Texas Tech University Athletics
Spotlight: Donovan Atwell
December 11, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – In his first college game ever, it took 15 minutes before Donovan Atwell entered the game. One minute later he shot his first 3-pointer of his career but missed. Thirty seconds later, he shot again, making a 3-pointer for his first career points. A freshman playing for UNC Greensboro, Atwell finished that first game with 12 points in only 11 minutes of playing time. That first make, and those 12 points, started his journey – one that now has him at 997 points as No. 16 Texas Tech is set to take on No. 17 Arkansas on Saturday in Dallas.
"I've always had confidence in my shooting," Atwell said. "My dad really helped me build that confidence I have. Even back in middle school and high school, I always remember having confidence in my shooting. Having a mentality that you've put in the work and the results are going to come is something I've always believed in. It translates. I go into games knowing that I've put in the work and I'm going to hit shots."
Atwell, who needs only three points to reach the 1,000-point milestone, transferred to Texas Tech for his senior season after playing his first three at UNC Greensboro. In his first game at Tech, Atwell made six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points. In his second, he once again hit six 3-pointers and finished with 19 points. He's currently averaging 12.0 points per game and ranks fourth in the Big 12 by making 3.4 3-pointers per game after he knocked down three more in the win over LSU in his 103rd career game. For his career, Atwell is 242-for-608 (39.8%) on 3-pointers which ranks 18th amongst all active players in the nation for made 3s.
A Huntersville, North Carolina native, he arrived in Lubbock having already played in 95 games, posting 907 points, 215 made 3-pointers (39.4%), 225 rebounds, 56 assists and 53 steals during his career. Atwell, who played at Providence Day School before UNC Greensboro, scored a career-high 28 points against Chattanooga last season in a game where he was 6-for-7 from 3-point range and also made 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. He scored in double figures 22 times during his junior season where also had four games with 20-plus points - scoring 27 at North Florida with four 3-pointers and going for 21 against Virginia-Lynchburg with five 3-pointers. This season, he's currently shooting 31-for-71 (43.7%) on 3-pointers with seven games of three or more makes.
"It's been a blessing to be able to chase my dreams," Atwell said. "There aren't a lot of people who get to play Division I basketball and get to experience everything we get to. There were people who didn't see me as someone who could play at this level. I've enjoyed proving people wrong and live out this dream every day. I was recruited late and didn't get many offers. It wasn't really until my senior year. I had to have a mentality that God had a plan for me and that everything that was going to happen would come. I stayed in my lane and kept working. I couldn't let it get me down seeing other players getting offers when I wasn't. I kept my head straight and always believed I could make it. That mentality got me to where I'm at now."
Atwell officially signed with Texas Tech on April 16, 2025 and joined the team in June for summer workouts. A veteran presence, he wanted his teammates and coaches to understand the person and player he is – a guy who comes ready to work hard every day and someone who brings energy that is contagious. After making 89 3-pointers as a sophomore and 96 last season, teammates and coaches knew before he arrived they had a sharpshooter coming in. It was just as important for him to establish that wasn't all he was bringing though. He wanted everyone in the program to know, "That I come ready to work hard every day. That I bring energy every day and am always pushing others to get better." To impact winning, he promised to bring a strong work ethic and give 100 percent to every workout and practice. His goal in the summer was his three-level scoring and getting strong in the weight room. He wanted to improve his ball handling and diversity his shot selection.
"Consistency," Atwell said. "That's a big thing for me in life. I always want to be consistent in everything that I do. Bringing a lot of effort every day and pushing my teammates to get to where we want to get to."
Back in his freshman season, UNC Greensboro played Arkansas. Atwell finished that game with 12 points in 13 minutes of playing time, going 4-for-6 on 3-pointers and setting a career-high with three steals. He'd finish his freshman season averaging just 3.5 points per game, but did make 28 3-pointers. In the following two seasons, he'd average 11.2 points per game as a sophomore and then 13.3 points per game last season. The season points totals of 104, 359, 426 and 108 through nine games this season have led to the 997 he comes into this weekend with. When told about the impending milestone, he was unaware. When asked about his role on the team, it was defined not by the milestone but rather by what it takes to win.
"I always try to bring intensity and defense to every game," Atwell said. "I want to set a tone early with the way I play defense and bring energy and communication. Hitting shots is big too. I want to knock down every shot I take for our team."
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