Texas Tech Athletics
Colorado
January 08, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK โ No. 14 Texas Tech is set to play at Colorado for the first time since 2010 when it takes on the Buffaloes at 6 p.m. (CST) on Saturday at the CU Events Center. The Red Raiders (11-4, 1-1 Big 12) had a four-game winning streak snapped with a 69-65 road loss at No. 7 Houston on Tuesday while the Buffaloes (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) remained unbeaten in conference play and moved to 9-1 at home with an 85-73 win over Utah on Wednesday night. ย
Tech, which leads the Big 12 by making 10.9 3-pointers per game and is second by shooting 37.7% from beyond the arc, is currently 0-2 in true road games this season going into the matchup. The Red Raiders scored a season-high 102 points in their conference-opening win over Oklahoma State but were held to their second fewest with 65 points against the Cougars. Tech is currently scoring 83.7 points per game and has limited opponents to 73.3. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 to extend a program record to 18 straight appearances in the poll and are also at No. 14 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and at No. 20 in the NCAA NET and Kenpom ratings.
The dynamic duo of JT Toppin and Christian Anderson continues to lead the Red Raiders with Toppin at 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds per game while Anderson is leading the Big 12 with 7.5 assists per game and is scoring 19.6 per. Toppin, who earned Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday and was selected to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 on Wednesday, recorded his fourth straight double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds against Houston while freshman Jaylen Petty led the team by matching a career-high with 20 points after going 5-for-9 on 3-pointers. Donovan Atwell added 13 points with three 3-pointers against the Cougars. Tech currently has four players averaging in double figures with LeJuan Watts adding 13.4 points per game and Atwell at 11.4 per. As a team, the Red Raiders are 164-of-435 (37.7%) on 3-pointers, including setting a new program record by making 17 in games against Oklahoma State and Lindenwood this season. ย
Through two Big 12 games, Toppin is averaging 20.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game while Petty is at 16.0 points per game and is shooting 9-for-17 (52.9%) on 3-pointers. Anderson leads the team with 10.0 assists per conference game and is also scoring 13.0 ppg. through the two games. As a team, Tech is 26-for-65 (40.0%) on 3-pointers and 21-of-25 (84.0%) from the free-throw line in the two games against OSU and Houston.
"In this league, you better get ready for the next one," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "It's the most important one on the schedule. We're playing an undefeated Colorado team now and we better be ready. They are playing with great offensive pace. They have great scorers and are difficult to defend."
Colorado made eight 3-pointers and went 19-of-21 at the free-throw line in its win over Utah on Wednesday after opening Big 12 play with a 95-89 win over Arizona State last Saturday. The Buffaloes lead the Big 12 by shooting 77.7% at the free-throw line this season and are third in the conference with a 1.58 assist-to-turnover ration and 19.5 free throws made per game. CU currently has five players averaging in double figures with Isaiah Johnson leading the team with 15.6 points per game after scoring 12 against Utah. Sebastian Rancik led the Buffaloes with 19 points against Utah after going 9-of-9 at the line and is now averaging 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Barrington Hargress averages 13.3, Bangot Dak is at 11.8 and Alon Michaeli is scoring 10.0 per game. Bangot recorded his fourth double-double of the season by contributing 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Utah. Colorado comes into its matchup against Texas Tech scoring 86.5 points per game while opponents are averaging 77.9 points per game. The Buffaloes are already one win away from matching their conference win total of last season after going 3-17 in conference play during the 2024-25 season.
"They're probably one of the biggest teams in college basketball," McCasland said. "Their size at the wing and forward spots and overall length and size is tremendous. You've got to beat them from your activity and how well you move. How well you hit first. Their leverage gives you a really hard time. It will be a team rebounding game with our guards and we'll have to hit first and be the more active team."
Texas Tech will return from Colorado to host a pair of games next week against Utah (Wednesday) and No. 9 BYU (Saturday) at United Supermarkets Arena. The Red Raiders are currently 8-0 at home this season coming into the two-game homestand.
Texas Tech - "Toughest Team Wins"
Grant McCasland: "Our saying 'Toughest Team Wins' means a lot to us. We're going to win because we are competitive in everything we do. We believe in each other and are going to give our hearts to each other. In the toughest of times, I always believe we are going to win."
