Tech, ORU set for Tuesday matchup

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will look to remain unbeaten at home and extend its 26-game non-conference home winning streak when it hosts Oral Roberts at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at United Supermarkets Arena.

The Red Raiders (6-2) are coming off an 87-58 win over Omaha in their only game last Wednesday, while ORU (4-4) earned wins over Tulsa and Ozark Christian last week. Kerwin Walton led Tech in that game with a career-high 22 points after making 6-for-7 from beyond the arc and Joe Toussaint went for 20 points and four assists. The team will be playing without Devan Cambridge for the first time this season after he suffered a season-ending knee injury during the game against Omaha. Cambridge had started all eight games to start the season and was averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He is at 983 points and 515 rebounds in his career.

"Oral Roberts is a team that knows how to win," Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "They went undefeated in conference play last year and have a lot of continuity in their program. You can tell they have a winning DNA. They just had a great win against Tulsa and took Kansas State into overtime. Their offensive is really clicking with a really good spacing plan and put you in a lot of tough spots. Our defense will have to be tremendous against them. They don't turn the ball over and have guys who can make great individual 1-on-1 plays. It'll be a challenge for us defensively and offensively we'll have to continue taking care of the ball and take great shots."

Toussaint is leading the Red Raiders with 15.6 points and 4.3 assists per game coming into the ninth game of the season. Walton was the fifth player on the roster to lead the team in scoring through eight games this season, following Chance McMillian who had matched his career-high of 24 points at Butler in the prior game – a performance that earned him Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on December 4. Walton and McMillian both led the team in scoring as reserves. Warren Washington had 12 rebounds against Omaha to match a season-high and is now leading Tech with 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots.

Tech is currently 4-0 at home this season and is 84-2 at home since the start of the 2013-14 season in non-conference home games. The last loss came against Kentucky in a 76-74 overtime loss on January 25, 2020.

Texas Tech is currently second in the Big 12 with a 76.8 percentage at the free-throw line, sixth in the conference by limiting teams to 65.6 points per game and sixth by holding opponents to only 30.4 shooting on 3-pointers. Tech limited its first two opponents under 50 points for the first time since the 1951-52 season and currently has a 9.2 scoring margin advantage over its opponents. Tech is averaging eight 3-pointers per game with a season-high 14 coming in a loss to Villanova and is averaging 13.8 assists per game with a high of 23 at Butler. Tech was 11-for-28 on 3-pointers in its 29-point win over Omaha last Wednesday and finished the game with 16 assists and a plus-10 on rebounds. The team was 18-for-20 at the free-throw line in that game and is currently 126-of-164 at the line on the year.

MEDIA COVERAGE: The game between the Red Raiders and Golden Eagles will be streamed on ESPN+ and carried on the Texas Tech Sports Network. John Harris and Chris Level will have the television call, while Geoff Haxton and Clark Lammert are on the radio side of the coverage. Fans can follow the team through social media @TexasTechMBB.

UP NEXT: Texas Tech will play Vanderbilt on Saturday, December 16 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth. The Commadores are currently 4-5 following a 73-60 loss to San Francisco last Saturday in Nashville. Vanderbilt does not play a game this week before taking on the Red Raiders in the USLBM Coast to Coast Challenge. The Red Raiders will return from Fort Worth to host UT Arlington at 1 p.m. on Thursday, December 21 at United Supermarkets Arena before going on a weeklong Christmas break.

SERIES / ORU INFO: ORU travels to Lubbock with a 4-4 overall record including an 0-1 mark against Big 12 opponents after an 88-78 overtime loss at Kansas State on November 28. They have won the past two following that loss, beating Tulsa by a 79-70 decision before a 110-51 rout of Ozark Christian last Saturday. The Golden Eagles are currently 0-4 on the road with losses at UT Arlington, Missouri State, Texas A&M, and Kansas State. They will play at Oklahoma State on Saturday after their game against Tech in Lubbock.

