Well, how about that for a little good news on a Monday afternoon? The Red Raiders finally land Matt Mooney, so let's break down what that means a little bit...
*Mooney shot 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three last year. You might look at that 35 number and be underwhelmed, but realize this: He made 21 more threes than anyone else on Tech's roster did a year ago, making 76 this season. He also made 76 in the season before that. On top of that, Mooney averaged 18 points a game last season. No one on Tech's roster scored that much per game, not even Keenan Evans.
*And that's what Texas Tech is getting here first and foremost with Mooney: A big time shooter. I'd argue Tech simply hasn't had a big time shooter with Mooney's production in a long time. The biggest problem last season was that you simply couldn't hit enough shots at times. Mooney alleviates that problem. Oh, and he shoots 82 percent from the free throw line. You could definitely use some more of that.
*The thing this gets me the most excited about, though? Having Mooney and Jarrett Culver on the floor at the same time. if Culver can continue to come on as a shooter, you could have a dynamic duo on the outside. Think about some of the great scoring duos that like Iowa State or Oklahoma State have had at times over the last half decade or so. Hopefully you can replicate some of that here in the form of two guards that can fill it up both outside the arc and inside of it.
*But Mooney isn't just a shooter. He can play good defense, too, something that will ,likely only amplify with Chris Beard and Mark Adams coaching him. He earned four rebounds and three assists on average last year, too. This is an all-around great player that can be a premiere piece for this team. Some would argue he was the best grad transfer on the market, too. He or Joe Cremo were probably the top two.
*So, what does this mean for the lineup? My first crack at it looks something like these two as far as the starting lineup:
Edwards
Mooney
Culver
Owens
Odiase
OR
Mooney
Culver
Moore
Owens
Odiase
*I could see either lineup depending on the size matchups and if you want to go with more guard bodies or more wing-type bodies in the mix. Some may be thrown of by Owens at the 4 and Odiase at the 5. It's my understanding, and @C. Level can back me up on this, but Tech likes Owens as more of a 4 than a 5 in a perfect world. We shall see, though, as Owens could definitely play the 5 depending on what lineup you want to use. Now, this is also assuming that you hold onto Moore as well. Nothing you can really do as a staff right now except try to continue to sell your program and hope that he wants to stay on despite Al Pinkins leaving when all is said and done.
*At the end of the day, Mooney's addition to this team cannot be understated. It should tell you something that the Seth Greenbergs of the college basketball world think this is a major, major addition for Tech. You finally have a proven sharpshooter, folks.
*Mooney shot 45 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three last year. You might look at that 35 number and be underwhelmed, but realize this: He made 21 more threes than anyone else on Tech's roster did a year ago, making 76 this season. He also made 76 in the season before that. On top of that, Mooney averaged 18 points a game last season. No one on Tech's roster scored that much per game, not even Keenan Evans.
*And that's what Texas Tech is getting here first and foremost with Mooney: A big time shooter. I'd argue Tech simply hasn't had a big time shooter with Mooney's production in a long time. The biggest problem last season was that you simply couldn't hit enough shots at times. Mooney alleviates that problem. Oh, and he shoots 82 percent from the free throw line. You could definitely use some more of that.
*The thing this gets me the most excited about, though? Having Mooney and Jarrett Culver on the floor at the same time. if Culver can continue to come on as a shooter, you could have a dynamic duo on the outside. Think about some of the great scoring duos that like Iowa State or Oklahoma State have had at times over the last half decade or so. Hopefully you can replicate some of that here in the form of two guards that can fill it up both outside the arc and inside of it.
*But Mooney isn't just a shooter. He can play good defense, too, something that will ,likely only amplify with Chris Beard and Mark Adams coaching him. He earned four rebounds and three assists on average last year, too. This is an all-around great player that can be a premiere piece for this team. Some would argue he was the best grad transfer on the market, too. He or Joe Cremo were probably the top two.
*So, what does this mean for the lineup? My first crack at it looks something like these two as far as the starting lineup:
Edwards
Mooney
Culver
Owens
Odiase
OR
Mooney
Culver
Moore
Owens
Odiase
*I could see either lineup depending on the size matchups and if you want to go with more guard bodies or more wing-type bodies in the mix. Some may be thrown of by Owens at the 4 and Odiase at the 5. It's my understanding, and @C. Level can back me up on this, but Tech likes Owens as more of a 4 than a 5 in a perfect world. We shall see, though, as Owens could definitely play the 5 depending on what lineup you want to use. Now, this is also assuming that you hold onto Moore as well. Nothing you can really do as a staff right now except try to continue to sell your program and hope that he wants to stay on despite Al Pinkins leaving when all is said and done.
*At the end of the day, Mooney's addition to this team cannot be understated. It should tell you something that the Seth Greenbergs of the college basketball world think this is a major, major addition for Tech. You finally have a proven sharpshooter, folks.