SERIES HISTORY
Colorado owns an 18-14 advantage in the all-time series that began in 1959 and was most recently played last season with Texas Tech earning a 91-75 win on March 5, 2025 in Lubbock. The Buffaloes returned to the Big 12 last season to renew the matchup that had not been played since 2011. The Red Raiders are currently 3-10 all-time in Boulder, including falling 79-66 in the first ever matchup on December 5, 1959 and then again on the most recent trip with a 101-90 loss on March 6, 2010. Last season, Tech earned the 16-point home win over CU with Toppin leading the Red Raiders with 30 points and 14 rebounds while Anderson had 12 points and four assists. Tech never trailed and finished the game shooting 16-for-33 (48.5%) on 3-pointers, including going 10-for-17 (58.8%) in the first half. Over the last 10 matchups in the series, Tech is 7-3.
GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: No. 14 Texas Tech (11-4, 1-1) at Colorado (12-3, 2-0)
Location: Boulder, Colorado
Venue: CU Events Center
Tip: 6 p.m. (CST), Saturday, January 10, 2026
TV: CBS Sports Network
TV CALL: Chris Lewis, Chris Walker, Brandon Baylor
TEXAS TECH SPORTS NETWORK: Geoff Haxton and Chris Level
RED RAIDER ROSTER REPORT (*"players defining themselves")
JT Toppin: "Dawg. Fearless. Resilient."
Toppin has recorded four straight double-doubles entering the game against Colorado and is tied for second amongst all active players in the nation with 40 career double-doubles after going for 18 points and 12 rebounds at Houstonโฆ Toppin is currently averaging 20.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots for the season after also having five blocked shots against the Cougars to match his career high for the sixth timeโฆ Added to the Wood Award Midseason Watchlist on Wednesday after earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors on Monday, Toppin has also produced 23 points and 14 rebounds in the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State, 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Winthrop and 19 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Duke for his current streak of four straight double-doublesโฆ Nationally, Toppin ranks 20th in scoring with 20.9 points per game while ranking 9th in rebounding with 10.9 rebounds per gameโฆ Toppin leads the Big 12 this season with nine double-doubles and also tops the conference (3rd nationally) with 4.5 offensive rebounds per game and with 128 field goals madeโฆ The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year and Consensus All-America also produced a double-double against Arkansas and LSU in non-conference playโฆ In the Bahamas, Toppin earned Baha Mar Championship All-Tournament honors after he had 15 points and 8 rebounds in the loss to No. 1 Purdue along with producing 21 points and 9 rebounds in the win over Wake Forest where he was 10-for-19 from the field against the Demon Deaconsโฆ Toppin was named to the Big 12 Starting Five for the first time this season after he produced a season-high 35 points and 11 rebounds at No. 14 Illinoisโฆ The 35/11 double-double at Illinois was his fifth double-double of his career with 30-or-more points and double-digit reboundsโฆ He now has 64 double-figure scoring performances and 27 games with 20-plus pointsโฆ Toppin missed the season opener with a lower body injury but showed no signs of alarm in his debut, going off for 31 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals in his junior season debut against Sam Houstonโฆ He returned for his junior season from a Consensus Second Team All-America season as a sophomore and has a slew of preseason honors leading into this seasonโฆ He was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, Associated Press Preseason All-American and is on the Karl Malone Award Preseason Watch Listโฆ A Dallas, Texas native, he was coming off a season where he recorded 19 double-doubles and averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game โ each the team's leaderโฆ He set a career-high with 41 points in an overtime win over Arizona State and had a career-best 18 rebounds against Saint Joseph'sโฆ Toppin recorded three games with 30-plus points including going for 32 points and 12 rebounds at Oklahoma State and producing 30 points and 14 rebounds in the home finale against Coloradoโฆ He also had seven double-doubles with 25-plus point performancesโฆย Toppin ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding while having the seventh most double-doubles in the nationโฆ A sophomore from Dallas, Toppin scored 20 or more points in 17 games last season, passing Jarrett Culver (2018-19) who had 13 games of 20 or more as a sophomore during the run to the 2019 Final Fourโฆ His 18.2 points per game were also the most for the program since Culver averaged 18.5 in the 2018-19 season with the program record being 24.5 from Greg Lowery in the 1971-72 season where he posted 19 games of 20-plus scoringโฆ His 19 double-doubles were only behind Tony Battie's 20 during the 1996-97 season in the Tech record book and was the 7th most nationally during the seasonโฆ Toppin comes into the matchup against Colorado having already produced 1,340 points, 789 rebounds and 141 blocked shots through 83 career gamesโฆ Toppin played his freshman season at New Mexico and has now played 47 games as a Red Raider where he has scored 895 points and has 462 rebounds โ averaging 19.0 points and 9.8 rebounds in a Texas Tech uniformโฆ His 40 career double-doubles are only behind 48 from Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) and is tied with Graham Ike (Gonzaga) who also has 40โฆ Toppin's 23 points against Oklahoma State marked his seventh time this season scoring over 20 points and his 12 rebounds at Houston was his 45th career double-figure rebounding performance.