Isaac McBride leads ORU with 20 points and 3.3 assists per game this season, while DeShang Weaver and Jailen Bedford are averaging 13 points per game. Bedford leads the team with 6.6 rebounds while Kareem Thompson is at 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 11.5 points per game. The Golden Eagles are coming off a game against Ozark Christian where seven players scored in double figures, led by Thompson who had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. McBride had 22 and Weaver 20 in the win over Tulsa, while McBride went for 25 points and Bedford scored 23 in the overtime loss to Kansas State. Against he Wildcats, ORU were 10-for-21 on 3-pointers with Bedford going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Tech and Oral Roberts will meet for the ninth time with the Red Raiders owning a 7-1 advantage in the series – but also with a loss in the last matchup. The two programs will play for the first time since the 2011-12 season when ORU earned a 72-56 win in Tulsa on December 22, 2011. The win snapped seven straight victories from Tech over ORU, including a 117-99 win in the first matchup on February 15, 1993, in Lubbock. The Red Raiders are 4-0 against the Golden Eagles in Lubbock.

ORU is coming off a season where it went 30-5 overall and ran off an 18-0 record in Summit League action. The Golden Eagles won the Summit League regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament where they fell to Duke in the opening round. The 2023-24 ORU program is led by head coach Russell Springman who takes over for Paul Mills who went to Wichita State. Springman has served as an assistant at ORU since 2018 and was also an assistant at Texas for 14 seasons under Rick Barnes.

