Texas Tech opened the season with a comfortable 76-42 win over Jackson State, and the loudest statement came from a pair of newcomers. Damarion Dennis and Cruz Davis combined for 37 points, giving the Red Raiders a much-needed jolt on a night when some of the more established names stayed quiet.
Dennis, the transfer from Wyoming, led the way with 22 points. He shot 8-12 from the field and 4-8 from 3-point range, and he was the only Texas Tech player to hit more than one shot from deep. It was another encouraging outing for him after he scored 11 points in the exhibition game at Kentucky, a sign that he can provide instant offense off the bench.
Davis was just as important, and maybe even more disruptive. The senior transfer from Hofstra finished with 15 points, six rebounds and five assists, but his biggest damage came on defense, where he piled up six steals, one shy of the program’s single-game record. For Grant McCasland, that kind of two-way production is exactly what he’ll want from Davis moving forward.
Texas Tech needed that lift because Darrion Williams and Donovan Atwell never got rolling. The pair combined to go 0-11 from the floor and scored just five points. Atwell missed all six of his 3-point attempts and ended the night with four points in 27 minutes.
The Red Raiders as a whole were off from long range, too. A team expected to be dangerous from 3-point range made only six of 29 attempts in the opener.
Even with the shaky shooting, Texas Tech controlled the game by leaning on its defense. Jackson State made just 14 of 48 shots, and the Red Raiders forced 24 turnovers, including 12 steals.
Josiah Mosley also gave Tech a valuable boost off the bench. The forward scored 13 points, grabbed eight rebounds, added a steal and dished out an assist. With JT Toppin and Jamichael Stillwell unavailable, Mosley’s presence down low could be important, and he showed enough Monday to suggest he’s ready for that role.
McCasland started with a small lineup, using Williams at power forward at 6-foot-6 against a Jackson State team that fit the kind of opponent Tech can get away with that look against. Williams didn’t take on much of a scoring load, firing only three shots and missing all of them, but he did collect five rebounds and three assists.
Jackson State briefly had the upper hand early, jumping out to a 6-3 lead, but that was as good as it got. Texas Tech took over from there and never looked threatened.
The schedule stiffens quickly. After hosting Bethune-Cookman on Thursday night, Texas Tech will face No.
3 Illinois at United Supermarkets Arena on Tuesday, November 10. Monday was a solid start, but there’s still plenty to clean up before the competition ramps up.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Just Lost A Key DL Battle With One Twist
Texas Tech was in the mix for one of the top defensive line prospects in the state, but Logan Lokey is headed to Oklahoma after choosing the Sooners over several other schools. The 4-star recruit from Denton said his comfort with the coaching staff played a major role in the decision, and he sounded especially energized about the chance to work under defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis and head coach Brent Venables.
For Texas Tech, the miss stings because Lokey fits the kind of in-state talent every program wants to keep close to home. There is still a wrinkle in the story, though, because his commitment comes with the usual recruiting caveat tied to coaching stability, and it remains to be seen whether he stays locked in if Oklahomas staff changes before he enrolls. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Should Watch This TCU Problem Before November Arrives
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Sonny Dykes has kept the messaging simple, stressing one game at a time instead of letting the schedule get ahead of itself. Players have echoed that confidence, insisting they are ready to compete with top teams, but November has a way of exposing whether that belief holds up. For Texas Tech, the larger question is not just how TCU finishes, but whether the Frogs enter that late-season meeting with enough momentum to make it a problem. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Faces A Huge Test Against One Of The Big 12s Best
TCU is heading into a Big 12 matchup with No. 24 Arizona that carries real weight for the Horned Frogs, who still need wins to stay on track for a bowl game. Arizona has been one of the leagues more complete teams, with quarterback Noah Fifita steering the offense and wide receiver Isaiah Mizell becoming an important target as the Wildcats continue to put pressure on defenses.
The challenge for TCU is not just keeping up offensively, but handling an Arizona defense that has earned strong rankings and can get after the quarterback. For a team with little margin for error, this is the kind of game that can swing the rest of the season, and the Horned Frogs will have to solve a defense built to make things difficult from the start. [Read more 🡒]