Christian Anderson: "Tough. Team player. Human highlight."
Anderson leads the Big 12 with 7.5 assists per game and is sixth in scoring with 19.6 points per game after producing seven assists and seven points at Houston on Tuesday nightโฆ He established a new career-high with 13 assists in the win over Oklahoma State and also scored 19 points to secure the fourth double-double of his season and careerโฆ Anderson, who scored a career-high 34 points in the season opener, is tied with Toppin for the team lead with 13 double-figure scoring performances this season after having an 11-game streak end with his seven points at Houstonโฆ His previous game in single-digit scoring this season came with eight points and 11 assists at Illinoisโฆ His 13 assists matched a program record in Big 12 games and was only one behind the all-time single-game record of 14 by Stan Bonewitz in 1996 against Fresno Stateโฆ Anderson was named to the Big 12 Starting Five for the fourth time this season last Tuesday after a 29-point performance against Winthrop in the non-conference finaleโฆ He was the Big 12 Player of the Week for the second time this season in last week's conference release after leading the Red Raiders with 27 points and five assists in the win over Dukeโฆ Against the Blue Devils, he scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half and finished the game shooting 5-for-9 on 3-pointers and then scored 25 points in the first half against Winthropโฆ In non-conference play, he also produced 26 points and 11 assists against Arkansas along with 27 points and 10 assists in the win over LSUโฆ Anderson has four career double-doubles with all of them coming this season and now has five games with double-figure assist totalsโฆ Anderson, who has made the Big 12 Starting Five four times this season, also leads the Big 12 and is second nationally by playing 38:11 minutes per game and has recorded five or more assists in 14-of-15 games this seasonโฆ He has played all 40 minutes in three games this season, including against Duke and Arkansasโฆ Anderson is currently 47-for-108 on 3-pointers this season, shooting 43.5% from deep โ ranking fifth in the Big 12 in percentage and fourth with made 3s per game (3.36)โฆ An Atlanta, Georgia native, he was named the Big 12 Player of the Week and to the Big 12 Starting Five on November 11 afterย averaging 26.0 points, 9.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals in the first week of the season โ along with only having three turnoversโฆ He recorded his first career double-double and established new career highs with 34 points and 11 assists in the win over Lindenwood in the season opener and followed it with 18 points and seven assists in the win over Sam Houstonโฆ He is the first player in program history to have a double-double with 30-plus points and 10-plus assistsโฆ Entering the season, Anderson was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team and is on the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch Listโฆ He is coming off a freshman season where he averaged 10.6 points and 2.2 assists per game โ earning All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors before helping Germany to the silver medal in the FIBA U19 World Cup during the summer in Switzerlandโฆ A 6-foot-3 point guard, Anderson scored a previous career-high 22 points in the Sweet 16 win over Arkansas last season and matched the team lead by making 71 3-pointersโฆ He led the Red Raiders with 46 made 3-pointers in Big 12 play and finished the season shooting 38.0 percent from distanceโฆ During the summer with Germany, Anderson averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds, including scoring 18 points and having nine assists against the USA in the championship gameโฆ He finished his freshman season with four games of scoring 20 or more points and had a career-high six assists in the win at Kansasโฆ Anderson comes into the road game at Colorado with 666 points, 189 assists, 160 rebounds and 66 steals through 50 career games.
