PREVIEW: Red Raiders to host Grambling

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will host Grambling in a 7 p.m. non-conference matchup on Friday at the United Supermarkets Arena after a 15-point win over North Florida to begin the week and season.

The Red Raiders (1-0) are 3-0 all-time against Grambling (0-1) with an 81-40 win over the Tigers last season in a Dec. 6, 2020 contest. The second game of a three-game home stand for Tech to begin the season will be streamed on ESPN+. The Tigers arrive in Lubbock after taking a 74-53 loss against Grand Canyon on Tuesday in Arizona.

TTU is coming off an 89-74 win over UNF in head coach Mark Adams' debut that took the program to 70-27 all-time in season opening games. Adams, who was hired as the 18th coach in program history on April 6, 2021, earned his 555th win as a head coach in the victory over the Ospreys. Four Red Raiders scored in double figures in the win, led by Bryson Williams who had 22 points and seven rebounds along with Kevin Obanor (17 points), Davion Warren (14) and Marcus Santos-Silva (13). Tech, which started on a 9-0 run and never trailed, finished the game shooting 51.5 percent from the field and had a 44-23 rebounding advantage.

The Red Raiders will complete their three-game home stand to begin the season by hosting Prairie View A&M at 7 p.m. on Monday at the USA. The Panthers are currently 0-1 on the season but will play road games against San Francisco, Michigan and Oklahoma State before arriving to Lubbock for the Monday night game. PVAMU began its season with an 87-68 loss at Saint Mary's College in California.

RED RAIDER REPORT: Texas Tech returns five players from last year with Marcus Santos-Silva, Terrence Shannon, Jr., Kevin McCullar, Clarence Nadolny and Chibuzo Agbo returning. Bryson Williams, Kevin Obanor, Davion Warren, Sardaar Calhoun, Mylik Wilson, KJ Allen, Adonis Arms and Daniel Batcho are all set to make their Red Raider debuts on Tuesday after transferring in over the summer. The opening night starting five featured Williams, Obanor, Warren, McCullar and Wilson.

"You want a competitive team and guys who hate to lose," Adams said. "You want them to want to win every possession. We have a very physical team who is like that. They hate to lose. It's a great group of guys with veterans. They understand how to get ready for a game. I think that will be a strength of our team. We're going to come ready to play every night."

Williams led the Red Raiders with 22 points and seven rebounds in the season opener, going 9-for-11 from the field and also 3 of 3 at the free-throw line. A super senior from Fresno, California, Williams now has 1,649 points through 122 games played in his career that started at Fresno State before playing the past two years at UTEP. He now has 80 games in his career with double-figure scoring and has scored over 20 points in 25 games. With seven rebounds on Tuesday, Williams now has 752 in his career. Obanor also began his Tech career with a strong performance, adding 17 points and leading the Red Raiders with three 3-pointers. A senior who played his first three seasons at Oral Roberts, Obanor was 3-for-5 on 3-pointers in the game and also 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. Obanor, who recorded three double-doubles in the NCAA Tournament last season for ORU, added six rebounds in his Tech debut. He now has 1,323 points and 690 rebounds through 87 games in his career.

Warren and Santos-Silva both scored in double-figures in the season-opening win to give the Red Raiders four players in double digits. A transfer from Hampton, Warren began his Tech career with 14 points by going 7-for-10 from the field and also added five assists. A dynamic scorer who averaged 21.2 points per game last season at Hampton, Warren now has 891 points in 60 games at the NCAA level after playing his first two seasons at Olney Central College (junior college). Santos-Silva is in his second season at Tech after playing three seasons at VCU. He went for 13 points and four rebounds in only 16 minutes of play as a reserve. MSS was 6-for-9 from the field and also had three steals – two behind his single-game high of five as a VCU player at Texas in 2018. He has scored 1,082 points and has 810 rebounds on his resume through 127 collegiate games played.

Wilson led Tech with seven assists and also had five points, while McCullar filled the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and a steal. The pair of juniors helped lead the Red Raiders to a night with 20 assists on 35 made baskets. McCullar is beginning his fourth season at Tech after redshirting during the program's Final Four run. A San Antonio native, he has played in 50 games for the Red Raiders and now has 390 points, 224 rebounds, 70 steals and 67 assists in his career. Wilson transferred this summer from Louisiana where he played the last two seasons. He was the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year two years ago and came to Lubbock having produced 168 assists through 55 games. His seven assists were one shy of his single-game high of eight in a game against Coastal Carolina on March 3, 2020. He averaged 12.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore in Lafayette.

Allen scored five points in 10 minutes of play, while Agbo and Calhoun each had two points in the opener. Allen is in his first season at Tech after transferring from East Los Angeles College where he averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game during the 2019-20 season with 11 double-doubles. Calhoun played at Florida State last season, helping the Seminoles advance to the Sweet 16 with 5.3 points per game after transferring from Missouri State – West Plains where he played two seasons. Agbo is in his second season at Tech with four years of eligibility remaining. A San Diego native, Agbo played in 22 games as a reserve last season and scored a career-high six points in the NCAA Tournament second round against Arkansas after hitting a pair of 3-pointers. Arms had two assists and two rebounds in his debut at Tech. A Milwaukee native, Arms is playing at his fourth school after beginning his career at Mesa Community College, Northwest Nazarene and last season at Winthrop where he played in the NCAA Tournament. Arms averaged 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds last season at Winthrop.

