No. 15 Tech set to host Cincy

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech center Harold Hudgens scored 26 points but it wasn't enough as Cincinnati advanced with a 78-55 win in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region semifinal matchup at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. The game was played back on March 17, 1961, and is the only time the two programs have previously met on the basketball court until this weekend. The Bearcats went on to win the 1961 National Championship after topping Texas Tech Hall of Fame members Del Ray Mounts and Hudgens who were playing in the program's third national tournament and legendary head coach Polk Robison's final season.

Now in 2024 and playing for the first time as Big 12 foes, the No. 15-ranked Red Raiders are back on their home court after a two-game road trip hosting the Bearcats at 5 p.m. on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena. Tech (16-4, 5-2 Big 12) is 11-0 at home coming into the game and is looking to bounce back after an 85-78 loss at No. 25 TCU on Tuesday in Fort Worth. Tech has not lost back-to-back games this season coming into the first trip to Lubbock for Cincinnati (14-7, 3-5 Big 12) which is coming off a 69-65 loss at West Virginia on Wednesday night in Morgantown.

"In this league, you're going to face a lot of different challenges and I think playing against Cincinnati they have strengths in our greatest weakness," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "They are one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country and obviously at TCU that's where we struggled. Wes Miller is doing a fantastic job. Life on the road is difficult in this league. Playing at home, we have to be more physical and play our best. This will be a big test that exposes that weakness. I like their roster and upside. They are a team that will keep getting better throughout the season with great size and athletes in space. They are physical and attack the rim. Personnel and rebounding will be a key in this one."

Pop Isaacs leads the Red Raiders with 17.4 ppg. through 20 games this season and the Big 12 with his 20.3 ppg. within conference games after scoring 25 points against TCU with five 3-pointers. Chance McMillian had 19 points with five 3-pointers a day after he was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season following a career-high 27 points with six 3-pointers in last Saturday's win at Oklahoma. Warren Washington, who leads Tech in rebounding and blocked shots, had 14 points at TCU on 6-for-7 shooting and now leads the conference by shooting 71.7% in Big 12 games. McMillian is currently 16-for-33 (48.5%) on 3-pointers in Big 12 play for the Red Raiders who went 14-for-28 from beyond the arc against the Horned Frogs. Tech led TCU by as many as 11 points in the first half on Tuesday but was unable to continue that momentum or mount a second-half comeback, falling to 3-2 against ranked opponents this season and to 2-2 in Big 12 road games.

Cincinnati is currently 2-4 on the road after its loss at WVU that followed a 68-57 home win over UCF last Saturday. Dan Skillings, Jr. led the Bearcats with 15 points in the loss against the Mountaineers after making three 3-pointers and going 6-for-19 from the field. Simas Lukosius added 13 points and six rebounds, while Day Day Thomas had 12 points and four assists. Viktor Lakhin, who went 0-for-5 from the field and did not score against WVU, leads Cincy with 12.1 points and 22 blocks this season and Skillings is averaging 12.0 ppg. as a reserve. Thomas is adding 10.9 ppg. and John Newman is at 10.0 to give UC four double-figure scorers through 21 games.

Texas Tech will follow the game against Cincinnati by playing at No. 18 Baylor at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6 at Foster Pavilion in Waco before hosting UCF on Saturday, February 10 and No. 8 Kansas on Monday, February 12 at the USA. Cincinnati has an open week before hosting No. 4 Houston on Saturday, February 10 at its Fifth Third Arena.

Though limited, tickets do remain available for home games at this link.