LeJuan Watts: "Tough. Leader. Consistent."
Watts posted his 49th career game scoring in double figures by going for 19 points in the win against Oklahoma State while also producing nine rebounds and two assists before having six rebounds, three assists and five points at Houstonโฆ He was 6-for-7 at the free-throw line against the Cowboys and is currently 10th in the Big 12 by shooting 82.5% at the line for the seasonโฆ Named the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Watts is now averaging 13.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists through 14 games played this season...ย A junior in his first season at Tech, he earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and Lute Olson National Player of the Week honors after providing 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals against Duke following a career-high 36 points after going 12-for-13 from the field with three 3-pointers in the win over Northern Coloradoโฆ According to ESPN Insights, the shooting performance against Northern Colorado makes Watts the first player in Big 12 history to score over 35 points while shooting over 90% (he was 12-for-12 from the field before missing a 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining in the game)โฆ Along with his field goal percentage, Watts went 9-of-11 at the free-throw line to smash his previous career-high of 24 points last season against San Francisco while he was playing for Washington State as a sophomoreโฆ He recorded his first double-double of the season and the 11th of his career with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win over LSUโฆ He knocked on the door of his first double-double of the season with 10 points and nine rebounds in the win over Milwaukee and just missed his second with nine rebounds against OSUโฆ Watts, who now has 49 double-figure scoring performances in his career with nine this season, scored a previous season-high 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the field (2-2 on 3s) at No. 14 Illinoisโฆ He made his Tech debut in the second game of the season against Sam Houston and finished with 11 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes of play after missing the opener with a lower body injuryโฆ Watts entered the season as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year along with being selected for the Julius Erving Award Preseason Watch Listโฆ A Fresno, California native, he is in his fourth year in college after playing last season at Washington State and spending two seasons at Eastern Washington where he redshirted as a true freshmanโฆ At Washington State last season, he averaged 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per gameโฆ He had 10 double-doubles and also recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Santa Claraโฆ He scored a previous career-high 24 points in a game against San Francisco and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds against Idaho last seasonโฆ Watts comes into the matchup against Colorado with 956 points, 468 rebounds, 242 assists, nine games scoring 20-or-more points and 11 double-doubles through 80 games played in his career.
Donovan Atwell: "Hit shots. Consistent. Play hard."
Atwell was 5-for-10 on 3-pointers against Oklahoma State and finished the game with 15 points before scoring 13 points at Houston with three 3-pointersโฆ His five 3s against OSU was his team-leading fourth game this season with five made 3-pointers and the 18th time in his careerโฆ Atwell has recorded 52 games in his career in double-figure scoring and is now averaging 11.4 points and 3.21 made 3-pointers per game this season โ ranking fourth in the Big 12โฆ Atwell is currently 48-for-114 (42.1%) from beyond the arc which is the seventh best percentage in the conferenceโฆ He reached the 1,000-point career milestone in the game against Arkansas where he finished with six points on 2-for-5 shooting on 3-pointersโฆ A starter in all 15 games this season, he is also adding 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game after a season-high three steals against Winthropโฆ Atwell, who played in his 100th career game against Purdue, started the season with two straight games with six 3-pointers before a game against Milwaukee where he was 5-for-9 from deep and finished with 17 pointsโฆ Atwell made six 3-pointers against Sam Houston and Lindenwood โ just two back of his career-highโฆ Atwell went 6-for-13 on 3-pointers and also added four rebounds and two steals in the opener against Lindenwood and was 6-for-11 on 3-pointers in the second game of the season against Sam Houstonโฆ He joined the Red Raiders for his senior season after playing the past three at UNC Greensboro and was coming off a junior season where he averaged 13.3 points per game and was 96-for-241 (39.8 percent) on 3-pointersโฆ His 96 3-pointers were the 43rd most in the nationโฆ He scored a career-high 28 points last season at Chattanooga by going 6-for-7 on 3-pointers and has two games in his career with eight made 3-pointersโฆ Atwell averaged scoring in double figures the past two seasons, including going for 11.4 points per game as a sophomore in the 2023-24 season where he was 93-for-220 (42.3 percent) on 3-point attemptsโฆ His career-high for 3-pointers made is eight, knocking down eight 3s against Kansas City and Eastern Kentucky during the 2023-24 season while at UNC Greensboroโฆ A Huntersville, North Carolina native, he comes into the matchup at Colorado with 1,060 career points and is 259-for-651 (39.8 percent) on 3-pointers through 109 games in his career.