Shannon returns after being named to the All-Big 12 Third Team last season. He is on the Jerry West Award Watch List coming into his third season with the Red Raiders after averaging 12.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game last season. A Chicago native, Shannon did not play on Tuesday and will not play again on Friday. Nadolny has played in 48 games through two seasons at Tech. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.1 rebounds per game last season as a sophomore with 24 games played as a reserve. A guard from France, Nadolny made five 3-pointers last season and also had 15 assists. Still recovering from an offseason injury, Nadolny did not play on Tuesday.

GRAMBLING REPORT: The Tigers are 0-1 on the season after beginning the year with a 74-53 loss at Grand Canyon on Tuesday in Phoenix, Arizona. GCU jumped out to a 40-18 halftime lead in its win. Tra'Michael Moton and Prince Moss led Grambling with 10 points each, while Malik Lamin added eight points. Grambling finished the game shooting 36.5 percent from the field and were only 4-for-13 on 3-pointers. The team was outrebounded by a 43-30 margin at the GCU Arena.

The Tigers were 12-12 last season and 9-6 in SWAC play. Moss is the team's leading returner in scoring after scoring 9.6 points per game while Moton averaged 7.2 per game last season. Terreon Randolph is back after leading the team with 6.0 rebounds per game and also scoring 6.0 per contest.

