Prolific Prep (CA) guard Nimari Burnett was a new name for Texas Tech fans just a few weeks ago, but quickly rose to the top of the want list and recruiting board. On Tuesday the 5-star guard announced his commitment to the Red Raiders over his other finalists, Alabama, Oregon and Michigan.
Today we look at what Burnett brings to the floor, what his commitment means in the long term and Rivals.com basketball analyst Corey Evans answers a few key questions.
THE SITUATION
Burnett is such a new name to Texas Tech that the Red Raiders weren't even a factor in his recruitment until the hiring of assistant coach Ulric Maligi back on August 9th. Maligi has known Burnett since he was little and that relationship paid off big time for Texas Tech.
In an interview with RedRaiderSports.com's Ben Golan, Burnett listed the following as a big reason for Texas Tech being amongst his finalists:
"Coach Beard is a huge reason why Tech is in my top 5 as well as the hiring of coach Ulric. Me and coach Ulric have known each other since I was little and they believe in me to lead the team as a starting guard to a National Championship."
Burnett becomes the first ever consensus 5-star to commit to Texas Tech, as he is rated as a 5-star prospect by all three major recruiting services (Rivals, ESPN, 247). On Rivals specifically, Burnett is ranked as the No. 22 recruit in the country.
Along with the aforementioned schools, Burnett also held offers from the likes of Arizona, Auburn, Illinois, Indiana, LSU, Louisville, Ohio State, Stanford, TCU, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest among others.
PLAYER ANALYSIS
- At 6-foot-4, Burnett is capable of playing both on the ball as a lead guard or off ball. His 6-foot-10 wingspan allows him to play bigger than he is, especially on defense.
- Absolute lethal scorer, Burnett has unlimited range and can score from all three levels.
- Athletic, can get to the rim at will and routinely finishes through contact and over defenders.
- Can stop on a dime and shoot the mid-range or three. Has a nice step back to create separation.
- High release allows him to shoot over taller defenders.
- Good and willing passer. Averaged 3 assists per game playing for team WHY NOT in the Nike EYBL this summer.
- Threat on the glass for a guard. Athletic ability allows him to get some offensive rebounds too.
- Overall in 20 games on the Nike EYBL circruit, Burnett averaged over 19 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game while shooting .458/.307/.769 from the field.
- Don't let the 30.7% from deep fool you though, Burnett is a deadeye shooter and in those 20 games shot 114 3-pointers, making 35.
LEVEL's TAKE
“People mostly think of Burnett as a scorer, but he would be the best facilitator on Texas Tech's roster team right now, outside of maybe Chris Clarke.
He is very, very smart and what Chris Beard and the Red Raiders will love most about him is he wants to guard. He has great basketball instincts and a high basketball IQ. Burnett boasts a 6-10 wingspan and a 40-inch vertical, so the NBA measurables are all there. He was actually at the Final Four with his family last year, and the National Coach of the Year and his program obviously made a positive impression. There are some family connections with Burnett, his family and the city of Chicago so he knows T.J. Shannon. Burnett also knows Peavy from the EYBL circuit, and Peavy's commitment was a big deal for Burnett. Bottom line: Burnett wants to win a championship and be surrounded by great players. And make no mistake, Beard being Coach of the Year was a huge deal. It is also worth mentioning that he's known Ulric Maligi since he was in the 8th grade and they’ve stayed in contact all along, even while Maligi was in between jobs at Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
As one would expect, Beard putting guys in the NBA was a big deal here as well. Burnett was wondering if Texas Tech would ultimately be able to sustain success – as I wrote earlier, the Peavy commitment was really big as he wanted to see if there are enough good players to win big with. Burnett has watched the first two games on TV and he’s seen the two sold out crowds which supposedly made quite an impression. Burnett is a legit five-star. Think combo guard here, think being able to play on or off the ball, think high level scorer and high level passer and most importantly, think instincts.”
THREE QUESTIONS WITH RIVALS.COM BASKETBALL ANALYST COREY EVANS
Nimari Burnett is a guy that Texas Tech fans didn't even know about until recently. What makes him a 5-star and how do you see him fitting in at the next level?
"He's a multi-dimensional guard that can fill a variety of holes in the backcourt. Burnett has begun to shoot it better, is already one of the most complete defenders in America, a quality athlete and competes on a consistent basis. His upside is great and so is the production that he provides."
At one point it seemed like Michigan and then Alabama led for Burnett. Oregon had some late momentum too. How did Texas Tech steal him away?
"I would just say it's their track record of success with guys of his ilk. Plus, Chris Beard's ability to get the best out of his guards and also with the need of someone of his nature next season. Beard will give him the ball and let him go which was important to Burnett throughout the process."
That's two years in a row that Tech has a 5-star commit, last year with Jahmi'us Ramsey and now Burnett. Add in Micah Peavy who is a top 35 player himself. Is this the new norm for Texas Tech fans?
"I would say so. I know landing five-stars has not become the consistent theme around Lubbock but the success that Beard has found on the floor and with developing his stars into NBA draft picks, Tech has become a breeding ground for elite prospects."