Jaylen Petty: "Leader. Creative. Bucket-getter."
Petty matched a career high and led Texas Tech with 20 points at Houston after connecting on a career-high five 3-pointers for his seventh double-figure scoring performance of the season and second time with 20 pointsโฆ A true freshman who has started the past three games, he is now averaging 9.4 points per game and is 14th in the conference by making 2.14 3-pointers per gameโฆ Along with making five 3-pointers, he was also 3-of-3 at the free-throw line in Houston and is now 19-of-20 (95.0%) at the line for the seasonโฆ Petty made his first career start and scored a career-high 20 points for the first time in the win over Winthrop after making two 3-pointers and going 6-of-7 at the free-throw lineโฆ Against Houston, he was 5-for-9 (55.6%) on 3-pointers and is now 30-for-76 (39.5%) for the seasonโฆ A reserve in his first 11 appearances of the season, he started for the second time against Oklahoma State in the Big 12 opener and finished with four 3-pointers in a game where he scored 12 points to mark his sixth double-figure scoring performance of his freshman seasonโฆ A Seattle, Washington native, Petty recorded a previous career-high with 14 points in the win over Northern Colorado after going 3-for-5 on 3-pointers and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line before contributing five points in the win over Dukeโฆ He had matched his previous career-high for the third time this season with 11 points in the win over LSU after going 3-for-4 on 3-pointers and was coming off a game against Arkansas where he had eight points and six reboundsโฆ His 11 points in the win over LSU was his third game with 11 points this season after also posting 11 against Milwaukee and Wake Forestโฆ Against No. 1 Purdue, he led Tech with four assists and also had five points and three rebounds in 34 minutes of play as a reserveโฆ He made a strong collegiate debut by going for nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and having only one turnover against Lindenwood in the opener after playing 34 minutes off the benchโฆ Petty earned Washington Gatorade Player of the Year honors last season after averaging 24.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game at Rainier Beach High Schoolโฆ A four-star recruit, he led his team to a state championship and had a triple-double in a game where he produced 61 points, 15 assists and 15 stealsโฆ Petty was a McDonald's All-American nominee, adidas All-America, NBPA Topp 100 selection, a two-time Donovan Mitchell camp participant, an Allen Iverson Showcase selection and the Iverson Class 24K Showcase MVP.
Tyeree Bryan: "Team player. Competitor. Hard worker."
Bryan comes into the matchup at Colorado with 971 career points and 158 made 3-pointers after scoring nine points on 3-for-5 shooting from beyond the arc in the win over Oklahoma State but not scoring at Houstonโฆ A starter in 12 games this season and a reserve in the opening two Big 12 games, Bryan is averaging 5.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per gameโฆ The game against Oklahoma State was his first to play as a reserve this season and was his second game where he made three 3-pointersโฆ He was 2-for-5 on 3-pointers in the game against Arkansas and has now made 14-of-45 (31.1%) on 3-point attempts this seasonโฆ In the Bahamas, he recorded his 52nd career game scoring in double figures after going for 13 points against Wake Forest with a season-best three 3-pointersโฆ Along with scoring 13 against Wake Forest, he also had seven rebounds, two steals and made a season-high three 3-pointersโฆ Bryan hit his season-high 13 points for the first time on 5-for-10 shooting in the win over Milwaukee in Tech's last home game after having a previous high of 12 against Sam Houstonโฆ An Orlando, Florida native, Bryan is in his first season at Texas Tech after playing the past two at Santa Clara and beginning his career with one season at Charleston Southern and one at River State Collegeโฆ He was coming off a season at Santa Clara where he averaged 10.4 points per game and shot 66-for-154 (42.9 percent) on 3-pointersโฆ Bryan scored a career-high 35 points against Gonzaga last season after going 7-for-12 from deepโฆ He made four or more 3-pointers in seven games last season and is now 158-for-391 (40.4 percent) on 3-pointers in his careerโฆ Bryan has 971 points, 467 rebounds, 133 assists and 68 steals through 107 career games played.
