Why No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez could commit to Texas Tech over elite programs like South Carolina and UCLA

Aaliyah Chavez is the most prized recruit from the Class of 2025, with schools from all over the country vying for her commitment. She is now down to five choices after LSU took itself out of the race. The schools are: Texas, South Carolina, Oklahoma, UCLA, and Texas Tech.

She has been very vocal about wanting to stay closer to home, and Texas Tech may be the favorite in that regard. Chavez lives in Lubbock, Texas, which is where Texas Tech is located, with the school just a few minutes' drive. She has been very vocal about her love for her hometown school in the past.

While the other schools are more well-known, and could offer her opportunities to win titles and boost her NIL, Texas Tech would be a more personal choice for her.

In choosing Texas Tech, Aaliyah Chavez would also be giving back to her hometown of Lubbock, as it would inspire many in the younger generations from the area to play basketball. She is already doing this by sticking with her school, Monterey, with fans flocking to see her play for the Lady Plainsmen every time.

In addition, sticking with the hometown team would be good for Texas Tech, as the Lady Raiders could be sure that she will be a big draw, which would help sell tickets.

Krista Kirkland-Gerlich must build a squad around the hometown hero, much like what Iowa did for Caitlin Clark.

As for her reported $1 million NIL asking price, Texas Tech has not dropped out of the race yet because of it, which means that the school is more than willing to pay the price. This is reportedly the reason why LSU dropped out of contention for her.

Aaliyah Chavez stayed in Monterey to win a state title for her school

Aaliyah Chavez has shown how loyal she is to Lubbock by staying in Monterey. As the No. 1 ranked overall from her class, she could have picked any top high school basketball program in the country for an easy route to a state championship, but she did not. This is what Texas Tech is banking on.

She wants to win a state title for her school, and the Lady Plainsmen are on track for one with their 26-4 record. The school is currently third in its district and is already considered a favorite to win a state title.