypical: a quiet Zeno, Roberson seemed to pout, and Bugess played like last year. Here's the official boxscore. Let's get to the reviews:

What Texas Tech Did Right:

• Three Point Shooting: What a performance by Voskuil and Cook. Those guys were absolutely unbelievable and kudos to those two for keeping the Red Raiders in the game. It's a shame that Cook isn't more consistent, but he can play. There's no doubt. Now PK has just got to figure out where he fits best. Personally, I'd love to see him at starting at the 4 next year with mystery guest #1 starting at center.
• Burgess Gives His All: I wish Burgess would have played like that all year. He was effective in and around the bucket and it was fun watching him. I don't know what stymied him all year, but he was good and I wish we had seen more of that all year.
• The Kid Can Score: What an offensive performance from Singletary. If there was ever any doubt that he could play then after watching this game I think those fears are erased. I'm glad he came back so strong this game, and he did it against bigger players.

What Texas Tech Did Wrong:

• The Last Defensive Stand: That was awful. I'm going off of memory, but with 45 seconds left and coming out of a timeout, there shouldn't have been any excuse for guys to be out of position. It was awful watching those guys run after OSU players as they passed the ball around and Eaton gets a wide open jumper. That's going to stay with me for a while.
• Free Throws, Or the Lack Thereof: Seriously, 11 free throw attempts for the day? That's not acceptable. I place a lot of the blame on the shoulders of Zeno. Granted, it seemed like there were some calls that didn't go his way, and a big part of this has to do with OSU having guys who are big and can guard, but Zeno had to get to the line more than 2 times for the game. Of course, a big part of the problem is that PK put a team on the floor that was relatively small (Burgess, Voskuil, Zeno and Singletary) while OSU, as mentioned above, had an athletic and long team on the floor. It's hard to get to the line when you're shooting jump shots and every time you drive, you're having to change your shot.
• No Inside Presence: I keep sticking on this point, but it was so apparent watching this game where this team needs to improve, which is inside. I have no idea how much the new guys will be able to contribute, but something has got to happen. At some point in the offseason I'll have to take a look at the games where the Red Raiders actually out rebounded their opponent, but it can't be too often. Uggh.

Up Next: NIT?

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Game 1: No. 8 Texas Tech v. No. 9 Oklahoma State (11:30 a.m. ESPN2)

The Numbers:

Probable Starting Lineups:

Keys to the Game:

1. Don't Let Eaton Be A Hero: OSU is blessed to have the player I most despise on their team. Eaton grates on my nerves like no other and if there if any of the Texas Tech players are reading this and asking themselves what can they do to help Seth C through this is to completely dominate Eaton. Do not let him be the hero. Do it for me. Do it for DTN. Do it for Texas Tech.
2. Get Voskuil Hot: Voskuil looked like a man beaten down against Baylor and failed to hit a shot. For the Red Raiders to even so much as have a decent chance, Voskuil has to be a guy who scores for the Red Raiders and keeps the OSU defense honest.
3. Rebound, For Me: I don't think I ask for much, but when I do, I sure as hell hope that I get it. I would absolutely love to see this Texas Tech team go on a rebounding tear through this tournament. I know that a leopard isn't likely to change it's spots, but a big part of rebounding is "want-to" and if Suljagic, Cook and Rizvic just want it more, then there's no reason why this group can't outrebound the Cowboys.

Prediction: Give me the Red Raiders in a very close game. Voskuil is going to come out the gates like a banshee.

I'm going to be in court for much of the morning and this afternoon so I won't be around. Nevertheless, this is your open game day thread so feel free to sign up for a free account and leave all predictions, comments and thoughts about the game here.

GO RAIDERS . . .

*Stats can be found Ken Pomeroy, via Basketball Prospectus: K.P. Rank = the Ken Pomeroy Rank; Offensive Efficiency = the national rank in terms of points scored per 100 possessions; Defensive Efficiency = the national rank in terms of points allowed per 100 possession. Numbers in parentheses are national rank.