Luke Bamgboye: "Resilient. Humble. Athletic."
Bamgboye has missed the past four games with a lower body injury after he left the game against Northern Colorado where he scored four points and had two rebounds in seven minutes of actionโฆ He had missed the game against Arkansas due to being in concussion protocol after he had started the past four gamesโฆ He is currently averaging 5.6 pints, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in seven games played this seasonโฆ Against LSU, Bamgboye provided 6 points and 3 rebounds in the winโฆ He recorded his second four-block game of the season and scored a season-high 13 points in the win over New Orleans before having two blocks and five rebounds against Wyoming in the past two home gamesโฆ Bamgboye made his first start as a Red Raider in the loss against No. 1 Purdue and finished with five points, two rebounds and one blocked shot after he had contributed six points, six rebounds and one blocked shot in the win over Wake Forestโฆ A 6-foot-11 sophomore, he made his Texas Tech debut with four blocked shots and four points in the win over Milwaukeeโฆ He had missed the first three games this season with a lower body injuryโฆ He transferred to Texas Tech after playing his freshman season at VCU where he ranked second among all freshmen in the nation with 75 blocks and was tied for 17th overall with 2.14 blocks per game... A London native, he averaged 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in a season where he earned Atlantic 10 Conference All-Defensive Team and All-Rookie honorsโฆ He appeared in 35 games with 24 starts, including scoring a career-high 17 points and having a career-best seven blocks against UMassโฆ Bamgboye has played in 42 career games and currently has 87 blocked shots, 173 points and 140 rebounds.
Leon Horner: "Vocal. High intensity. Coachable."
Horner contributed five points and four rebounds in the win over Oklahoma State after scoring six points in the previous two games against Winthrop and Dukeโฆ A sophomore in his second season at Tech, he is currently averaging 3.6 points and 2.9 reboundsโฆ Against Winthrop, Horner matched a career-high with five rebounds after also having five rebounds against Purdue earlier this seasonโฆ A Dallas native, he also had three rebounds in the win over LSU after playing against Wyoming where he had four points and four rebounds in 18 minutes of actionโฆ Horner provided a career-high three assists and scored two points in the win over New Orleans after he had five points and five rebounds in the loss against No. 1 Purdueโฆ Horner scored a career-high 10 points after making 2-of-3 shots from beyond the arc in the season opener against Lindenwood along with grabbing 6 rebounds but missed the games against Sam Houston and No. 14 Illinois with a lower body injuryโฆ Horner has played in 19 career games after he returned for his second season at Texas Tech following playing nine games last season as a true freshmanโฆ A Dallas, Texas native, he scored his first career points in a win over Oral Roberts and had one rebound in five gamesโฆ Horner played at Dynamic Prep and a was a McDonald's All-American nominee as a senior where he averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Nolan Groves: "Hardworking. Coachable. Team player."
Groves established a new Texas Tech freshman record in his college debut by grabbing 16 rebounds in the win over Lindenwood and scored 7 points in the first two games of the seasonโฆ He did not score against Duke, but played 13 minutes and had a team-best plus-13 while on the court playing strong defenseโฆ Against Winthrop, Groves had three rebounds and a steal in 16 minutes of playing timeโฆ In the Bahamas, Groves came off the bench and scored four points against No. 1 Purdue with one 3-pointer and a free throwโฆ Through 14 games played, he is averaging 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per gameโฆ Against Lindenwood, he had 6 offensive rebounds and 10 on the defensive side of the court to go along with scoring 7 points, dishing out 3 assists and coming away with 2 steals in 27 minutes of action from the starting lineupโฆ Groves entered his freshman season after earning Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for Orono High Schoolโฆ He finished his senior season averaging 34.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals per gameโฆ A Long Lake, Minnesota native, Groves scored 40 or more points in nine games and had a 57-point performance during his senior year of high school.
Marial Akuentok: "Energetic. Encouraging. Fearless."