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Cincinnati (14-7, 3-5) at No. 15 Texas Tech (16-4, 5-2)
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Venue: United Supermarkets Arena
Tip: 5:01 p.m., Saturday, February 3, 2024
TV: ESPN+
TV CALL: Chuckie Kempf (play-by-play), Tom Crean (analyst)

RED RAIDER REPORT

Grant McCasland's inaugural roster at Texas Tech has 13 players on it with five returners and eight newcomers… McCasland was named the 19th head coach in program history on March 31, 2023, after leading North Texas for six season, culminating in winning the 2023 NIT Championship… He is currently in his 10th season as an NCAA head coach and has a 227-93 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… McCasland has matched Bob Knight for the best 20-game start for a Tech head coach… Knight finished that 2001-02 season with a 23-9 overall record… Chris Beard and Mark Adams were both 15-5 through 20 games in their first year… Adams had the winningest first season as a Tech coach, going 27-10 during the 2021-22 season that ended in the NCAA Sweet 16
Isaacs leads the Big 12 with 20.3 ppg. in conference-only games after scoring 32 against BYU, 18 at Oklahoma, and a team-high 25 at TCU in the past three games… Isaacs is followed in the Big 12-only stats by KU's Hunter Dickinson (19.0) and Kevin McCullar (18.7)… Warren Washington leads the Big 12 with a 71.7% shooting percentage in conference-only games and in the overall stats is third with 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game… Darrion Williams leads Tech with four double-doubles this season and is eighth in the Big 12 overall stats with 7.0 rebounds per game
Texas Tech is 3-0 following a loss this season, most recently beating BYU at home after its loss at Houston… For the program, the 2022-23 team went the entire season without back-to-back losses
Tech has made nine or more 3-pointers in 11 of 20 games this season after going 14-for-28 at TCU, 9-for23 at Oklahoma, 10-for-20 against BYU, and 11-for-27 at Houston in the past four games… The Red Raiders had a season-high 15 against Sam Houston in non-conference play… The 15 3-pointers against Sam Houston matched the second most in program history and fell just one shy of the program record of 16 3-pointers which has happened three times – most recently against Kansas in 2019… The Red Raiders are now 179-for-476 (37.6%) for the season on 3-pointers which ranks second in the Big 12 and are currently 63-for-151 (41.7%) in conference games… Within Big 12 games, Tech is led on 3s by Isaacs (23-56, 41.1%), McMillian (16-33, 48.5%), and Walton (14-29, 48.3%)
In Big 12 games, Texas Tech is currently eighth in scoring at 77.2 points per game and 46.6 percent from the field for the season… The Red Raiders are second in-conference at 37.6 percent on 3-pointers after making 14 3-pointers at TCU... TTU leads the Big 12 at 77.5% from the free-throw line
Texas Tech is currently at No. 15 in the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll
Historically, the 16-4 record is the best for the program since starting the 2003-04 season… The 1995-96 team was 19-1 for the best start and went 30-2 overall… The James Dickey team was 30-1 before falling to Georgetown in the 1996 Sweet 16 in Atlanta
For the program, the 5-2 Big 12 record was also the seven-game start in 2022 in conference play
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 and is 19th nationally with a 77.5 percentage at the free-throw line after going 10-for-14 at TCU, 16-for-19 at Oklahoma, and 17-for-18 against BYU… Tech has shot over 80 percent at the line in 10-of-20 games this season… Tech has made 10 or more free throws in 18 of 20 games
Tech is second with only 10.6 turnovers per game (10 at Oklahoma) and is third in the conference with 9.0 3-pointers per game after going 14-for-28 on 3s at TCU
Texas Tech is currently 11-0 at home, 3-1 in neutral-court games, and 2-3 in true road games with road wins at No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 20 Texas on January 6 to begin Big 12 play… The losses came at Butler on November 30 in a Big 12-Big East Battle matchup in Indianapolis and at No. 5 Houston and No. 25 TCU… For the program, the 2022-23 team went 18-0 at home to establish the best home record in program history
Comebacks: Texas Tech trailed by as many as 17 points against BYU and was down 48-32 at halftime before storming back for the win… The comeback followed the team fighting back from an 11-point halftime deficit against Kansas State for a win and a nine-point hole in the second half at Oklahoma to give them three second-half comebacks in Big 12 play where they were down at least nine points… In non-conference play in the Bahamas, Tech trailed by 15 against Northern Iowa before coming back for a win… The 16-point halftime comeback against BYU was the largest for the program since coming back from a 17-point halftime deficit (and as many as 23 points) against Iowa State last season… This season, Tech trailed UNI by as much as 15, Kansas State by 12, and BYU by 17 in games the Red Raiders have fought back and won
Tech is now 2-0 in one-point decisions with the 85-84 win at Oklahoma following its 60-59 win over K-State on Jan. 13 which was its first one-point win of the season… The Red Raiders are 3-0 in games decided by five points or less
