Texas Tech Basketball: Guard Breakdown

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Declared for NBA Draft/ Option to Return *

Terrence (T.J.) Shannon

Declared for NBA Draft: April 8, 2021

Terrence Shannon, to no surprise, declared for the NBA Draft shortly after his sophomore season concluded; however, he still has the chance to maintain eligibility at Texas Tech.

Shannon has all the intangibles to move forward as a solid player: 6-foot-6, can jump out of the gym and has a consistently developing jumper from deep.

With 12.9 points, Shannon was second to only Mac McClung in team scoring last season. In fact, Shannon had 20 or more points in five games last season, and out of 28 appearances, only failed to score in double digits 6 times.

The one glaring knock to his game got patched up in a big way last season – his shooting.

He concluded his sophomore campaign shooting 35.7% from beyond the arc, which included extremely timely threes and a mid-season hot streak as well.

Against Kansas and Texas, he knocked through 4 threes each game, he also hit 3 in the NCAA Tournament against Arkansas.

When March Madness came around, Shannon stepped up even more, raising his point average to 15 points on the biggest stage in college basketball.

Now, Shannon is looking to get drafted, with the mock boards having him going anywhere from a late first-round to a mid-second round pick.

Current Guards

Clarence Nadolny

The scrappy, 6-foot-3, Montreuil, France, native, Clarence Nadolny, will look to take his largest leap yet as one of the longest tenured Red Raiders on the roster entering the 2021-’22 season.

The former 3-star recruit joined Tech in 2019 and has since looked for his niche on the basketball court. But on the 2020-’21 season, he might have found it.

Moving into a two-way guard role, Nadolny was often tasked with using his limited minutes to contain the opposite team’s best guard, both on and off-ball.

Offensively, Nadolny displayed flashes of athleticism in getting to the rim and finishing through contact. However, Nadolny often struggled to find the court much, averaging under 10 minutes per game throughout both his freshman and sophomore season.

However, as he progressed through last season, his confidence grew, his production grew, and as a result, he saw more playing time. In fact, he registered over 10 minutes per game in 8 of his last 12 games, 7 of which were conference play, and one of which was in the NCAA Tournament against Utah St.

The sophomore did not disappoint, either, garnering 3 assists, 2 boards, 1 steal and a couple of points on the biggest stage of his career.

Nadolny has surely shown glimpses of what he can provide on the basketball court, and as a potential key piece to the Red Raiders’ rotation next season, he will have the opportunity to put it all together and perhaps take the biggest leap of his collegiate career.

Avery Benson

The embodiment of Tech basketball’s culture resides within Avery Benson.

Perhaps not the most talented or strongest on the court, but what Benson provides has led him to a multi-year career at the Division 1 level.

Now a redshirt junior, Benson has been in Lubbock since 2017, but his career did not jumpstart until the following year, when he appeared in 20 games for Tech.

The 6-foot-4 guard for years has been a spark plug for Tech: In 2018-’19, it was a three-steal game to secure a home win over West Virginia, in 2019, a career-high 10 points and four rebounds in a win over No. 1 Louisville, and last season, a solid 6-for-9 shooting year from beyond the arc for the Red Raiders.

Benson will be looked at as a leader in wake of a newly developing roster, and as a player that has been part of some of the greatest moment in recent Tech basketball history.

Incoming Transfers

Sardaar Calhoun

Committed (Not officially signed yet) Via Twitter: May 15, 2021

One of the best shooters in the transfer portal made his decision to come to Lubbock after a short stint at Florida State and a couple of years at Missouri State.

Enters Sardaar Calhoun, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound wing that will head to Lubbock to add to an already loaded guard rotation, but in a different role.

Tech already has people that can shoot, but Calhoun is a sniper from beyond the arc.

Clean form, a quick release, range and elevation led him to nearly 40% (39.7%) shooting from three at Florida State and an even better 44% shooting at Missouri State.

But what makes Calhoun special is the fact that along with his shooting ability, he is a monstrous athlete.

The junior transfer is not scared to dunk on people, and the film tells the rest of the story.

In limited playing time at Florida State, Calhoun averaged just over 5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists through 25 games, and was anticipated to have a much larger role this upcoming season for the Seminoles before transferring to Tech.

But in his small sample size, Calhoun was not scared to step up. His confidence is through the roof; stepback threes, windmill dunks and exciting passes are all part of Calhoun’s package, and now he will get a chance to showcase his abilities in the 806.

Expect an official signing by Tech basketball in the coming days.

Ethan Duncan

Signed: May 14, 2021

Carrying on the family tradition, the 6-foot-2 guard Ethan Duncan made his decision to remain in Lubbock and attend Texas Tech, following in the steps of his father, Todd Duncan, who played for the Red Raiders from 1987-’89.

Out of Trinity Christian High School, Duncan is the youngest active signee on Tech’s roster, but his resume doesn’t reflect that.