RED RAIDER REPORT: Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland's first roster at Texas Tech has 14 players on it with five returners and nine newcomers… McCasland was named the 19th head coach in program history on March 31, 2023, after leading North Texas to the 2023 NIT Championship… He is currently in his 10th season as an NCAA head coach and has a 217-91 overall record with head coaching experiences at Midwestern State, Arkansas State, and North Texas… He was also an assistant at Baylor from 2011-16 and won the 2007 NJCAA National Championship in his first head coaching role leading Midland College
The Red Raiders returned Lamar Washington, Pop Isaacs, D'Maurian Williams, Kerwin Walton, and Robert Jennings who are each in their second season in the program… Tech returned only 25.4 percent of its scoring from last season with eight departures from last year's roster
The list of newcomers includes five players from the transfer portal in Devan Cambridge (Arizona State), Chance McMillian (Grand Canyon), Joe Toussaint (West Virginia), Darrion Williams (Nevada), and Warren Washington (Arizona State)… All five players signed out of the transfer portal played on teams that advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament… The transfer portal additions had a combined 492 games of experience and 3,454 points scored coming into the season
Cambridge suffered a season-ending knee injury in the win over Omaha on December 6 and will miss the remainder of the year… A starter in all eight games before the injury, Cambridge will have the option after the season to file a medical hardship through the Big 12… He averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Red Raiders and is currently at 983 points and 515 rebounds in his career
Tech's starting lineup for the opening eight games has been: Cambridge, Isaacs, Toussaint, Warren Washington, Darrion Williams
Tech goes into its game against Oral Roberts with two available players averaging in double figures with Toussaint (15.6) and Isaacs (13.9)… Darrion Williams is averaging 9.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while Warren Washington leads the team with 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and is scoring 8.0 points per
Tech has been led in scoring by five different players in its opening eight games after Walton went for his career-high 22 points against Omaha a game after McMillian led the team for the second time this season with his 24 at Butler… The game against Omaha was the first time this season with two 20+ point scorers with Toussaint scoring 20… Toussaint and Cambridge both had 17 against Michigan which was the first time two players have matched for the team-high… Toussaint, McMillian, and Isaacs are the only Red Raider to lead the team in scoring twice – Isaacs did it first in the season-opener with 19 points against Commerce and then in the Bahamas when he had 16 points against Villanova… McMillian led the Red Raiders with 17 points against Corpus before his 24 in Indianapolis… Cambridge had 15 against San Jose State to lead the team… Isaacs has led Tech in scoring in eight games in his Texas Tech career
Toussaint is the only player to score in double figures in all eight games and was the first Red Raider to score 20 or more in a game… He was coming off three straight games with season-high scoring after his 21 against UNI, 15 against Villanova and 14 against Corpus… He had scored 10 points in each of the first two games… Toussaint scored Tech's first four points of the season and leads Tech with 87 total points and 18 assists… His 21 points against UNI was the third time in his career to score 20 or more points and the fourth came against Omaha
Tech established a season-high with five players in double figures at Butler with McMillian (24), Isaacs (18), Toussaint (18), Cambridge (16), Warren Washington (10)… The Red Raiders matched a previous season-high with four players scoring in double-figures against Michigan after also having four double-figure scorers against UNI and Corpus… Against UNI, Toussaint (21), Isaacs (18), Cambridge (10), Darrion Williams (10) after also having four against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with McMillian (17), Toussaint (14), Warren Washington (13), Darrion Williams (10)
A season-high 11 players saw game action in the season-opener against Texas A&M-Commerce with all 11 scoring… Tech is coming off a games with seven scorers in the games against Villanova, UNI, and Michigan
Eight players have made their Tech debut this season, including Jack Francis and KyeRon Lindsay who played for the first time this season against Omaha
Darrion Williams was McCasland's first signee on April 21, 2023
Cambridge and Toussaint were both officially announced on July 6, 2023, to complete the roster... Six players were signed by McCasland and staff in the off-season
Tech is a team comprised of 5th-year seniors (3), seniors (3), sophomores (6), and freshmen (2)
Tech has players from Texas (4), California (3), Arizona (1), Minnesota (1), Nevada (1), New York (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Finland (1)
Toussaint went for 20 points and four assists against Omaha after recording his second career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 12 assists at Butler… He leads Tech with 15.6 points and 4.3 assists per game and is the only Red Raider to score in double-figures in all eight games this season, scoring a season-high 21 points in the win over UNI before going for 17 points against Michigan to complete the three games in the Bahamas… At the free-throw line, Toussaint is 34-for-37 (91.9 percent) which is third in the Big 12 and is the 34th best percentage nationally… Currently, he's also sixth in the Big 12 with a 2.83 assist-to-turnover ratio, fifth in minutes per game (34:19), 10th in assists, and 16th in scoring… His 12 assists in the overtime loss at Butler were the most for a Tech player since Chris Clarke had an 11-assist game in 2019 and just two back of the Tech single-game record established by Stan Bonewitz against Fresno State in 1996… Toussaint has 30 assists in the past five games, starting with eight in the game against Villanova… He scored the first four points of Tech's season in the opener against Commerce and finished with 10 points to go along with three rebounds and an assists in his Tech debut… A 6-foot guard, he is in his fifth and final season of college basketball after playing his first three seasons at Iowa and then last year at West Virginia… A Bronx, New York native, Toussaint played against Texas Tech four times as