-Matt Cox
Key Returners: Terrence Shannon, Kevin McCullar, Marcus Santos-Silva
Key Losses: Mac McClung, Kyler Edwards
Key Newcomers: Davion Warren (Hampton), Bryson Williams (UTEP), Kevin Obanor (Oral Roberts), Sardaar Calhoun (Florida State), Mylik Wilson (Louisiana), KJ Allen (JUCO), Adonis Arms (Winthrop), Daniel Batcho (Arizona)
Lineup:
Outlook: Warning. The tone of this preview will have a similar ring to it as the Oklahoma preview (to be published at a later date). This is intended. In short, both programs find themselves in similar positions, tasked with replacing two demigods in Chris Beard and Lon Kruger. Their replacements, Mark Adams and Porter Moser, will follow closely in their predecessors’ tracks and double down on the same points of emphasis, especially on the defensive end.
As CJ Moore astutely points out in his summer program spotlight at the Athletic, the returning Red Raiders won’t need a crash course on Mark Adams’ nomenclature. The defense that propelled him and his former boss to God-like status in Lubbock will remain status quo. After all, Adams is the architect of the now famous “no middle” defensive scheme.
On the other end of the floor, however, alterations are coming. As Moore highlights in that piece, Adams will make the offense his own. Beard’s methodical half-court offense will soon be ancient history, as the Red Raiders will transform into the Runnin’ Raiders. This new playbook installation won’t be an easy transition, though. Adams admitted the screening actions and spacing concepts he wants to deploy, which is a learning process for all parties, will be highly complex.
The question becomes, is the roster ready for this overhaul? On the bright side, a return to a normal offseason will help flatten the learning curve. Only three key contributors are back from last season but they’re good ones: Terrence Shannon, Kevin McCullar and Marcus Santos-Silva. Skill wise, there’s certainly nothing holding back Shannon or McCullar, two wing stalwarts, from adapting to the new normal and Santos-Silva is far from a clog-footed big man.
The newcomers Adams brought in reinforce his desire to push the pace. Of the new arrivals expected to make an impact, all hail come from high octane offenses.
Let’s start with Mylik Wilson. The vacancies left behind by Mac McClung and Kyler Edwards made Lubbock a perfect landing spot for the former Louisiana Lafayette standout. Wilson straddles the point guard / off-guard position label, akin to McClung and Edwards last season, two malleable hybrid lead guards. The lack of traditional point guard experience won’t hinder Wilson’s effectiveness in Adams’ revamped offense – in fact, playing in Bob Marlin’s up-and-down system for two years should come in handy.
Improved floor spacing should do wonders for the hyper-athletic Wilson, who does the bulk of his damage attacking the rim. However, Wilson’s deceptive length and explosive burst shine brightest on the defensive end. A broken jump shot may limit his impact offensively, but if he can blow up half-court offenses with his sticky paws, as seen below against Davion Mitchell, Adams will fall head over heels in love with his new toy:
Kevin Obanor is probably the most hyped of the newcomer crop, riding high off Oral Roberts’ Cinderella run through the tournament. He was a mismatch nightmare in Oral Bob’s spread offense, thriving as pick-n-pop killer on the perimeter. Bryson Williams, Davion Warren, Sardaar Calhoun and Adonis Arms all played at breakneck tempos at their prior destinations as well. Willams and Arms are elite 1-on-1 threats in the mid to low post area and should have plenty of real estate to operate in Adams’ stretched out offense. Warren is a do-it-all wing who can catch fire in a heartbeat, while Calhoun is a freakish athlete with a sweet stroke from long distance. The versatility among this group is bonkers good, giving Adams an endless number of lineup options.
It’s tough to sort out where KJ Allen fits in the puzzle but the top-10 JUCO prospect will get every chance to crack the rotation under Adams. Allen shapes up to be one of many JUCO gems Adams plucks on the recruiting trail going forward. When you sum it all up, there’s 10 guys worthy of clocking 20+ minutes on any given night – who starts is anyone’s guess.
Bottom Line: Mark Adams is not your run of the mill, continuity alumni hire, folks. He’s been Beard’s right-hand man since the Little Rock era and remains a legend from his days on the JUCO circuit (he’s already an NJCAA Hall of Fame inductee). With Santos-Silva back to anchor the defense, the Red Raiders’ will have no issue getting stops. And with the infusion of bonafide bucket getters tailor-made for Adams’ renovated offense, TTU is well equipped to replenish the offensive production left behind by McClung and Edwards.