Texas Tech opens the season with a roster that carries real weight, but also a few early questions that will shape the first stretch of the year. Kade Nix points to a team with championship-level upside if everything clicks, yet the Red Raiders still have to sort out roles, rotations, and who exactly settles into the most important spots on the floor.
The biggest task right now is getting the lineup organized. That includes figuring out where Darrion Williams fits best at small forward, identifying the primary offensive option, and cleaning up the guard play after some shaky execution and turnovers in the exhibition. Texas Tech is also waiting on players to get back to full health and availability, which means the staff has to bridge the early-season gap while younger pieces and depth options take on heavier minutes.
Even with those moving parts, the ceiling is obvious. Nix describes a roster that has nearly everything needed for a deep run to the Final Four when it is at full strength.
Grant McCasland has key returners and proven shooting around him, including Donovan Atwell, who is cited as one of the country’s top deep threats, and Williams, who came back to Lubbock after a stint at NC State. The depth also gives Texas Tech a chance to survive a demanding schedule, with backcourt help from transfer Damarion Dennis and freshman DaKari Spear, plus frontcourt options like LaTrell Hoover and Marial Akuentok.
The projected starting group reflects both the talent and the uncertainty. Hofstra transfer Cruz Davis is expected to handle the primary starting point guard role after averaging over 20 points per game last season.
At shooting guard, UNLV transfer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is projected to bring a proven 20+ PPG scoring punch. Dennis and Spear are expected to flank that backcourt mix, while Atwell anchors the small forward spot after shooting over 45% from three last season and logging major minutes alongside Williams.
The frontcourt is still the least settled area. Injuries have thinned that group early, making it the biggest question mark heading into the season. Newcomer Bassala Bagayoko is expected to start at center, but he should share minutes closely with Josiah Moseley, with Marial Akuentok and Latrell Hoover also in the mix.
For Monday’s opener against Jackson State, the players to watch line up neatly with those unresolved pieces. Davis’ main job is to run the offense as a steady distributor for a roster packed with scorers.
Williams becomes a key two-way piece, even if he’s playing out of position at power forward because JT Toppin and Jamichael Stillwell will be out. Bagayoko’s length and paint presence will matter right away, especially with early rebounding concerns hanging over the team.
Gibbs-Lawhorn is expected to bring perimeter defense against Jackson State’s backcourt while also supplying a scoring burst of 15+ points to help set the tone early.
Texas Tech and Jackson State tip off Monday, November 2, 2026, at 6:00 PM CT / 7:00 PM ET at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. The game will air on CBS Sports Network and can also be streamed through live TV services that carry the channel, including YouTube TV, Fubo, Sling TV, and DirecTV Stream.
In Other News...
BYU Faces A Defining Big 12 Test With Playoff Stakes Rising
November has arrived with the Big 12 suddenly looking like one of the most crowded playoff races in the country. With five ranked teams entering the month, the conference has a chance to sort itself out in a hurry, and Utah, BYU and Texas Tech are among the clubs with legitimate cases to stay in the College Football Playoff conversation. The first CFP rankings are due this week, which should offer an early read on how the committee views a league that has spent the fall building depth and credibility.
For Texas Tech, that makes the next stretch especially relevant, even if the Red Raiders are not the only team with something to prove. The conference schedule is about to start separating contenders from the pack, and the outcomes around the league could shape how much room there is for a Big 12 team to climb. BYUs upcoming tests are part of that picture too, with every result carrying more weight now that the playoff field is beginning to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs Opener Puts Early Pressure On Three Key Red Raiders
Texas Tech opens its season at home against Jackson State with Grant McCasland looking to get a feel for how his roster fits together right away. The spotlight naturally falls on three players who shape so much of what the Red Raiders want to be this year: point guard Cruz Davis, forward Darrion Williams and center Bassala Bagayoko. Each brings a different piece to the puzzle, and the opener offers an early chance to see how quickly that mix can settle in.
Bagayoko, in particular, carries some of the clearest pressure entering the night because Texas Techs frontcourt size and rebounding remain a concern. His presence is expected to help answer both, while Davis and Williams will be counted on to steady the offense and give the Red Raiders balance on both ends. For a team trying to define its identity from the start, the first game is less about polish than about whether those three can set the tone. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Pass Rush Gives Fans Another Reason To Celebrate
Texas Techs defense gave the home crowd another jolt in Saturdays 34-26 win over Arizona, getting after quarterback Noah Fifita and finishing with five sacks. The pressure came from all over, with Trey White, LaDamion Guyton, John Curry, AJ Holmes Jr., Austin Romaine and Mateen Ibarogba all getting in on the action as the Red Raiders kept the Wildcats from settling in.
The pass-rush production also carries a little extra meaning for fans following along this season. Supporters can donate money for every Texas Tech sack to benefit Ronald McDonald House Southwest, turning each takedown into more than just a momentum swing on the field. For a defense that has already shown it can change a game, there is now another reason for Red Raiders fans to keep track of every quarterback hit. [Read more 🡒]