In Big 12 weekly awards, McMillian was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season after his 27 points at Oklahoma last Saturday… He earned the honor for the first time on December 4 after his 24-point performance at Butler where he made eight 3-pointers… Isaacs was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Tuesday, January 2 for his 28-point performance against Sam Houston
Tech has been led in scoring by six different players in its 20 games… Isaacs led the team for the ninth time this season with 25 points at TCU following his 32 against BYU… Isaacs had a streak of four straight game-high scoring games before Toussaint's team-high 12 points against K-State… McMillian has led Tech in scoring in three games after his 27 points at Oklahoma… He also led Tech with 24 points at Butler and 17 points in the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi… Warren Washington was the sixth different leading scorer after he had his game-high 18 points against Oral Roberts in non-conference play following Walton scoring his career-high 22 points against Omaha a game… Toussaint has led Tech in scoring four times – including scoring his final three points with the game-winning points against K-State
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… 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
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 has had only two different starting lineups this season… The starting lineup for the opening eight games was: Cambridge, Isaacs, Toussaint, Warren Washington, Darrion Williams… Kerwin Walton has started since Cambridge's injury, making his first start this season against Vanderbilt… The starting lineup of Isaacs, Toussaint, Warren Washington, Darrion Williams, and Walton is currently 10-2 together with their only losses coming in Big 12 road games at Houston and TCU
Toussaint scored in double figures in the first eight games of the season before finishing with nine points against ORU for the longest double-figure scoring streak of the season… Jarrett Culver began the 2018-19 season with 13 straight double-figure scoring games for the previous long to start a season… Isaacs has currently scored in double-figures in 11 straight games which is his career-best and the longest streak for a Red Raider this season… Kevin Obanor had a streak of 11 straight games last season
Showing team balance, Tech matched a season-best with five players in double-figures against Oklahoma State with Isaacs (24), Washington (16), Walton (16), Williams (14), Toussaint (13) - it was the first time all five starters scored in double figures… Tech established a season-high with five players in double-figure scoring for the first time at Butler with McMillian (24), Isaacs (18), Toussaint (18), Cambridge (16), Warren Washington (10)… The Red Raiders had four score in double figures at Oklahoma with McMillian (27), Isaacs (18), Toussaint (14), Washington (10) and also at Texas in the Big 12 opener with Isaacs (21), Toussaint (15), Warren Washington (15), McMillian (11) and four against K-State: Toussaint (12), Washington (11), Williams (10), Isaacs (10)
A season-high 11 players scored in the opener against Texas A&M-Commerce… Tech had eight players score against K-State
Eight players have made their Tech debut this season, including most recently with Jack Francis and KyeRon Lindsay who played for their first time this season against Omaha
Darrion Williams was McCasland's first signee on April 21, 2023, followed by Chance McMillian (April 25, 2023), Warren Washington (May 15, 2023), Eemeli Yalaho (May 23, 2023), Devan Cambridge (July 6, 2023), Joe Toussaint (July 6, 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 (1)
Tech has players from Texas (3), California (3), Arizona (1), Minnesota (1), Nevada (1), New York (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Finland (1)
Pop Isaacs leads the Big 12 with 20.3 points per game through seven conference games after going for 25 points at TCU following 18 points at Oklahoma… Along with his 25 points at TCU, he also had a career-high nine assists in a game where he was on the court for all but 31 seconds… In the past two games, Isaacs had 11 points in the second half at TCU and 13 second-half points at OU… A 6-foot-2 sophomore from Las Vegas, Isaacs has scored in double figures in 11 straight games, including a career-high 32 points against BYU where he went 6-for-9 on 3-pointers… He leads Tech with 17.4 points per game overall this season to go along with 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals… In conference-only games, Isaacs is sixth in the Big 12 by shooting 41.1% on 3-pointers (23-for-56)… At the free-throw line, he's currently 8th in the Big 12 with a 83.3 percentage in a season where he's gone 75-for-90 at the line following going 4-for-4 at the TCU line and a 9-for-10 showing at OU… His career percentage is at 85.5 with him going 118-for-138 at the line in his two seasons… He also has a 1.57 assist-to-turnover ratio which is 18th in the Big 12… Isaacs has scored in double figures in a career-high 11 straight games after having a streak of seven last season as a freshman… He currently has scored in double figures in 17 games this season and in 33 of his 45 career games… Isaacs went off for 24 points with four 3-pointers in the win over Oklahoma State for his fourth straight game with 20 points or more points before scoring 