As Tubby Smith goes through the process of rebuilding the Texas Tech program, one area he had to address on the recruiting trail was the talent on the perimeter. Starters Robert Turner (9.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 2.6 apg) and Toddrick Gotcher (7.3, 2.9) return from last season’s 14-18 squad, but with Turner being a senior and Gotcher a redshirt junior the head coach and his staff have some work to do when it comes to strengthening the perimeter for the future.
Texas Tech took a step in the right direction Saturday night, as 6-foot-6 guard/forward C.J. Williamson announced via his Twitter account that he’s verbally committed to the Big 12 program. Williamson, who attends Evans HS in Orlando, Florida, was on his official visit to Texas Tech this weekend. Virginia Tech, which was scheduled to host Williamson next weekend, was also considered to be a possibility with Williamson having an original announcement date of October 27.
Williamson joins 6-foot3 guard Jordan Jackson in Texas Tech’s 2015 recruiting class to date. Five freshmen join the program this season but only one, Keenan Evans, is a guard. Four of the seven Texas Tech guards on the 2014-15 roster are upperclassmen, meaning that the staff needed to add some talent to the rotation with an eye towards the future.
In landing Williamson, a player who can play both on and off the basketball, Texas Tech adds some versatility to the perimeter. According to MaxPreps, Williamson accounted for 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior. Williamson played his grassroots basketball for the Florida Vipers program.