Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Sam Houston
No. 10 Tech hosts Sam Houston on Friday night
November 05, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – No. 10 Texas Tech looks to extend its non-conference home winning streak to 40 games when it matches up against Sam Houston at 7 p.m. on Friday at United Supermarkets Arena. The Red Raiders (1-0) are coming off a 98-60 thumping of Lindenwood on Tuesday night to begin the season with Christian Anderson leading the way with a 34-point, 11-assist double-double. The Bearkats (1-0) secured a 95-59 win over LeTourneau on Monday night in Huntsville in their season opener.
Tech established a new program record with 17 made 3-pointers in the win over Lindenwood – breaking the record of 16 that had been set six times, including three times last season. The Red Raiders, who shot 45 3s in the game for the second most in program history, saw seven players make at least one 3-pointer, led by Donovan Atwell who made six and Anderson knocking down three. Nolan Groves led Tech with 16 rebounds, setting a program record for a freshman in a game where the team owned a 59-43 rebounding advantage. The game was the Red Raider debut for six players on the roster but was played without JT Toppin, LeJuan Watts, Luke Bamgboye and Josiah Moseley who were all out with lower body injuries. Toppin was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year after a Consensus All-America season last year, Watts was selected as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year and national reporter Andy Katz labeled Bamgboye as the top defender in the country entering the season. Despite missing them in the opener, Tech ran away with the 38-point win after securing 23 offensive rebounds and is now 17-0 in non-conference home games under head coach Grant McCasland. The program has not lost a non-conference home game since falling to Kentucky in a 76-74 overtime decision on January 25, 2019.
The Red Raiders will follow their two-game, season-opening homestand by traveling to play at No. 17 Illinois on Tuesday, November 11 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. The nationally ranked matchup is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on FS1 before Tech returns to Lubbock to host Milwaukee on Friday, November 14. Tech reached the NCAA Elite Eight last season for the third time in program history and finished at No. 8 in the final Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The No. 10 preseason ranking is the highest in program history.
GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Sam Houston Bearkats (1-0) at No. 10 Texas Tech (1-0)
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Venue: United Supermarkets Arena
Tip: 7 p.m., Tuesday, November 4
TV: ESPN+
TV CALL: John Harris (play-by-play), Chris Level (analyst)
TEXAS TECH SPORTS NETWORK: Geoff Haxton (play-by-play), Clark Lammert (analyst)
RED RAIDER ROSTER REPORT
Tyeree Bryan: "Team player. Competitor. Hard worker."
Bryan started and contributed eight rebounds and seven points against Lindenwood in his Red Raider debut… He 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 College… Bryan has 907 points, 429 rebounds, 122 assists and 63 steals through 94 career games… He is 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-pointers… An Orlando, Florida native, Bryan scored a career-high 35 points against Gonzaga last season after going 7-for-12 from deep… He made four or more 3-pointers in seven games last season and is now 145-for-353 (41.1 percent) on 3-pointers in his career.
Jazz Henderson: "Vocal. Confident. Energetic."
Henderson made his college debut and scored two points in seven minutes of playing time against Lindenwood… He is in his second season with the Texas Tech basketball program after redshirting due to injury last season… 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.
LeJuan Watts: "Tough. Leader. Consistent."
Watts missed the season opener with a lower body injury and is listed as day-to-day leading into the matchup against Sam Houston… He is in his first season at Texas Tech and enters the season as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year along with being selected for the Julius Erving Award Preseason Watch List… A Fresno, California native, he is coming into his fourth year in college after playing last season at Washington State and spending two seasons at Eastern Washington where he redshirted as a freshman… At Washington State last season, he averaged 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game… He had nine double-doubles and also recorded a triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Santa Clara… He scored a career-high 24 points in a game against San Francisco and grabbed a career-best 14 rebounds against Idaho last season… Watts comes into this season with 768 points, 385 rebounds, 203 assists and 10 double-doubles through 66 career games played in his career
Christian Anderson: "Tough. Team player. Human highlight."
Anderson came out with a bang in the season opener, recording his first career double-double and establishing new career highs with 34 points and 11 rebounds… He is the first player in program history to have a double-double with 30-plus points and 10-plus assists… He also added seven rebounds, matched a career-high with four steals, made three 3-pointers and went 9-of-11 at the free-throw line… Entering the season, Anderson was named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team and is on the Bob Cousy Award Preseason Watch List… He is coming off a freshman season where he averaged 10.6 points and 2.2 assists per game – earning All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors before helping Germany to the silver medal in the FIBA U19 World Cup during the summer in Switzerland… An Atlanta, Georgia native, 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-pointers… He led the Red Raiders with 46 made 3-pointers in Big 12 play and finished the season shooting 38.0 percent from distance… 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 game… 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 Kansas.
Josiah Moseley: "Versatile. Energetic. All over the court."
Moseley missed the season opener with a lower body injury and will be listed as out for the matchup against Sam Houston… He returned to his home state of Texas after playing his freshman season at Villanova where he played in 30 games as a reserve… 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 School… At Villanova, Moseley scored a career-high 10 points against Lafayette and had a career-best seven rebounds against Temple… He finished his freshman season averaging 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Leon Horner: "Vocal. High intensity. Coachable."