10 points in the win over K-State to break that 20+ streak… A starter in all 20 games, he has 14 games with three assists or more this season following his new career-high that passed his seven assists against Vanderbilt… He also led Tech with 21 points at Texas in its Big 12 opener where he surpassed the 500-point career milestone after going 7-for-15 from the field, 3-for-5 on 3-pointers, and shooting 4-for-4 at the free-throw line… He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in his career after going off for his previous career-high 28 points in the win over Sam Houston on December 28 before also leading Tech with 21 points on New Year's Day against North Alabama to conclude non-conference play… Against Sam Houston, Isaacs made five 3-pointers for the fourth time in his career – including last season at Texas when he scored 23 points as a freshman against the Longhorns… Isaacs has now led Tech in scoring nine times this season including with 19 points and the previous career-high seven assists against Vandy in a game where he also only had one turnover to start the 10-game streak of double-figure scoring… He goes into the game against Cincinnati with 635 points and 113 3-pointers made through 45 career games played at Tech… In his second season at Tech, Isaacs also had 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, 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… Isaacs now has 33 double-figure scoring performances and 26 games of three or more assists in his career (14 this 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 previous 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… The 11-game streak of double-figure scoring is the longest for the program since last season when Kevin Obanor had an 11-game streak
Joe Toussaint is averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game after having nine assists and six points at TCU… He was coming off a strong game last Saturday at Oklahoma where he had 14 points, six assists, and a season-high four steals… His four steals against the Sooners were the fourth time this season he has had two or more steals and the 40th time in his career… A clutch player for the Red Raiders, Toussaint made a tough inside shot and added a free throw with 30 seconds remaining for the game-winning points against K-State in a game where he led the Red Raiders in scoring with 12 points… He has currently led Tech in scoring in four games this season… A fifth-year senior from the Bronx, New York, Toussaint reached the 1,000-point milestone against Oklahoma State where he finished with 13 points and currently has 1,052 points, 453 assists, 161 steals, and 315 rebounds through 152 games… A starter in all 20 games and leading the team at 33.1 minutes per game, he is currently 10th in the Big 12 with a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio… At the free-throw line, Toussaint is 76-for-89 (85.4 percent) which is third in the Big 12 after he went 4-for-4 at TCU… He is also 11th in the Big 12 with 85 total assists… Toussaint has scored in double figures in 15 of 20 games this season, including the first eight of the season and then the first three Big 12 games… Toussaint had a career-high 12 assists and scored 18 points for his first double-double of the season in the overtime loss at Butler in the Big 12-Big East Battle… To begin the season, he scored the first four points of Tech's season in the opener against Texas A&M-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… The New Yorker 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 a career-high 12 free throws and has now scored 20 or more four times in his career (two times this season)… 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… His 152 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 having six points and three rebounds in 36 minutes of play… Toussaint's 15 games this season in double figures is only behind Isaacs and now has him with 41 double-figure scoring games in his career… His points-assist double-double at Butler was the first for Tech since John Roberson had 12 points and 12 assists against Iowa State in 2011
Darrion Williams leads Texas Tech with four double-doubles and comes into the matchup against Cincinnati averaging 9.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game after producing a team-high 11 rebounds, seven points, and five assists at Oklahoma and then having six points and five rebounds at TCU on Tuesday night… Against TCU, Williams was 2-for-3 on 3-pointers… The 11 rebounds at Oklahoma gave him five games this season with double-figure rebounding performances and 17 through 53 career games… A 6-foot-6, 225-pound sophomore starter, Williams contributed eight rebounds, seven points, and three assists in the win over BYU and currently ranks eighth in the Big 12 in rebounding… His 11 rebounds against OU were the eighth game this season he's had eight rebounds or more, including a career-high 14 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi… A transfer from Nevada, Williams has 432 points, 378 rebounds, 141 assists, and 66 steals through those 53 career games… A Sacramento, California native, he recorded his fourth double-double of the season after going for 14 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in the win over Oklahoma State after his third double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win