Texas Tech University Athletics
Photo by: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Culver, Ramsey Set to Begin NBA Seasons
October 20, 2021 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – A pair of former Texas Tech basketball stars are set to begin their NBA seasons tonight with Jarrett Culver and Jahmi'us Ramsey playing on the first full night of action.
Culver and the Memphis Grizzlies host Cleveland at 7 p.m. (CST), while Ramsey and Sacramento open against Portland at 9 p.m. (CST) in Oregon. Both games will be available on the NBA League Pass.
Culver is starting his third NBA season, but his first with the Grizzlies after being traded this summer. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Culver averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 rebounds through 97 games with the Timberwolves. He was limited to only 34 games last season due to injury and finished the year averaging 5.3 points per game. As a rookie in the 2019-20 season, Culver averaged 9.2 points per game.
Ramsey played in 13 games as a rookie last season with the Kings, averaging 3.1 points in 7.2 minutes per game. Playing for the Agua Caliente Clippers in the G-League, Ramsey averaged 9.8 points in 12 games of play. He was drafted in the 2020 NBA Draft with Sacramento taking him with the 13th pick of the second round. Ramsey had a strong 2021 NBA Summer League, averaging 16.2 points per game for the Kings. Entering his second season in the NBA, the former Texas Tech standout finished the summer in Las Vegas with 16 points in the championship game by going 8-for-16 from the field. The Kings went 5-0 in Las Vegas and won their second Summer League title.
Along with Culver and Ramsey, Mac McClung has been assigned to the NBA G-League after playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during the summer and preseason. McClung led the Red Raiders in scoring last season with 15.5 points per game in his first and only season with the program. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors before electing to turn professional following his junior season. McClung will being his pro career as a member of the South Bay Lakers (G-League).
An Arlington, Texas native who played one season at Texas Tech, Ramsey earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 Second Team, NABC All-District First Team, Big 12 All-Newcomer Team, Big 12 All-Freshman Team and was a three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week selection. Ramsey, who is the first Red Raider to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year, finished the season fifth in the Big 12 in scoring and was second with a 42.6 percentage on 3-pointers and fifth with a 44.2 shooting percentage.
A Lubbock native, Culver scored a career-high 31 points against Iowa State in the regular-season finale to help secure the regular-season championship and would drop 29 on Northern Kentucky in the NCAA first-round matchup. He averaged 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the six NCAA tournament games during the historic run to the final Monday night of the college basketball season. Culver helped lead the Red Raiders to a 58-17 overall record in his two seasons, including a trip to the Elite Eight as a freshman before the program's first Final Four appearance as a sophomore.
Culver, who led Texas Tech to the Final Four in Minneapolis this season, completed his two-year collegiate career as a Red Raider with 1,119 points, 420 rebounds and 209 assists. He led Tech with 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in a sophomore season where Tech had its winningest season in program history with 31 victories, secured the Big 12 regular-season championship, earned the NCAA West Region Championship and advanced to the national championship final. Culver was a Consensus All-America selection and was the first Tech player in program history to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year. Â
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Culver and the Memphis Grizzlies host Cleveland at 7 p.m. (CST), while Ramsey and Sacramento open against Portland at 9 p.m. (CST) in Oregon. Both games will be available on the NBA League Pass.
Culver is starting his third NBA season, but his first with the Grizzlies after being traded this summer. The No. 6 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Culver averaged 7.8 points and 3.3 rebounds through 97 games with the Timberwolves. He was limited to only 34 games last season due to injury and finished the year averaging 5.3 points per game. As a rookie in the 2019-20 season, Culver averaged 9.2 points per game.
Ramsey played in 13 games as a rookie last season with the Kings, averaging 3.1 points in 7.2 minutes per game. Playing for the Agua Caliente Clippers in the G-League, Ramsey averaged 9.8 points in 12 games of play. He was drafted in the 2020 NBA Draft with Sacramento taking him with the 13th pick of the second round. Ramsey had a strong 2021 NBA Summer League, averaging 16.2 points per game for the Kings. Entering his second season in the NBA, the former Texas Tech standout finished the summer in Las Vegas with 16 points in the championship game by going 8-for-16 from the field. The Kings went 5-0 in Las Vegas and won their second Summer League title.
Along with Culver and Ramsey, Mac McClung has been assigned to the NBA G-League after playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during the summer and preseason. McClung led the Red Raiders in scoring last season with 15.5 points per game in his first and only season with the program. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team and earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors before electing to turn professional following his junior season. McClung will being his pro career as a member of the South Bay Lakers (G-League).
An Arlington, Texas native who played one season at Texas Tech, Ramsey earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 Second Team, NABC All-District First Team, Big 12 All-Newcomer Team, Big 12 All-Freshman Team and was a three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week selection. Ramsey, who is the first Red Raider to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year, finished the season fifth in the Big 12 in scoring and was second with a 42.6 percentage on 3-pointers and fifth with a 44.2 shooting percentage.
A Lubbock native, Culver scored a career-high 31 points against Iowa State in the regular-season finale to help secure the regular-season championship and would drop 29 on Northern Kentucky in the NCAA first-round matchup. He averaged 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the six NCAA tournament games during the historic run to the final Monday night of the college basketball season. Culver helped lead the Red Raiders to a 58-17 overall record in his two seasons, including a trip to the Elite Eight as a freshman before the program's first Final Four appearance as a sophomore.
Culver, who led Texas Tech to the Final Four in Minneapolis this season, completed his two-year collegiate career as a Red Raider with 1,119 points, 420 rebounds and 209 assists. He led Tech with 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in a sophomore season where Tech had its winningest season in program history with 31 victories, secured the Big 12 regular-season championship, earned the NCAA West Region Championship and advanced to the national championship final. Culver was a Consensus All-America selection and was the first Tech player in program history to be named the Big 12 Player of the Year. Â
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Players Mentioned
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