New head coach Mark Adams and associate head coach Barret Peery are looking to bolster the roster, especially after the recent announcement that Kyler Edwards is going to remain in the transfer portal.
Enter Dallas Baptist's Chandler Jacobs.
Jacobs recently entered the portal and started hearing from Texas Tech just yesterday.
"So I just started talking to them last night, they called at like 11. I talked to coach Peery last night and coach Adams this morning for about 40 minutes. I also talked to Peery again today. So I just started talking to them yesterday and it's been good. They offer something that I'm definitely looking for and I'm excited about. There's a sense of familiarity with the way they play, it's similar to how I play here at DBU. So far, so good for sure."
Jacobs is a 6-foot-3, 185 pound combo guard who this past season averaged 20.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He shot 55% from the field, 45% from deep and 83% from the free throw line. In addition he was named a Division II All-American, the first in DBU history, and he was the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
"I would say that I'm a scoring combo guard. I'm athletic, I can shoot the 3, I can shoot off the bounce, I can create my own shot, I can create for others, I can finish above the rim. I'm a pretty good defender, I have quick hands. I think I'm just an athlete in general, I think that defensively that bodes well with my energy. Just making plays defensively and also rebounding. I think I'm a tough-nosed competitor who wants to win. I'm going to play hard and I'm gonna do what I gotta do. I'm gonna work hard. That's how I would describe my game."
Jacobs has one year of eligibility remaining. In his previous four years at DBU, he has shot over 40% from the 3-point line in every single season.
"I'm looking for a place where I can win games but also play a big role. I want to go to a place where there's a definite need for what I bring to the table. I'm a playmaking guard, a scoring combo guard who can do both score as well as create for others.
I'm looking for a situation that's in need of good guard play and also a situation that's about winning. That's the biggest thing for me. I want to play well but most importantly I want to win games. I want to play well but not at the expense of losing.
So for me, I'm trying to find a situation that offers both of those things but also that prepares me for the next level. I'm trying to be a professional basketball player, I want to play in the NBA, so I want to find a situation that allows me to have a role, that gives me playing time and the opportunity to show what I can do. An opportunity that grows me as a player and as a person but also win games as well."
Along with Texas Tech Jacobs is also receiving interest from Pac-12 schools and a handful of other programs.
"There are a couple schools in the Mountain West, a couple schools in the Pac-12. A few local schools like UTA and UNT. Grand Canyon University. There are a few others but that's off the top of my head."
Jacobs is set for a Zoom call with the Tech coaches on Monday, and plans to narrow his list a couple days after that. Look for him to make a quick decision, possibly as soon as next week.
"So for me early this week Monday and Tuesday I want to get through the rest of my Zoom calls that I have, that I've already scheduled. Come Wednesday sit down with my parents, with my coaches and come up with a final five and hone in on those schools for a few days. From there I'm looking to make a decision next Sunday."