over ORU… His four double-doubles are the third most in the Big 12, behind Hunter Dickinson of Kansas who has 12… At the free-throw line, Williams is 37-for-43 (86.0%) this season after going 3-for-4 at Oklahoma but not attempting a free throw at TCU… Williams had 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… 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 matched his season-high when he went 3-for-3 on 3-pointers against UTA and is currently 23-for-59 (39.0%) for the season from beyond the arc and 58-for-157 (36.9%) for his career… 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… Williams began his Tech career by going for 14 points and seven rebounds in the season-opening win over Commerce… He 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… McCasland's first signee, 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 last season while playing for Nevada and had a previous-best of 13 rebounds in his first-ever double-double against New Mexico… 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
Warren Washington is averaging 13.0 points per game in Big 12 play where he leads the conference with a 71.7 shooting percentage and 1.7 blocks per game… For the season, Washington is at 10.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 blocks after going for 14 points and six rebounds at TCU on Tuesday night… At Oklahoma, he went for 10 points, three blocks, and seven rebounds in the win over the Sooners after producing a season-high 19 points and added nine rebounds in the win over BYU… A starter in all 20 games who has led Tech in rebounding 11 times after TCU, he leads the Big 12 by making 38-for-53 from the field in conference-only games after going 6-for-7 against the Horned Frogs… A 7-foot senior from California, his three blocks at Oklahoma were the eighth time this season and 35th in his career he's had two or more blocks in a game and gives him 34 total blocks this season which is second in the Big 12… He did not have a block at TCU, which was only the third time this season… He also led Tech with nine rebounds and three blocked shots at Houston… Washington went for 11 points and eight rebounds in the win over K-State, reaching the 1,000-point career milestone and boosting his season average to 10.0 ppg. for the first time this season… Washington had scored in double-figures for a season-best four straight games before falling four short in Houston but has now had 10 double-figures scoring performances this season and 54 in his career… He now has 1,050 points, 723 rebounds, and 146 blocked shots in 129 games played… The tallest Red Raider on the roster, he had made 11 straight shots – dating back to a dunk against Sam Houston midway through the second half before going 5-for-5 from the field in the games against North Alabama and Texas – before shooting 7-for-10 against Oklahoma State and going 5-for-8 against K-State… He's currently shooting 89-for-138 (64.5%) from the field for the season and 406-for-686 (59.2%) for his career… McCasland's third signee, he recorded his first double-double of the season and 10th of his career with a season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Oral Roberts… His 12 rebounds against ORU were the third time this season he had 12 rebounds in a game, including in the season-opener against Commerce and then against Omaha… Washington recorded a season-high four blocked shots for the first time against Villanova at Battle 4 Atlantis where he also had eight rebounds… In his sixth year of college, he 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 17 double-figure rebounding games, and a team-best 10 double-doubles through 128 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 146 career blocks with at least one in every game this season except against Commerce, K-State, and TCU
Kerwin Walton is averaging 8.6 points in Big 12 play where he is 14-for-29 on 3-pointers after scoring eight points with two 3-pointers at TCU… A starter in the past 12 games, he went 6-for-9 on 3-pointers and led Tech with 18 points at Houston for his top Big 12 performance this season… He is currently shooting 34-for-66 (51.5%) from beyond the arc this season after going 2-for-4 in Fort Worth… He was 2-for-2 on 3-pointers and finished with 16 points against Oklahoma State and is currently averaging 7.8 points per game overall this season… In the win over OSU, he was 7-for-8 from the field and is shooting 54.9 percent overall this season… A senior from Hopkins, Minnesota, he has played in 106 career games and is 138-for-325 (42.5%) on 3-pointers and has scored 590 points for his career… Walton made his first start of the season against ORU, finishing with 17 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc after he had scored a career-high 22 points as a reserve by going 6-for-7 on 3-pointers in the win over Omaha… Last season, Walton started seven games for the Red Raiders after he had started 21 in his first two years at North Carolina… In the Bahamas, he hit a 3-pointer to cut UNI's lead to 62-59 at Battle 4 Atlantis and finished with those three points and then played a season-high 15:48 against Michigan… A senior with another year of eligibility remaining after this season, he is in his second season at Texas Tech after playing two years at North Carolina… 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 at UNC 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