an opponent in his career including three times last season while at WVU and once while at Iowa in 2019… He scored his career-high 22 points against the Red Raiders in Lubbock after making 12 free throws and has now scored 20 or more three times in his career… He had his first career double-double with 11 assists and 11 points against Alabama State back on Nov. 18, 2021, while playing at Iowa… Toussaint has 917 points, 402 assists, 149 steals, and 274 rebounds through 140 games in his career… His 140 games are the most experience on this year's Tech roster and the fifth most among all active players in the nation… Toussaint is coming off a season at WVU were he averaged 9.4 points and had 89 assists… He started against Texas A&M in the exhibition game, finishing with a team-high seven assists and also having six points and three rebounds in 36 minutes of play… Toussaint's eight games this season in double figures now has him with 34 double-figure scoring games in his career… His points-assist double-double was the first for Tech since John Roberson had 12 points and 12 assists against Iowa State in 2011
Isaacs comes into this week with 398 points and 76 3-pointers made through 33 games play at Tech… He had 11 points and four assists in the win over Omaha after he went for 18 points and four assists at Butler, including hitting the game-tying layup as time expired in regulation to force overtime… Proving to be a clutch player for the Red Raiders in his sophomore season, Isaacs also hit the game-winner against UNI with 0.8 on the clock and finished with 18 points and four 3-pointers for the second straight game in the Bahamas… He finished the Thanksgiving week tournament with 13 points against Michigan for his 20th career game in double-figure scoring… He is now second on the Tech roster with 13.9 points per game and 3.0 assists per game and has 22 double-figure scoring performances and 17 games of three or more assists in his career… Isaacs led Tech with 16 points in the Battle 4 Atlantis opener against Villanova where he made four 3-pointers for the first time this season… He had a previous season-best with 19 points in the season opener against Commerce and has now led the team in scoring twice this season and eight times in his career… A 6-foot-2 sophomore from Las Vegas who has now played 32 career games, Isaacs has 387 points, 87 assists, and has made 75 3-pointers… Isaacs is Tech's leading returning scorer after going for 11.5 points per game as a true freshman in 25 games played last season… In the preseason, Isaacs also went off for 30 points after going 6-for-10 on 3-pointers in the exhibition win over Texas A&M where he also led the team with three steals… Last season, he made 62 3-pointers (37.8%), including making five 3-pointers in games against Nicholls, TCU, and Texas… Isaacs scored a career-high 24 points in the non-conference game against Nicholls and also had 23 points at Texas after he went off by making 5-of-9 3-pointers against the Longhorns… Isaacs made 24 starts last year and earned Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors during his first season at Tech where he averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game… He finished third in scoring among freshmen in the Big 12 and was fourth throughout the conference by averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers per game
Darrion Williams had eight points, six rebounds, and three assists in the win over Omaha and is now averaging 9.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game… He is 7-for-11 on 3-pointers in the past three games and 11-for-28 for the season… He recorded his second double-double of the season and third of his career after going for 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Michigan… A sophomore from Sacramento native, Williams had approached a double-double against UNI with 10 points and nine rebounds before he fouled out with two minutes remaining in the second game in the Bahamas… Against Michigan, he had a season-high three 3-pointers which was just shy of his career-best of four 3-pointers in a game last season against Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament… He was 2-for-2 on 3-pointers at Butler… He recorded the first double-double of the season for Texas Tech and the second in his career by going for a career-high 14 rebounds and adding 10 points in the win over Corpus Christi… He began his Tech career by going for 14 points and seven rebounds in the win over Commerce before scoring nine points and having six rebounds against San Jose… A sophomore in his first year at Texas Tech, Williams earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year last season while playing at the University of Nevada after earning Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior year of high school at Bishop Gorman… He transferred to Tech during the summer after averaging 7.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a freshman… He also had 90 assists, 47 steals, and 11 blocks in his first collegiate season… Darrion scored a career-high 16 points in a game against Fresno State and had a previous-best of 13 rebounds in his first-ever double-double against New Mexico last season… His freshman-year report saw him record 11 games with double-figure rebounds, 11 games with double-figure scoring, and one double-double… Williams started against Texas A&M in Tech's exhibition game and finished with six points and two rebounds in 17 minutes… In the scrimmage against UTEP, Darrion had 14 points… Last season, Williams was 91-for-220 (41.4%) from the field and 35-of-98 (35.7%) on 3-pointers... The Athletic had Williams as the 14th best available transfer while ESPN put him at No. 43 on its 2023-24 transfer list… Williams is the only Red Raider with a points-rebound double-double this season and has three in his career