Leaving his high school alma mater as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,900 points, the school’s all-time passing leader with 600 assists, Duncan not only left his mark on his school, but also proved his game on the local level.

However, Duncan opted not to play summer basketball, which perhaps hurt his national notoriety a bit. But in school, he proved it all.

The four-time TAPPS All-State playter and the three-time TAPPS District 1-4A Most Valuable Player averaged 27 points, 7 assists and 2.5 steals per game his senior year, all behind stellar shooting and smart play out of the point guard position.

Duncan flat out has “In the gym range” meaning he can shoot it from just about anywhere, and this could potentially be what gives Duncan a solid collegiate career: His range and shooting ability.

But in line with that, Duncan is an extremely smart player, and also uses his quickness to find his spots on the basketball court to compensate for being just a tad undersized.

AS the program’s youngster, Tech will look toward Duncan as a developmental piece, but could jump in the rotation at any minute for instant offense or as another ball handler.

Mylik Wilson: Junior

Signed: May 11, 2021

One of the latest additions to the Red Raiders hails as a transfer from Louisiana-Lafayette in guard Mylik Wilson. Mark Adams announced his addition on Tuesday, and he will join the Tech basketball program tethered to a financial aid agreement, per release. The young guard will have three years of eligibility left in his college basketball career.

Standing at 6-foot-3, Wilson assumed guard duties at his prior school, and in fashion, garnered 2020 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year accolades in his first season, and followed it by averaging 12.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2 steals per game his sophomore year.

Wilson is another two-way addition to the roster, with only 28 Division 1 athletes in the country tallying more total steals (52) last year than him.

Primarily a slasher, Wilson has some work to do from beyond the arc, as he saw a dip in his three-point percentage from 35% his freshman year to 24% his sophomore year. However, foundationally, Wilson’s ability to orchestrate an offense while playing sound defense fits perfectly into what head coach Mark Adams has seemed to look for in the point guard position.

Davion Warren: Graduate Transfer

Signed: May 1, 2021

Among the top transfer prospects in the country, Davion Warren made his decision to leave Hampton, de-commit from Memphis, and ultimately find his home at Texas Tech.

The 6-foot-6 guard was highly touted coming out of Hampton, as he averaged double-digit points each year as a member of the program. But what set him apart, was his first-to-second year leap, where his points per game skyrocketed from just over 10 to 21.2 in his most recent season.

Warren can attack from all levels, and was the top scorer in the Big South last year. Efficiently, as well, knocking in two pointers at a 55% clip and threes at a 30% clip. But his game spans farther than just a mere scorer.

Tack on 3 assists, 2.1 steals and over 6 rebounds, and you get Davion Warren’s final season at Hampton; an all-around standout in the basketball realm.

Now, Warren will look to take his talent to a bigger stage In Lubbock, where he is projected to be a day-one starter at the guard/forward spot.

Adonis Arms: Graduate Transfer

Signed: April 26, 2021

One of the most athletic additions to Tech’s developing roster resides in 6-foot-6 guard Adonis Arms.

Coming to Lubbock from Winthrop, Arms’ talents were a bit suppressed by the overall team-oriented foundation at his former school, but the sample size drastically increases if you look at his pit stop right before Winthrop.

Prior, Arms spent some time at Northwest Nazarene University, where he left his mark on the program. He departed as the 2019 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year, the league’s Newcomer of the Year, the highest scorer in the league (20.6 ppg) while also averaging over 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

He also led the league in steals per game while also shooting a stellar 55% from the field.

Taking his talents to Winthrop, Arms minutes were transferred to about 17 per game, where he averaged just over 10 points, but efficiently, shooting 44% from two and 35% from three.

Consistency was a plus for Arms, entering double-digit points 13 times through 22 games, including 10 points on the biggest stage of the year against Villanova at the NCAA Tournament.

The versatile wing will have one year of eligibility remaining at Tech

Chandler Jacobs: Graduate Transfer

Signed: April 20, 2021

Perhaps the purest scorer heading into Lubbock next season, Chandler Jacobs has decided to join the Tech basketball program from Dallas Baptist.

Not much more needs to be said about Jacobs than he was the heart and soul of the Dallas Baptist basketball program for years. Departing as the all-time scoring leader in program history, a four-time all-conference, all-region player, an All-American and even the 2021 Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Jacobs has just about done it all, and now will join a blossoming Tech squad.

The 6-foot-3 standout averaged 20.8 points and 7.4 rebounds in his final season as a Patriot, while also garnering the second-most steals in Division II basketball (54).

And it was imperative to historic program success, with the team reaching the NCAA Tournament each year he was there.

As a scorer from all three levels, Jacobs knocked down a stellar 44.5% of his looks from deep, but had no fear of taking it inside as well, where his sneaky athleticism led to numerous dunking opportunities.

Despite being a guard, though, Jacobs was among the best rebounders on his team. In fact, he tallied 616 rebounds throughout his stint at DBU, second in program history.

Now in Lubbock, Jacobs will have one year left of eligibility.