The Texas Tech basketball program will have plenty of holes to fill this offseason. The biggest one will be what 2023-24 leading scorer Pop Isaacs leaves behind after the sophomore reportedly entered the transfer portal.
This past season was supposed to be a real test for the Las Vegas, Nevada, native. Not only did he play through a torn labrum that made his life on the court difficult, but he also sexually assaulted a 17-year-old woman while his father was battling cancer and during a game. He was also playing while a civil lawsuit was filed against him for assault. Bahamas in November.
As a result of these allegations, Isaacs was subject to constant and voracious jeers and ridicule during road games. Still, to his credit, he stayed the course and started all 34 games of the season.
Isaacs, a third-team All-Big 12 honoree, averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. He scored 20 or more points nine times and reached double figures 26 times.
However, Isaacs was also an ineffective player at times. His 3-point shooting percentage has dropped from 37.8% as a freshman to just 29.3% this season. Still, he shot 7.3 times per game from beyond the arc, by far the most on the team.
Additionally, his offensive rating (an estimate of how many points a player can score per 100 possessions) was just 100.5. This was a significant drop from the 102.9 offensive rating he had as a freshman.
As expected for a player with ups and downs like Isaacs this season, fans are divided in their perceptions of him.
Those who hate to see him leave are quick to point out the fact that he was the team's leading scorer. As such, he had some big games leading the Red Raiders, including a 32-point game in a win over BYU in Lubbock in January and a 21-point game that helped the Red Raiders defeat the Longhorns in Austin. . The road to opening up Big 12 play.
But even those who criticize his shot selection and inefficiency have a game to point to. For example, in Tech's first-round NCAA Tournament loss to North Carolina State, he was just 3-16 from the floor and 1-10 from 3-point range. He then lost to Houston in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament, going 2-13 from the floor and 1-6 on 3-point shooting for a season-low six points.
There are merits to stand on for both sides, but no rational Red Raider fan can conclude that Isaac's impending departure is anything other than significant. Even if this is a move encouraged by the coaching staff, it won't be easy to find another 15-point scorer to pace the offense.
Tech will need to replace at least three of its starting five this offseason as Joe Toussaint and Warren Washington have exhausted their eligibility. That's a total of 37.7 points, 9.5 assists, and 13.2 rebounds per game, which means he won't be in the starting five next year. Grant McCasland certainly has his work cut out for him as he looks to rebuild his roster in the coming days and weeks.