Cambridge suffered his season-ending injury with 983 points and 515 rebounds in his career… He was averaging a career-high 10.5 points this season after he scored a season-high 17 points in the win over Michigan in a game where he was 6-for-10 from the field before going for 16 points at Butler on 6-for-11 shooting… He scored in double figures in five of eight games this season and in 45 games through 135 games in his career… Cambridge got into double figure scoring for the second time this season with 11 points against Villanova and was shooting 52.7 percent which was second on the team… He led Tech in scoring for the first time this season with 15 points in the win over San Jose State before his 17 against Michigan… A 6-foot-6 fifth-year senior from Nashville, Tennessee, he averaged 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game to go along with his scoring… Cambridge began his career with three seasons at Auburn before playing last season at Arizona State… He averaged 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season for the Sun Devils and helped ASU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament… Cambridge has made 116 3-pointers and is 360-for-821 (43.8%) from the field in his career… He scored a career-high 26 points against South Carolina as a freshman on January 22, 2020, and had a career-best 11 rebounds against San Diego on December 18, 2022… Cambridge started against Texas A&M in Tech's exhibition win, scoring 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 on 3-pointers… For his career, Cambridge has recorded five double-doubles and has scored 20 or more points in two games
Warren Washington matched a season-high with 12 rebounds against Omaha and now leads Tech with 8.3 rebounds per game and has 15 double-figure rebounding performances in his career… Washington now has 905 points, 635 rebounds, and 122 blocked shots in his career after also going for 10 points, six rebounds, and a block at Butler last week… Washington recorded a season-high four blocked shots against Villanova at Battle 4 Atlantis where he also had eight rebounds… The tallest Red Raider on the roster at 7-foot, Washington scored a season-high 13 points against Corpus Christi in the last home game in Lubbock where he also had eight rebounds and three assists… He led the Red Raiders with a season-high 12 rebounds and added eight points in the season-opening win over Commerce before going for eight points and five rebounds against San Jose State… Washington is a fifth-year senior who has also played at Oregon State, Nevada, and Arizona State before making Texas Tech his final destination in his collegiate career… An Escondido, California native, he has 46 games in double-figure scoring, 15 double-figure rebounding games, and a team-best nine double-doubles through 117 games in his career… He is coming off a season at Arizona State where he averaged 9.2 points and 6.9 rebounds and earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors… Washington started for the Red Raiders in the exhibition win over Texas A&M, finishing with a team-high seven rebounds but not scoring… In a scrimmage against UTEP, Washington led Tech with 16 points after going 7-for-9 from the field… His career resume includes a career-high 21 points in games against Wyoming and Southern Cal and a 14-rebound performance against Texas Southern last season while at ASU… Washington has had a block in every game this season besides the opener
McMillian matched a career-high with 24 points at Butler where he established a new career-best with eight 3-pointers and also led the team with seven rebounds in 36 minutes as a reserve… He earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the performance… His eight 3-pointers were just one back of the program record set by Alan Voskuil against Kansas back in 2009… It was the first time a Tech player has made six or more 3-pointers since Toddrick Gotcher made six in 2015 against UT Martin… McMillian was coming off a game against Michigan where he was held scoreless on 0-for-3 shooting before going 8-for-10 on 3-pointers, including making 4-for-4 in the second half against Butler… He had three points and three rebounds against Omaha in the last game… A senior in his first season at Tech, he also led the Red Raiders in scoring with 17 points in the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 25 minutes as a reserve before having nine points with three 3-pointers against Villanova in the first game in the Bahamas… A Vallejo, California native, he is averaging 8.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game this season… McMillian now has 32 games in double-figure scoring in his career and three games with 20 or more… McMillian secured six rebounds in both games against Commerce and San Jose State to begin his career at Tech for his previous season-high in rebounding before his seven against Butler… In his first year at Tech, he is a senior with two years of eligibility remaining after he played the last three years at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Arizona where he advanced to the 2021 and 2023 NCAA Tournaments… Against Texas A&M in Tech's exhibition, McMillian scored 17 points with four 3-pointers as a reserve in 23 minutes… His resume now includes 734 points, 155 assists, 58 steals, 125 made 3-pointers, and a shooting percentage of 44.7 through 99 games in his career… McMillian is 125-for-307 (40.7%) on 3-pointers in his career including a game last season against SFA in February where he made six 3-pointers for GCU… He scored a career-high 24 points for the first time in his career in that game against SFA on Feb. 24, 2023… McMillian is coming off a season at Grand Canyon where he averaged 10.9 points per game and had 78 assists
Lamar Washington scored a season-high eight points against Omaha in 12 minutes as reserve where he was 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 at the free-throw line… He had matched a previous season-high with seven points and added three assists against Villanova after he had scored a season-high seven points in just under 30 minutes of play as a reserve against Corpus Christi… A sophomore with 40 games of experience, he is now averaging 4.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this season as a key reserve… In the season opener, he led Tech with four assists and also added five points and four rebounds in the win over Commerce and then had four points and four rebounds against San Jose State… Washington is in his second season at Tech after averaging 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game as a freshman… He finished with 13 points and two steals in the exhibition win over Texas A&M where he played 24 minutes as a reserve… Washington had a career-high 13 points and five steals last season in a win over Kansas State at home… He played in 32 games and made three starts during the 2022-23 season… A 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard, Washington is a Portland, Oregon native who was named the 2021 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year before finishing prep school in Arizona… Washington has 142 points, 69 assists, and 33 steals through 40 games in his career
