Texas Tech added a ton of talent to their backcourt this past offseason, and their performance against Kentucky produced mixed results.
It wasn’t the most efficient night for the Red Raider guards, but there were certainly flashes, and we have already seen the talent these players possess from their previous schools. One player in particular stood out for reasons both positive and negative.
Cruz Davis: Playmaker?
The exhibition against Kentucky revealed that Hofstra transfer Cruz Davis may find success as a distributing point guard, rather than the primary scorer he was with the Pride last season. It wasn’t a very efficient shooting night for Davis, as he ended up 3-for-10 against the Wildcats.
Last season at Hofstra, Davis averaged 20 points per game, but with so many other options available on this Texas Tech team, replicating that seems like an impossible task. Where Davis can be effective for this team is as a pass-first guard who learns to rely on his playmaking. He had seven assists against Kentucky and showed real promise as a playmaker for this team. Texas Tech will need someone to facilitate and distribute the basketball, and leaning into that kind of role could be vital for Davis this season.
It’s not that Davis can’t be a skilled scorer for this team, because he certainly will. It’s more about finding roles to give the Red Raiders a more balanced attack on offense.
Things to Clean Up
However, if Davis is going to be effective as a passer and playmaker, he’ll need to prioritize taking care of the basketball and playing under control while still being aggressive. It’s a tough line to walk, but to be an elite contributor for this team, it’s what he may have to do.
Davis had four fouls in the exhibition, which isn’t inherently problematic as a one-time offense and can instead be viewed as a positive reflecting his aggressive nature on defense. However, if it becomes a theme in future contests, it could turn into a discipline issue that we will need to solve. We aren’t there yet, so there’s little reason for concern.
What is a bit concerning, however, was the lack of ball security. Davis turned the ball over five times in the game, both due to bad passes and violations like traveling. He’ll have to display a cleaner performance in that category moving forward, especially if he wants to hit his ceiling with this team.
Overall, there were many flashes that showed Davis could be a very effective starting point guard for Texas Tech this season. It’s an incredibly small sample size, sure, but there were plays that showed his talent, and many of his shots just didn’t seem to fall that night.
We saw what he can do last season at Hofstra, and I have faith he’ll be able to replicate that in Lubbock this season with the Red Raiders. It may take time to get accustomed to a new place, but the level of talent should leave all Texas Tech fans optimistic.
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