Texas Tech succumbed to 2 Remaining 4 groups within the NCAA Match in its first two seasons underneath coach Grant McCasland — together with eventual nationwide champion Florida final 12 months in a gritty Elite Eight outing — however is reloaded this offseason with a serious roster overhaul that might catapult it into contender standing within the Massive 12 and past.
McCasland and his workers misplaced three of their 5 starters from final 12 months’s 28-win staff — assists chief Elijah Hawkins, minutes chief Likelihood McMillian and star swiss-army knife Darrion Williams — however they managed to lure again Massive 12 Participant of the Yr JT Toppin and have put loads of items round him to stay one of the vital fearsome squads within the nation.
Nevertheless, whether or not the sum of the returning and incoming elements are sufficient to assist the Crimson Raiders face up to its losses stays to be seen. Toppin is the one Tech participant to have made double-digit begins with the staff final season (although Christian Anderson returns after making seven begins). The reply will largely come all the way down to how properly its transfers acclimate to a brand new degree.
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Of the 5 transfers headed to Lubbock, 4 made not less than two dozen begins final season elsewhere at UNC Greensboro (Donovan Atwell), VCU (Luke Bamgboye), Washington State (LeJuan Watts) and Santa Clara (Tyeree Bryan). However making the leap from the mid-major degree to the high-major degree and contributing to profitable basketball within the Massive 12 will probably be a tall job. The problem for McCasland’s bunch will probably be not simply to cohese however to take action in a brand new system that might, and may, revolve as soon as once more across the strengths of Toppin.
Projected beginning lineup
PG Christian Anderson | 6-2 | 175 | Soph.
Shedding Massive 12 assists chief Elijah Hawkins will probably be a blow Tech could battle to switch this season. However Anderson — who performed primarily on the 2-guard spot alongside Hawkins final 12 months, but additionally performed backup level in spots — would be the man tasked to facilitate issues. He averaged 2.2 assists per sport final season and has a four-star pedigree. The previous Michigan commit and Oak Hill Academy product is in line to take the following step as an every-game starter after making 5 of his seven whole begins on the season within the staff’s closing 5 video games in 2024-25.
SG Donovan Atwell | 6-5 | 200 | Sr.
It would be exhausting to discover a higher on-paper match to encompass Texas Tech star JT Toppin with than Donovan Atwell. The UNC Greensboro switch has nailed 42% and 39.8% of his 3-pointers the final two seasons, respectively, and is coming off an All-Southern Convention season by which he averaged 13.3 factors and three.4 rebounds per sport. He is a floor-spacer who rated within the eighty fifth percentile on spot-up alternatives final season, per Synergy knowledge.
SF LeJuan Watts | 6-6 | 225 | Jr.
Taking part in with first-round decide Cedric Coward the final two seasons — first at Jap Washington and most just lately at Washington State — has helped disguise somebody whose profile within the switch market was a hidden gem in Watts. He averaged 13.7 factors, 6.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per sport final season at Wazzu and made 42.2% of his 64 3-point makes an attempt. Watts is large, bodily and has inside-out versatility. Nobody is usually a true substitute for Darrion Williams, however he has an analogous ability set with measurement, capturing and playmaking versatility.
PF JT Toppin | 6-9 | 230 | Jr.
Toppin — the reigning Massive 12 Participant of the Yr — is the league’s main returning scorer and rebounder after a first-year breakout season with Texas Tech. The previous New Mexico star may have been a possible first-round decide however is again for the Crimson Raiders gunning to take them deep in March Insanity for a second consecutive 12 months. Toppin performed the 4 and the 5 final season relying on how McCasland deployed his roster, and with the addition of massive man Luke Bamgboye (extra in a sec on him!), he’ll have the ability to be interchangeable within the frontcourt once more.
C Luke Bamgboye | 6-10 | 210 | Soph.
The addition of Bamgboye offers Texas Tech its finest inside shot-blocker of the McCasland period. He’s the main returning shot-blocker by block fee in school basketball after posting a 14.51% block fee final season (second within the sport) at VCU. The 6-foot-10 large man is considered one of solely 4 gamers within the final 5 seasons to accrue not less than 75 blocks in fewer than 600 minutes in a single-season — becoming a member of Miles Rubin, Corridor Elisias and Jamarion Sharp.
Off the bench
A seven-player incoming 2025 class led by 5 transfers and two highschool prospects will burnish a roster that already seemed a lot deep heading into this season. That depth will probably be led by a mixture of new and returning gamers alike — with Santa Clara’s Tyeree Bryan main the way in which because the potential sixth man.
Tyeree Bryan | 6-5 | 215 | Sr.
Bryan rated within the 97th percentile on leap photographs at Santa Clara final season and within the 94th percentile on catch-and-shoot alternatives whereas posting career-highs in capturing (42.9% on 3s; 46.3% on subject objectives) and steals (1.1 SPG). He started his profession at Charleston Southern earlier than spending the final two seasons at Santa Clara.
Marial Akuentok | 6-10 | 240 | R-Fr.
Akuentok was a mid-season acquisition for Texas Tech earlier this 12 months who redshirted upon arrival and is primed to make an affect this season. When requested this offseason how he can affect profitable, he stated partially — and I child you not — that “I can get buckets.” He is additionally a giant physique who can add measurement to the frontcourt defensively to assist help Toppin and Bamgboye.
Jaylen Petty | 6-0 | 165 | Fr.
Petty went from a New Mexico decide to a Stanford decide to a Texas Tech commit within the span of the final 5 months, lastly selecting Texas Tech earlier this month to assist spherical out its 2025 class. The Washington Gatorade Participant of the Yr winner in 2024-25 averaged 24.5 factors, 5.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists per sport final season as a senior at Rainier Seaside Excessive Faculty and provides this staff scoring punch and playmaking off the bench. He and Nolan Graves, the opposite highschool signee, may each play expanded roles this season.
Josiah Moseley | 6-8 | 225 | Soph.
After taking part in sparingly and producing sporadically at Villanova final season as a freshman, Moseley, a Texas native who received Texas Gatorade Participant of the Yr in 2023-24, returns to the Lone Star State searching for a recent begin. The Spherical Rock, Texas native averaged 22.8 factors and eight.9 rebounds per sport as a senior in highschool and was ranked as a top-100 nationwide recruit.
Leon Horner | 6-4, 215 | Soph.
Horner made 9 appearances as a freshman final season however tallied simply two factors, one steal, one block and 5 rebounds in 23 whole minutes. He’ll have an opportunity to assist spherical out this rotation within the backcourt.
Filling out the roster
The hilarity of Texas Tech’s roster riches leaves us guessing as to who will comprise the again finish of this 12 months’s rotation and who is likely to be overlooked. It is anybody’s guess given how deep the expertise runs. Redshirt freshman Jazz Henderson and true freshman Nolan Groves are on this bucket for now nevertheless it would not shock to see each contribute this season given their scoring versatility and offensive ability units. The aforementioned Petty may fall nearer into this class given his late signing.
- Nolan Groves | 6-5, 205 | Fr.
- Jazz Henderson | 5-11, 180 | R-Fr.
Market watch
Texas Tech odds to win 2026 NCAA Match (through Fanduel): +2000
Expertise, depth and a confirmed teaching edge — Texas Tech has received 51 video games in McCasland’s first two years! — has the Crimson Raiders sitting at +2000 to win the 2026 NCAA championship. That is tied for the ninth-best odds amongst all school groups.
Expectations will probably be excessive this season for this crew regardless of query marks aplenty.
“I like the place we’re at,” McCasland stated final month. “We have not been collectively lengthy, however I could not be extra enthusiastic about our staff.”