Texas Tech didn’t exactly breeze through the first 30 minutes against Bethune-Cookman, but the Red Raiders still found their way to a 76-58 win Thursday and left with a few clear early-season truths.
The biggest one so far: this team still has room to grow offensively. Through two games, Texas Tech hasn’t shot the ball with much consistency, and that showed up again against the Wildcats.
In the first half, the Red Raiders hit just 3 of 15 from deep, a 20% clip, and Donovan Atwell was part of the struggle, going 0-for-4 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes. The shot-making improved after halftime, though, as Texas Tech went 6 of 15 from three in the second half, good for 40%.
If this group is going to get anywhere near its national championship ceiling, the shooting has to stay at that level more often than not.
One player who keeps making a strong case as the engine of the team is Cruz Davis. Through two games, he’s been more than just a scoring threat.
Against Bethune-Cookman, Davis finished with 7 rebounds, all on the defensive end, and he tied Bassala Bagayoko for second on the team in that category. He also added 3 assists and 3 steals, which only reinforces how much he affects the game beyond putting the ball in the basket.
It’s already clear two games into the season that Davis makes Texas Tech better and raises the level of everyone around him.
The other encouraging sign for the Red Raiders is how many different players can carry the offense on any given night. Damarion Dennis set the tone in the opener against Jackson State with 22 points, and against Bethune-Cookman, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn led the way in scoring.
Add in names like Atwell and Darrion Williams, and Texas Tech has a roster full of players who can step into that role whenever needed. That kind of depth gives defenses a lot to sort through.
And while the offense is still finding its rhythm, the defense has come out sharp from the jump. Texas Tech opened the season by holding Jackson State to 42 points, then followed that up by keeping Bethune-Cookman to 58. That’s a strong early statement about what this team wants to be in the 2026-27 season.
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Texas Tech Has A Worry Fans Cant Ignore Before Illinois
Texas Tech got the result it needed against Bethune-Cookman, but the 76-58 win did not exactly quiet every concern heading into a much bigger test. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn carried the Red Raiders with 25 points, while Cruz Davis chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds, giving the offense enough punch to get through a game it was expected to control.
The bigger worry was how the Red Raiders got there. Free-throw shooting and three-point accuracy both lagged, and those are the kinds of issues that can become expensive in a hurry against No. 3 Illinois. Texas Tech has a win in hand, but the next step is a far tougher one, and the margin for sloppiness is about to shrink fast. [Read more 🡒]
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Boise State Still Has One Real Playoff Obstacle Left
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For Texas Tech fans watching the wider playoff picture, the interesting part is how few obstacles still seem to be standing in Boise States way. The projection points to one real hurdle left, with the rest of the field shaped by the same mix of results and availability that is tightening the race everywhere else. If the Broncos clear that final test, the rest of the bracket conversation gets a lot more complicated. [Read more 🡒]