Texas Tech Basketball: Position battles could define Red Raiders

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What will Texas Tech basketball’s rotation look like with Chris Beard at the helm?

Just one season of success was enough to get Chris Beard hired at a Power Five Conference school. He joins a Texas Tech program that won 19 games and made its first NCAA Tournament since 2007.

Beard’s coaching track record could’ve used another year or two at Arkansas-Little Rock to see if he is for real, but there is plenty of talent in Lubbock to keep Texas Tech in the mix for another postseason birth.

The key to this season is replacing starting back court mates Toddrick Gotcher and Devaugntah Williams. The two leading scorers from last year combined for nearly 22 points and seven rebounds an evening. Replacing them will be a platoon of guards, both old and new to the team.

Tech’s offense was efficient, but it was one of the three slowest in the Big 12 in terms of tempo. Little Rock was even slower, so TTU could continue to grind out wins against rest of the conference.

11 players saw regular time over the course of last year. Departures and a new coach could trim that down to a more manageable 9-to-10 bodies. As we enter the season, almost every position is a potential competition thanks to a lot of returning contributors and some exciting new recruits.

Mar 17, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Keenan Evans (12) dribbles the ball as Butler Bulldogs forward Roosevelt Jones (21) and forward Austin Etherington (0) defend during the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Point guard: Keenan Evans

Junior Keenan Evans should continue the pace that saw him overtake Devaugntah Williams at point guard last year. Evans started every game and was the team’s best distributor. His improvement as a floor general is central to keeping the Texas Tech offense flowing in a positive direction.

The 6’3″ guard put up 8.7 points, 2.9 boards and 2.9 assists per game last season, while shooting 41 percent from the field. He threw in a solid 37 percent from deep as well.

Evans didn’t do any one thing particularly great last year, but he has plenty of experience. 24-28 minutes a night with offensive numbers of 10-12 points, 2-3 rebounds and 3-4 assists for the third year Red Raider sounds about right.

Dec 21, 2015; Corvallis, OR, USA; Quinnipiac Bobcats guard Giovanni McLean (4) is checked by a team trainer after hitting his head on the floor while defending a layup shot by Oregon State Beavers guard Gary Payton II (1) during the second half of the game at Gill Coliseum. The Beaver won 82-61. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Backup point guard: Giovanni McLean

Transfer alert! Chris Beard utilized the grad transfer route to shore up a potential deficiency. Giovanni McLean joins the Texas Tech rotation after one year at Quinnipiac. At worst, he’ll play an important bench role and push the returning guys for court time.

McLean stands 6’1″, 195 pounds. He averaged 12.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in 2015-16, but he didn’t shoot particularly well at just 36 percent overall.

The New York native was one of the better Bobcats last season, but it remains to be seen how he adjusts to the skill of Big 12 guards. 8-10 points and 3-4 assists in 22-26 minutes on the floor is reasonable for McLean.

Mar 17, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot dances on the court during a stoppage in play against the Butler Bulldogs in the second half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Shooting guard: Niem Stevenson

Junior college transfer Niem Stevenson was one of Coach Chris Beard’s biggest targets when he moved to Lubbock. The high-flying guard from Seward County [KS] has a prime opening to seize the starting shooting guard spot. He might be the most talented shooter on the roster if he adjusts to high-major play successfully.

Stevenson has excellent size at 6’3″, 200 pounds. He blew up the JUCO ranks with a stat line of 24.7 points on 51 percent shooting (37 percent from the three point arc), 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last year.

It’s that kind of potential firepower that earned him All-NJCAA honors and a scholarship to an improving program.

Stevenson won’t put up those numbers this season, but 14-16 points and 4-5 rebounds in 25-27 minutes a night is feasible. Stevenson could also be a Newcomer of the Year candidate when the season is over in the Big 12.

Jan 31, 2015; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles guard Shadell Millinghaus (0) drives against Western Kentucky Hilltoppers forward Aleksej Rostov (20) in the second half at Reed Green Coliseum. Western Kentucky won, 73-62. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Backup shooting guard: Shadell Millinghaus

Shadell Millinghaus has taken a winding road to get where he is today. The Brooklyn product started his career at Southern Miss before transferring to Northwest Florida State College. His presence increases both the talent available in the guard rotation and the back court logjam.

At 6’2″, 195 pounds, Millinghaus could play both guard positions. He is more likely to backup Niem Stevenson at shooting guard though, because he doesn’t have strong history as a ball handler.

He averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, with a blistering 46 percent from three, in his one season at Southern Miss. He will spend a lot of time backing up Stevenson or allowing him to slide over to small forward in certain situations. 4-6 points in 16-18 minutes a night for the former Golden Eagle is expected.

Nov 14, 2014; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Justin Gray (5) works the ball against Loyola Greyhounds guard Chancellor Barnard (35) in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Small forward: Justin Gray

Justin Gray is a huge piece to the puzzle this year for Texas Tech. He got healthy for his sophomore campaign and more than doubled every stat total from his first year. Another step forward could get Gray into the Second or Third Team All-Conference discussion.

At 6’6″, 210 pounds, Gray has the ideal frame for the swing position. He put up 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season and shot well from deep at 42 percent.

He can do just about everything on both ends of the court, but it is a question whether his consistency will increase with more volume in a new system.

I’m bullish on Gray, so I’ll give him 25-28 minutes, 11-14 points and 4-6 boards per game as my opening projection.

Nov 27, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves forward Charles Waters (11) and guard Devin Carter (3) and guard P.J. Hardwick (42) and guard Frederic Dure (10) and forward Anthony Livingston (50) take the court after a timeout against the Baylor Bears during the second half at Ferrell Center. Baylor won 94-72. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Power forward: Anthony Livingston

Graduate transfer Anthony Livingston was a true powerful force last season for Arkansas State. The former Red Wolf has had some troubles off the court, but still has a good chance to be a starter for the Red Raiders.

He’ll play an important role wherever he ends up in the rotation.

The 6’8″ Livingston was a consistent double-double threat in 2015-2016. He averaged 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds in 31 minutes a game. He also showed some range, shooting 26 percent from three on 84 attempts.

I’m putting Livingston down for 13-14 points and 7-9 boards per game. A drop into the 25-28 minutes per game range is also a distinct possibility with a crowded front court.

Feb 23, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Aaron Ross (15) looks for an opening against TCU Horned Frogs forward Chris Washburn (33) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Ross finished with 25 points in the Red Raiders 83-79 victory over TCU. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Backup power forward: Aaron Ross

Aaron Ross was a revelation last year with huge boosts in scoring and rebounding. He played admirably filling in for the injured Norense Odiase. His position is up for grabs, so Ross will have to prove his junior year was no fluke.

The 6’8″, 225 pound senior pumped in 10.3 points a night along with 4.5 boards in 2015-16. Both of those averages tripled his sophomore numbers. Ross also shot a respectable 37 percent from deep, which ties him for second among returning three point shooters.

He will play an important role in the rotation with Anthony Livingston starting at power forward. 10-12 points and 4-7 boards in 22-24 minutes for Ross’ final run in Lubbock makes plenty of sense.

Jan 30, 2016; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Zach Smith (11) makes a pass during the second half of play with the Arkansas Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks won in overtime 75-68. Mandatory Credit: Gunnar Rathbun-USA TODAY Sports

Center: Zach Smith

Zach Smith could be one of the best front court guys in Big 12 play this season. He saw a large improvement in his second year on the team. Continued development under Chris Beard could get the Plano, TX native into the NBA conversation by year’s end.

He is certainly one of the headliners for Tech going into this year’s campaign.

At 6’8″, 215 pounds, Smith doesn’t have the same defensive bulk as either Aaron Ross or Anthony Livingston. However, he is extremely athletic for a center.

He averaged 10.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game while starting every night. I believe Smith will score more in the new system, but a wealth of options up front lowers his ceiling. A stat line almost identical to the 2015-16 one is where I’ll start Smith for his junior year, but with a slight minutes drop from 33.0 to 28-30.

Jan 9, 2016; Lubbock, TX, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders center Norense Odiase (32) looks for an opening against Kansas Jayhawks forward Perry Ellis (34) in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Odiase finished with 14 points against the Jayhawks. Kansas defeated Texas Tech 69-59. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Backup center: Norense Odiase

A foot injury derailed what had been a quality sophomore year for Norense Odiase. He is one of the toughest guys on an already physical Red Raiders squad. He played just three games at the end of the year after getting hurt, so his recovery is something to watch as part of the crowded TTU front court.

The 6’9″, 260 pound junior from Ft. Worth is the only returning true center back this year after two other forwards transferred this past spring.

Odiase put up 8.5 points and 4.2 boards while also shooting an efficient 51 percent from the floor last season.

Given the stiff competition up front, 7-9 points per game along with 4-5 boards is my early projection here. 15-19 minutes is also reasonable.