Jarrett Culver
A versatile wing who was the engine of a Texas Tech team that shattered expectations by reaching the NCAA championship game.
Born 1999 (age 27)·American basketball player·Birthday: February 20·Generation Z
Biography
Jarrett Culver emerged from Lubbock as the homegrown star who transformed Texas Tech basketball. A relatively unheralded recruit, he blossomed under coach Chris Beard's defensive-minded system, developing into a two-way force with a smooth, if unorthodox, offensive game. His sophomore season was a masterpiece of all-around production, leading the Red Raiders in points, rebounds, and assists while anchoring the nation's top defense. That campaign culminated in an unforgettable run to the 2019 national title game, where Tech fell just short against Virginia. Culver's lottery selection by the Phoenix Suns (later traded to Minnesota) marked a high point, but his professional journey has been a winding path of development, taking him from the NBA to the G League and now to opportunities overseas, a testament to the ongoing grind of a professional athlete.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Jarrett was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jarrett Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Jarrett's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Texas Tech to its first-ever NCAA Final Four and National Championship game appearance in 2019.
- Named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American in 2019.
- Was selected with the 6th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns.
- Averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during his final collegiate season.
Did You Know?
His brother, J.J. Culver, also played college basketball at Wayland Baptist and once scored 100 points in a single game.
Culver was a standout high school football wide receiver before focusing solely on basketball.
He is one of only two Texas Tech players (with Andre Emmett) to be named Big 12 Player of the Year.
In high school, he led Coronado to its first state basketball tournament appearance in over 50 years.
“Defense wins games; that's the mentality we built everything on at Tech.”