Robert Jennings has appeared in five games this season where he is averaging 1.0 rebounds and 0.4 points… A sophomore in his second season, Jennings celebrated a birthday on Saturday, Dec. 3… He played eight minutes against Omaha after not playing in games against Butler, UNI, and Michigan … Jennings finished with three rebounds and two points in the opener to begin his sophomore season against Texas A&M-Commerce after playing in 30 games with four starts as a true freshman last season at Tech… A Desoto, Texas native who is listed at 6-foot-7, 230-pounds, Jennings had a career-high eight points in games against Houston Christian, Oklahoma, and Louisville last season… He also had strong performances with six rebounds against South Carolina State and West Virginia last year… Jennings played seven minutes as a reserve in the exhibition against Texas A&M and finished with one steal… He averaged 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game last season
Kerwin Walton scored a career-high 22 points after going 6-for-7 on 3-pointers in the win over Omaha… He came into the game having scored 11 points total through the first seven games and has now made 113 3-pointers in his career… In the Bahamas, he hit a 3-pointer to cut UNI's lead to 62-59 at Battle 4 Atlantis and finished those three points and then played a season-high 15:48 against Michigan where he had a season-high three rebounds and scored two points… He also made one 3-pointer for his only basket of the game against Commerce to begin his second season in the program but has not scored in the past three games leading into the UNI game… He did not play against San Jose State and had played limited minutes in the past two games against Corpus and Villanova… A senior with two years of eligibility remaining, he is in his second season at Texas Tech after playing two years at North Carolina… A Hopkins, Minnesota native, Walton has made 113 3-pointers (41.2 percent) and scored 474 points through 94 games played in his career… He averaged 3.6 points with 23 3-pointers made in 27 games played last year for the Red Raiders with seven starts… As a freshman at North Carolina, Walton made 58 3-pointers, averaged 8.2 points, started 20 games, and set the UNC freshman percentage record at 42.0 percent… Walton had a previous career-high 19 points against Louisville as a freshman where he made a career-high five 3-pointers… He was a sophomore on the 2022 North Carolina team that advanced to the NCAA National Championship game
D'Maurian Williams has 816 points and a team-best 146 3-pointers made through 87 games played in his career… He scored two points in four minutes of play against Commerce in the opener but has not scored in another game this season… A senior with two years of eligibility remaining, D'Maurian is in his second season at Tech after playing his first two years at Gardner Webb where he averaged 14.5 points per game as a sophomore after 10.8 as a freshman… He played 27 games with one start last season for the Red Raiders, averaging 3.1 points per game and with 14 3-pointers… For his career, Williams is 146-for-379 (38.5%) from beyond the arc… He had a career-high 27 points against Columbia International while playing at Gardner Webb and also had a 10-rebound performance against UNLV… Last season, Williams scored a season-high 17 points against Jackson State after going 5-for-7 on 3-pointers… He's scored in double-figures 40 times in his career and has one double-double
Tech's roster has two true freshman on it with Eemeli Yalaho and Drew Steffe… Yalaho scored two points in six minutes of play in the opener against Commerce to make his collegiate debut and played just under five minutes against San Jose State… He played in the first five games this season but did not play against Michigan, Butler, or Omaha… An international player from Jyväskylä, Finland, he completed high school with his senior season at Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) where he averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game… Yalaho is listed as a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward… Steffe is a four-star recruit who was signed last November out of Frisco Memorial High School… A 6-foot-5, 200-pound forward, he was a Class 5A All-state selection… Steffe has not played this season
Two of the newcomers made their debut in the win over Omaha after they were with the Red Raiders last season but not on the active roster… KyeRon Lindsay transferred to Tech at midterm last December after starting his career at the University of Georgia where he started eight games and played in 10 as a true freshman… He was 2-for-2 at the free-throw line against Omaha for his first points as a Red Raider in a game where he played three minutes… A Denton, Texas native, Lindsay averaged 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a Bulldog including recording a double-double with a career-high 14 points and 10 rebounds against Miami (Ohio) on November 14, 2022… Jack Francis is a sophomore from Austin who was on the practice squad last season and earned his spot on this season's roster… Francis is the team's only walk-on and is an accomplished player who scored over 1,000 points at Anderson High School… Lindsay and Francis both practiced with the Red Raiders throughout the 2023 Spring semester
McCasland was announced as the 19th head coach in program history on March 31, 2023, after six seasons at North Texas where he was 135-65 and led the program to the 2023 NIT Championship title. Along with winning the NIT, McCasland's teams at UNT have led the nation in scoring defense the past two seasons after holding opponents to just 55.8 points per game last season and 55.7 per game the previous year. McCasland played and graduated from Baylor before beginning his coaching career and earning his master's at Texas Tech. He was the director of operations for Tech coach James Dickey from 1999-2001. A winner everywhere he's coached, McCasland earned a NJCAA National Championship in 2007 at Midland College in his first head coaching position and has also led Midwestern State, Arkansas State, and UNT to unprecedented heights.
Now in his 10th season as a NCAA head coach, McCasland has a 217-91 overall record during that time.
McCasland's staff includes assistant coaches Dave Smart, Matt Braeuer, Achoki Moikobu, and Luke Barnwell along with Kellen Buffington (general manager), Andrew Wright (strength & conditioning), Clay Wilson (player development), Jardon Powell (director of administration and operations), Cooper Anderson (operations), Chris Nottingham (video coordinator), and Christian Hosley (assistant strength & conditioning). Braeuer, Moikobu, Wright, Wilson, and Hosley worked with McCasland at UNT