Chance McMillian is averaging 12.3 points per game in Big 12 play where he is currently 16-for-33 (48.5%) on 3-pointers after going 5-for-9 and finishing with 19 points at TCU… McMillian, who was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday, went off for a career-high 27 points at Oklahoma last Saturday where he was 6-for-8 on 3-pointers and also added eight rebounds to earn the award… It was the fourth game in his career with 20-plus points and the third time this season he's led Tech in scoring… A 6-foot-3, senior guard, McMillian leads the Tech reserves with 10.4 points per game for the season after also contributing 14 points and five rebounds in the win over BYU… Over the past five games, McMillian is 11-for-17 on 3-pointers… Averaging 26.5 minutes per game as the team's sixth man, McMillian scored a previous season-high 24 points with eight 3-pointers in the road game at Butler… His 44 total 3-pointers put him 15th in the Big 12 and he's also 12th in the conference with 2.2 3-pointers per game this season… A prolific scorer, he currently has 10 games in double-figures scoring this season and in 40 during his career… His six 3-pointers at OU and five at TCU gives him eight games this season with three or more 3-pointers… McMillian transferred to Tech during the summer after playing three seasons at Grand Canyon and currently has 153 3-pointers made and 167 assists through 111 career games played… McMillian matched a previous 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… A Vallejo, California native, he earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the first time with a performance at Butler where 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… 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… In his first year at Tech, he is a senior with another year of eligibility after this year following playing 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… McMillian is 153-for-366 (41.8%) 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 24 points for the first time in his career in that game against SFA on Feb. 24, 2023… McMillian joins former Texas Tech players Bryson Williams (2021-22), Jahmi'us Ramsey (2019-20), John Roberson (2007-08), and Rayford Young (1996-97) who have been named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week two times in a season… No Red Raider has been three times… McMillian is coming off a season at Grand Canyon where he averaged 10.9 points per game and had 78 assists… His 153 career 3-pointers are the most on the Tech roster and he is currently just 123 points away from the 1,000-point milestone
Lamar Washington scored a season-high eight points against Omaha and has played all 20 games this season as a reserve where he is averaging 2.8 points, 0.9 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game… At Texas, Washington had four points and one rebound in 7:35 and contributed two points in the one-point win over K-State and two against BYU… 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 52 games of experience, he has three games this season with three or more assists and 12 in his career… 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 163 points, 74 assists, and 37 steals through his 52 career games
Robert Jennings contributed three rebounds and two points at Houston and is now averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game… A 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, Jennings produced a career-high eight rebounds and season-best six points in the win over ORU… He had two points in five minutes of play at Oklahoma… In his second season at Tech, Jennings has played in 47 games in his career and is currently at 121 points and 92 rebounds… Against ORU, he secured seven offensive rebounds in the game in just under 10 minutes on the court… A Desoto, Texas native who is listed at 6-foot-7, 230-pounds, Jennings has appeared in 15 games this season and in 45 during his Texas Tech career with four starts last season… He had a career-high eight points in games against Houston Christian, Oklahoma, and Louisville last season… Jennings played in 30 games with those four starts last season as a true freshman where he averaged 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game
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
D'Maurian Williams has 816 points and 146 3-pointers made through 89 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 another year of eligibility remaining after this season, 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-380 (38.4%) 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 one true freshman on it with Eemeli Yalaho who 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… 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
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 and scored four points against UNA by going 2-for-2 from the field in the final three minutes of the game… A Denton, Texas native, Lindsay averaged 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game at Georgia 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… Francis scored for the first time in his career by going 2-for-2 on free throws against Sam Houston… Lindsay and Francis both practiced with the Red Raiders throughout the 2023 Spring semester
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

