Newberry ready for Tech visit

The NCAA early signing period for basketball begins Nov. 13 and runs through Nov. 20 which means visitors are being intensely recruited right in the midst of meaningful college football games.

Arguably Texas Tech's most important game of the season will kick off in one day. Highly coveted point guard Jeff Newberry is as excited as anyone for it.

Newberry will drive in from New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, N.M., to unofficially meet with the Red Raider basketball program and then get some exposure to the fan base at the TCU game.

"I actually like going to the football games more so than the basketball games," Newberry said. "I can sit down and get a feel for campus. That way, other people are sitting there and interested in the football game rather than me being at a basketball game where they want me to do all this stuff.

"I like football a lot, and I love college football, so it's even better to be on hand and see a college football game in person."

Members of the Tech basketball staff visited Newberry recently and convinced him to take a visit.

He sees a lot of Tech in himself on top of everything else.

"I want a lot of people to understand that I just recently started getting recruited on this level," Newberry said. "I've gotten a lot of attention from smaller schools and big Division I programs looking to turn their programs around. I want programs to come up just like I did, and I could potentially be that person to turn a program around. It's great.

"At most of the stronger programs, there's not much you can accomplish because everybody went there and set all these records. By me going to a smaller program, potentially turn it around, I could be the person that helps start it to get turned around."

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound point guard is very interested in playing for Tubby Smith and sees the Red Raiders' down program as just a player or two away from being a Big 12 threat when paired up with a proven coach.

As a Georgia native, Newberry is familiar with Smith's time at Georgia and then subsequently Kentucky. The player also tracked Smith at Minnesota.

He's also excited former New Mexico Junior College teammate Rob Turner signed with Tech.

"Coach Tubby is just a good coach who gets guys to the next level," Newberry said. "They just need somebody to come in and get that one missing piece. They've got a lot of good role players. No disrespect to the other players, I just know I can come in and be that push to get them over the top and turn the program around."