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 six rebounds… It was his 10th career game after he returned for his second season at Texas Tech following playing nine games last season as a true freshman… A Dallas, Texas native, he scored his first career points in a win over Oral Roberts and had one rebound in five games… 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… He had six offensive rebounds and 10 on the defensive side of the court to go along with scoring seven points, dishing out three assists and coming away with two steals in 27 minutes of action from the starting lineup… Groves entered his freshman season after earning Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for Orono High School… He finished his senior season averaging 34.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game… A Long Lake, Minnesota native, Groves scored 40 or more points in nine games and had a 57-point performance.
Luke Bamgboye: "Resilient. Humble. Athletic."
Bamgboye missed the season opener with a lower body injury and is listed as day-to-day leading into the matchup against Sam Houston… 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 honors… He appeared in 35 games with 24 starts, including scoring a career-high 17 points and having a career-best seven blocks against UMass.
Jack Francis: "Humble. Resilient. Coachable."
Francis is the longest tenured Red Raider, having joined the program as a practice player in the 2022-23 season… He has appeared in 17 games over the past two seasons, including playing in 11 last season… An Austin, Texas native, Francis played at Anderson High School where he scored over 1,000 points in his career… At Tech, he scored his first career points with a pair of free throws against Sam Houston and also scored last season against Oral Roberts… Texas Tech is 17-0 in games he has appeared in.
Jaylen Petty: "Leader. Creative. Bucket-getter."
Petty showed out in his collegiate debut by going for nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and having only one turnover against Lindenwood in the opener… He played 34 minutes off the bench and finished the night with four offensive rebounds and made two 3-pointers… 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 School… A four-star recruit from Seattle, Washington, 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 steals… 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.
Donovan Atwell: "Hit shots. Consistent. Play hard."
Atwell led Tech with six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points in the season-opening win over Lindenwood as a starter… Atwell went 6-for-13 on 3-pointers and also added four rebounds and two steals… He joined the Red Raiders for his senior season after playing the past three at UNC Greensboro and is coming off a junior season where he averaged 13.3 points per game and was 96-for-241 (39.8 percent) on 3-pointers… His 96 3-pointers were the 43rd most in the nation…A Huntersville, North Carolina native, Atwell now has 911 career points and is 217-for-550 (39.5 percent) on 3-pointers in his career… 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-pointers… Atwell has 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 attempts.
Marial Akuentok: "Energetic. Encouraging. Fearless."
Akuentok started and made his college debut in the win over Lindenwood – going for eight rebounds, seven points and having one blocked shot… He was 3-for-5 from the field in 17 minutes of action and scored the first points of the season for the Red Raiders with a 3-pointer… Akuentok returned for his second season at Texas Tech after redshirting last year… He joined the program in January and experienced the journey to the Elite Eight… Akuentok is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and was a top-100 recruit who reclassified… He played at Fort Erie International Academy and was named the co-player of the year and defensive player of the year… He also competed for the U18 Canada National Team and helped lead them to the bronze medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup.
JT Toppin: "Dawg. Fearless. Resilient."
Toppin missed the season opener with a lower body injury and is listed as day-to-day leading into the matchup against Sam Houston… 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 season… 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 List… A Dallas, Texas native, he is coming off a season where he recorded 19 double-doubles and averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game – each the team's leader… 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's… 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 Colorado… He also had seven double-doubles with 25-plus point performances… Toppin ranked third in the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding while having the seventh most double-doubles in the nation… A sophomore from Dallas, Toppin has played in 69 games in his collegiate career and now has 1,047 points, 636 rebounds, 116 blocks and 31 double-doubles… 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 Four… 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 scoring… Toppin, who scored a career-high 41 points in a double-overtime win over Arizona State during the regular season, was only behind Keyshawn Hall (UCF) and Javon Small (WVU) who averaged 18.5 points per game through the regular season in the Big 12… 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 season.
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 practicing… He is listed at 7-foot tall, making him the tallest player on the roster… 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 – earning all-district second team honors
McCasland is now 263-109 (70.7%) in his NCAA career, including his Texas Tech records of 52-20 overall (72 games – 72.2%), 26-12 in Big 12 games, 31-5 at home and 12-8 in true road games… 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 Aires… McCasland was a 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist presented by AXIA Time… His 52-20 record at Tech is the best start for a head coach in program history… 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 2002-03… 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 restrictions… He is in his 10th season as a NCAA Division I coach.
SQUARING OFF WITH SAM
Texas Tech and Sam Houston will meet for the 13th time in a matchup that was first played in 1927. The Red Raiders own a 10-2 all-time advantage in the series, most recently earning a 96-60 home win in McCasland's first season leading the program. Tech won the first five meetings, starting with a 26-16 victory on February 9, 1927 in Lubbock. Tech has won the past four matchups after dropping a 56-54 decision back on November 14, 2007 in Huntsville. The Bearkats are coming off a 13-19 record last season, including going 6-12 in Conference USA play. Sam Houston completed its regular season with wins over UTEP and New Mexico State before falling to UTEP in the opening round of the CUSA Championship in Huntsville, Alabama to end its season.
The Bearkats are led by head coach Chris Mudge who is in his third season and has a 35-31 record after opening the season with a 95-59 win over LeTourneau. Jacobe Coleman led Sam Houston with 17 points in a game where five players scored in double figures. Kashie Natt led the team with 11 rebounds and added seven points while Jacob Walker knocked down two 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. Sam Houston shot 6-for-27 on 3-pointers in its season opener and owned a 59-36 rebounding advantage in the matchup.
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