A BRIEF LOOK AT TECH PROGRAM HISTORY
The Red Raiders are a proud program that has experienced great success with 19 overall NCAA Tournament appearances and advancement to the 2018 Elite 8, 2019 National Championship Final, and 2022 Sweet 16. This is the 99th season in program history and includes recent appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022, a 2019 Big 12 regular-season championship, 25 NBA Draft selections, and over 1,500 wins. Recently in the NBA Draft, selections of Zhaire Smith (R1-P16), Jarrett Culver (R1-P6), and Jahmi'us Ramsey (R2-P43) were made. Mac McClung represented the program by winning the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. 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.

RANKINGS

At No. 15 nationally, Texas Tech is ranked for the third straight week after entering in the Week 11 poll at No. 25 in the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll (January 15, 2024)
Tech came into the 2023-24 season unranked AP Preseason Poll and had remained unranked in the Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, and Jan. 8 polls
Along with the polls, Texas Tech is currently at No. 29 in the NCAA NET Rankings and 27th overall in Kenpom… Tech ranks 13 in Kenpom offense and is 79th defensively
Tech received votes for the first time this season with 62 in the January 8 poll after the Texas win
Tech is now 3-2 against ranked opponents this season with wins over Oklahoma (11) after beating BYU and Texas when both were at No. 20… The losses came at Houston which was at No. 5 and at No. 25 TCU on Monday
UConn (18-2) remains at No. 1 in the nation followed by No. 2 Purdue (19-2), No. 3 North Carolina (17-3), No. 4 Houston (18-2, 4-2 Big 12), and No. 5 Tennessee (15-4). Along with Tech and UH, the Big 12 is also represented by No. 8 Kansas (16-4, 4-3), No. 12 Iowa State (16-4, 5-2), No. 18 Baylor (14-5, 3-3), No. 22 BYU (15-5, 3-4), No. 23 Oklahoma (15-5, 3-4), and No. 25 TCU (15-5, 4-3)
The No. 15 national ranking is the highest since the program was No. 12 in the AP Top 25 at the end of the 2022 season
The Red Raiders were at No. 25 to begin the 2022-23 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 was picked 8th in the 2024 Big 12 Preseason Poll
Kansas was picked first in the 2024 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 2024 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

FEATURE LINKS
Devan Cambridge - Bounce(back)Man
Joe Toussaint - On Point
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

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Devan Cambridge

Jack Francis

Pop Isaacs

Robert Jennings

Chance McMillian

Kevin Obanor

Joe Toussaint

Kerwin Walton

Lamar Washington

Warren Washington

D'Maurian Williams

Darrion Williams

Eemeli Yalaho