TEXAS TECH NOTES
RISING/STEADY PROGRAM: Texas Tech has advanced to three straight NCAA Tournaments for first time in program history. The Red Raiders are 8-3 with trips to the 2018 Elite 8, 2019 Final and to the 2021 Second Round after a win over Utah State to open last year's tournament in Bloomington, Indiana before falling to Arkansas. TTU has the third most NCAA Tournament wins over the past three tournaments with Gonzaga and Michigan tied for the most with 10. Baylor, Houston and Duke each have seven and Virginia has six.
BACK ON COURT: Texas Tech has three starters back from last year's team: McCullar, Santos-Silva, Shannon… McCullar is the only returner who started in the season opener against UNF.
COMING FROM ALL OVER: Texas Tech consists of five returners, seven transfers from the transfer portal, one junior college transfer and one player from high school… Tech added six upperclassmen transfers: Williams, Warren, Obanor, Calhoun, Wilson, Arms
POSTSEASON EXPERIENCE: Texas Tech has eight players with NCAA Tournament experience: Calhoun (FSU), Obanor (ORU), Arms (Winthrop), TTU returners.
SCORERS EVERYWHERE: Texas Tech has eight players who scored in double-figures last season: Davion Warren (21.2 ppg. / 6.3 rpg.); Kevin Obanor (18.7 ppg. / 9.6 rpg.); Bryson Williams (15.1 ppg. / 7.4 rpg.); Terrence Shannon (12.9 ppg. / 4.0 rpg.); Mylik Wilson (12.9 ppg. / 5.5 rpg.); Kevin McCullar (10.4 ppg. / 6.3 rpg.); Adonis Arms (10.4 ppg. / 4.5 rpg.); *KJ Allen (18.5 ppg / 9.3 rpg. - 2019-20 at ELAC).
BACK FOR MORE: Texas Tech has two players who went through the NBA Draft process but elected to return to college… Shannon returns from the NBA Draft Process as team's leading returner in scorer at 12.9 points per game last season… Obanor transfers in from ORU after going through the NBA Draft Process and then the transfer portal
ON THE BOARDS: Santos-Silva is the leading returner in rebounding with 6.4 per game; McCullar had 6.3 rebounds per game… Williams averaged 7.4 rebounds per game at UTEP
DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Obanor recorded 15 double-doubles last season, while Williams had five double-doubles at UTEP and Wilson four double-doubles at Louisiana… At Tech, Santos-Silva and McCullar led the team with two each last season… Obanor's 15 double-doubles were the 5th most in the NCAA last season.
KENPOM.COM: Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 17 (2021), No. 9 (2020), No. 1 (2019)
SEASON OPENERS: Texas Tech improved to 70-27 all-time in season openers, including winning 22 in a row. The Red Raiders have not lost in a season opener since a 68-60 defeat to Indiana in the 1999-20 season opener.
FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACHES: Texas Tech is now 11-7 all-time in season openers under a new coach. The Red Raiders have won the past seven season openers when starting with a new head coach. Dell Morgan was the first new TTU coach to earn a win in his first game with a 41-24 win at Wayland Baptist to start the 1931-32 season.
RANKINGS: Texas Tech was ranked throughout last season and finished at No. 21 in the Associated Press Top-25. The Red Raiders are unranked in the preseason poll but are receiving votes in both rankings. TTU was ranked throughout a season in 2020-21 for the first time in program history.
EXPERIENCED STAFF: Three Texas Tech assistants have head coaching experience: Sean Sutton (Oklahoma State), Corey Williams (Stetson), Barret Peery (Portland State)
RED RAIDER BASKETBALL WITH MARK ADAMS: The Mark Adams radio show made its debut last Thursday at Rudy's with Calhoun, Santos-Silva and Corey Williams as guests. The hour-long program is being hosted by Geoff Haxton for the sixth year. The show is scheduled for Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 20, Jan. and Jan. 20.
NBA CHAMPION: Tech legend Darvin Ham continues to rise among the ranks of NBA assistant coaches where he helped lead Milwaukee to the 2021 NBA Championship. Ham, who became an iconic player nationally by ripping down a rim in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and winning the 1996 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest, played in the NBA from 1996-2005 and was on the Detroit Pistons' 2004 NBA Championship team. Ham was an Atlanta Hawks assistant coach from 2013-18 and has been on the Bucks sideline since the 2018 season where he is the lead assistant. He recently completed his bachelor's degree, earning his Texas Tech degree in 2019 – 23 years after leaving Lubbock to begin his professional basketball career.
NBA DRAFT: Texas Tech's Jahmi'us Ramsey was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 43rd pick of the 2020 NBA Draft on November 18, 2020. An Arlington, Texas native, 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. Ramsey's selection in the NBA Draft gives the Red Raiders three straight years with a pick following Zhaire Smith (2018) and Jarrett Culver (2019). Tech has now had 25 players picked in the NBA Draft in its program history.
HISTORIC RUN: Texas Tech has ascended into one of the top college basketball programs in the nation. The program advanced to the 2018 NCAA Elite 8 in only his second season and then reached the Final Four for the first time in program history in his third season. The Red Raiders won the 2019 Big 12 regular-season championship before making their historic run in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Tech started the postseason journey with wins over Northern Kentucky and Buffalo in the first and second rounds hosted in Tulsa and then went through Michigan and Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in Anaheim. TTU topped Michigan State in the Final Four in Minneapolis before falling to Virginia in the 2019 NCAA Championship Final in overtime. The national runner-up finish is the best showing in program history. McCullar is the only players on the current roster who were on the Final Four team, while Adams and Sutton remain from the staff.
HALL OF FAME SELECTION: Ronald Ross was selected for the 2020 Texas Tech Hall of Fame class. He will be inducted on Friday, Nov. 19. Ross remains one of the beloved greats in the history of Texas Tech men's basketball as the former walk-on helped lead the Red Raiders to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including their first-ever trip to the Sweet 16 in 2005. Ross, a native of nearby Hobbs, New Mexico, was an All-Big 12 first team selection and an All-American by Basketball Times as a senior after averaging 17.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game under head coach Bob Knight. Ross also established the single-season and career school records that year by recording 86 steals, pushing his career total to 204 over 132 games. He served as a graduate assistant for two seasons following a professional career overseas. He is now working in business in the Dallas area.
CONTINUED IMPACT, DREAM COURT: Nancy Lieberman Charities teamed up with Texas Tech University and The Culver Foundation to give the City of Lubbock a brand new Dream Court. The new Dream Court is located at Duran Park in Lubbock. This court will serve as a safe play space for youth in the community to interact with friends, family and local law enforcement. "I am so excited for the Red Raiders, Jarrett Culver and the City of Lubbock to partner with Nancy Lieberman Charities to honor our beloved, Andre Emmett. We all deeply miss him and want his legacy to live on forever in the lives of people who were touched by his genuine kindness." Basketball Hall of Famer, Nancy Lieberman said. The Dream Court™ is 50-by-84 feet with two brand new basketball goals, and features a high-performance PowerGame™ surface from Sport Court® in signature Texas Tech red and black colors. Its centerpiece is the Dream Courts logo, flanked by the brands of all supporting organizations. Emmett, who is Texas Tech's all-time leading scorer, was murdered in 2019. A dedication ceremony was held on October 23, 2020.
PLAYING IN THE USA: Texas Tech Athletics announced an extension of the current naming rights agreement to United Supermarkets Arena as the grocery chain will remain the facility's namesake through 2035. Texas Tech will receive an additional $16 million over the course of the agreement, which continues the long-standing partnership between the university and United Supermarkets. The West Texas-based chain has now committed more than $30 million to Texas Tech Athletics since securing the original naming rights to the 15,000-seat arena in 1996. United provided Texas Tech with a key $10 million investment that jump started fundraising efforts for the arena, opening in 1999 as United Spirit Arena. In 2014, Texas Tech and United extended their original agreement for $9.45 million. The second extension will ink the relationship until 2035.

2??2?? points in our season opener.
8??0?? career games in double figures.
2??5?? career games with 20+ points.
1??6??4??9?? career points.@Bwillington11 IS THAT DUDE ?? pic.twitter.com/SwzipoEArA
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) November 11, 2021

PREVIEW: Red Raiders to host Grambling

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Players Mentioned

Chibuzo Agbo

KJ Allen

Adonis Arms

Daniel Batcho

Sardaar Calhoun

Kevin McCullar

Clarence Nadolny

Kevin Obanor

Marcus Santos-Silva

Davion Warren

Bryson Williams

Mylik Wilson

Texas Tech University Athletics