Nimari Burnett chooses Texas Tech
Despite his original plans of holding off on his commitment until later this year, Nimari Burnett has changed course. On Tuesday, the five-star guard ended his recruitment by verbally committing to Texas Tech.
“People always rave about their culture and Coach (Chris) Beard,” Burnett told Rivals.com about the Red Raiders. “They are a team that, Coach Beard has been their three years, and over the last two years, he has had great success. If I can be a part of that and learn from him, as well, that would be great.”
Burnett chose the Red Raiders over Alabama, Michigan and Oregon. He is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard that boasts a 6-foot-10 wingspan, and has the capabilities of playing either guard position. He is rated as the 22nd best prospect in the 2020 class, and as the eighth best shooting guard in America.
Versatility is the name of the game with Burnett. He is a shutdown defender on the perimeter that brings major toughness and energy to the backcourt. Burnett has improved as a jump shooter in recent months but is at his best off of the attack.
Just last year, Texas Tech celebrated its first ever five-star commitment; Chris Beard now makes it the first time that such a feat has been accomplished in consecutive recruiting cycles. The Chicago native posted per-game averages of 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, three assists and 1.4 steals on the Nike circuit last summer.
Texas Tech now sits with a top-10 recruiting class entering the early signing period tomorrow. Top-35 forward Micah Peavy and Rivals150 forward Chibuzo Agbo will join Burnett by signing for the Big 12 program in the coming days.