TECH PROGRAM HISTORY
The Red Raiders are a proud program that has experienced great success in the past decade with five trips to the NCAA Tournament and advancement to the 2018 Elite 8, 2019 National Championship Final, and 2022 Sweet 16. Tech went 18-0 at home during the 2021-22 season for the best record nationally two years ago. Last season, the program ranked No. 21 in average attendance with 13,222 per game.

FEATURE LINKS
Players explain what toughness is to them
McCasland story – Rising through the ranks
Four Journeys to Big 12 Media Day
Our coaching staff's path to coaching
Define Yourself – player video series

RANKINGS

Texas Tech came into the 2023-24 season unranked AP Preseason Poll and has remained unranked in the Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4 polls… Tech has not played a team that is ranked this season
The Red Raiders were at No. 25 to begin last season following advancing to the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16… Tech was in the first three polls last season and rose as high as No. 21 before falling out and not returning
Tech is 0-0 against ranked opponents this season
Tech was picked 8th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll
Kansas was picked first in the Big 12 Preseason Poll followed by Houston, Texas, Baylor, and TCU to round out the Top-5
Texas Tech did not have a player selected in the preseason awards
Tech's highest AP ranking in program history came at No. 6 in February of 2018 (16th Week Poll)… The 2018-19 team was No. 8 in the final week of the regular season and No. 7 throughout the postseason that led to the 2019 National Championship Final

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Players Mentioned

Devan Cambridge

Jack Francis

Pop Isaacs

Robert Jennings

Chance McMillian

Joe Toussaint

Kerwin Walton

Lamar Washington

Warren Washington

D'Maurian Williams

Darrion Williams

Eemeli Yalaho