Akuentok has not played since the game against Purdue due to a lower body injuryโฆ He started and made his college debut in the win over Lindenwood โ going for 8 rebounds, 7 points and having one blocked shot โ before playing in a reserve role against Sam Houston, Illinois and Purdueโฆ Through four games played, Akuentok is averaging 2.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per gameโฆ He was 3-for-5 from the field in 17 minutes of action against Lindenwood and scored the first points of the season for the Red Raiders with a 3-pointerโฆ Akuentok returned for his second season at Texas Tech after redshirting last yearโฆ He joined the program in January and experienced the journey to the Elite Eightโฆ Akuentok is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was a top 100 recruit who reclassifiedโฆ He played at Fort Erie International Academy and was named the co-player of the year and defensive player of the yearโฆ He also competed for the U18 Canada National Team and helped lead them to the bronze medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
Jazz Henderson: "Vocal. Confident. Energetic."
Henderson made his college debut and scored two points in seven minutes of playing time against Lindenwood and contributed two rebounds in the win over Sam Houstonโฆ He appeared in his fifth career game against Oklahoma Stateโฆ He is in his second season with the Texas Tech basketball program after redshirting due to injury last seasonโฆ A Dallas, Texas native, he was a three-time state champion at Oak Cliff Faith Family High School where he averaged 14 points and 7 assists as a senior.
Josiah Moseley: "Versatile. Energetic. All over the court."
Moseley has not played this season after suffering a lower body injury in the summerโฆ He returned to his home state of Texas after playing his freshman season at Villanova where he played in 30 games as a reserveโฆ A Round Rock, Texas native, he was the 2023-24 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 22.8 points and 8.9 rebounds for Stony Point High Schoolโฆ At Villanova, Moseley scored a career-high 10 points against Lafayette and had a career-best seven rebounds against Templeโฆ He finished his freshman season averaging 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Jack Francis: "Humble. Resilient. Coachable."
Francis is the longest tenured Red Raider, having joined the program as a practice player in the 2022-23 seasonโฆ He has appeared in 24 games in his career, including playing in eight games this year after making 11 appearances last seasonโฆ An Austin, Texas native, Francis played at Anderson High School where he scored over 1,000 points in his careerโฆ At Tech, he scored his first career points with a pair of free throws against Sam Houston and also scored last season against Oral Robertsโฆ Texas Tech is 23-1 in games he has appeared in.
LaTrell Hoover: "Energetic. Coachable. Hardworking."
The final addition to this year's roster, Hoover signed with the Red Raiders on September 8 and immediately joined the program to begin practicingโฆ McCasland said he plans to redshirt Hoover this seasonโฆ Hoover is listed at 7-foot tall, making him the tallest player on the rosterโฆ A San Antonio, Texas native, Hoover played at Samuel Clements High School where he averaged 11.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a senior โ earning all-district second team honors.
McCasland is now 273-113 in his NCAA career, including his Texas Tech records of 62-24 overall (86 games), 27-13 in Big 12 games, 38-5 at home, 23-0 in non-conference home games and 12-10 in true roadโฆ McCasland has also been the head coach at Midwestern State (56-12 record / 2 seasons), Arkansas State (20-12 / 1 season) and North Texas (135-65 / 6 seasons). Along with coaching Texas Tech, McCasland is also an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team which won the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup over the summer in Switzerland after winning the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup in Buenos Airesโฆ McCasland was a 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist presented by AXIA Timeโฆ His record through two complete seasons at Tech is the best start for a head coach in program historyโฆ McCasland joined Bob Knight as the only two coaches in program history with 20-plus wins in their first two seasons after Knight's teams accomplished it in 2001-02 and 2002-03โฆ In 11 seasons as an NCAA coach, McCasland has won 20 or more games 10 times with the only exception coming in an 18-win year in 2020-21 at UNT with reduced games because of Covid restrictionsโฆ He is in his 10th season as an NCAA Division I coach.
The Red Raiders finished last season with a 28-9 overall record, including being second in the Big 12 standings with a 15-5 conference record. Tech matched the program record with a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the program's third Elite 8.ย
VIDEO RESOURCES: Define Yourself | TTW EP1 | TTW EP2 | TTW EP3 | TTW EP4
FEATURES: Watts | Toppin (The Athletic) | Anderson โ FIBA U19
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