Texas Tech Athletics
No. 1 Florida
No. 3 Red Raiders, No. 1 Gators set for Elite 8
March 28, 2025 | Men's Basketball
SAN FRANCISCO – From Sweet to Elite, No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 1 Florida are set for a NCAA Tournament matchup at 5:09 p.m. (CDT) on Saturday at the Chase Center in San Francisco with a trip to San Antonio at stake. The fourth game in the all-time series between the two programs will be broadcast on TBS while the Texas Tech Sports Network radio call can be heard locally on Double T 97.3 and the national radio coverage will be provided by Westwood One Sports. Â
"Any day you're still practicing and playing in March is a great day," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "We are thrilled to be in the Elite Eight and I would be lying if we didn't say we expected to still be playing. A lot of belief on this team. Last night was a phenomenal college basketball game. Man, it's such a blessing to still be competing in the NCAA Tournament. We don't take this lightly."
The Red Raiders (28-8) stormed back from a 16-point hole in the Sweet 16 to advance with an 85-83 overtime win over No. 10 Arkansas while the Gators (33-4) cruised to an 87-71 win over No. 4 Maryland in the first game on Thursday. Tech will be playing in the program's third Elite 8, also advancing to the fourth round in 2018 and 2019, and is now one win from reaching the 2025 NCAA Final Four next week at the Alamodome. The comeback from 16 down was the second largest in Sweet 16 history, Tech's biggest this season and matched a 16-point comeback against BYU last season in McCasland's first season. Tech's largest comeback in program history was a 23-point comeback against Iowa State in 2022 and the team's 28 wins are now the third most in program history.
"I think your practice throughout the year is what prepares you for this," McCasland said. "You can't do anything in one day that's any different that's going to make that big of an impact. We will get out there and we'll move around today. We'll stretch. We had several guys that played close to 40 minutes or over. I think our ability to get rest is the most important part, and that's what we've done with our team. This adrenaline takes over when you play in these games. There's enough time in between games, it's not like conference tournament where you turn around and play in less than 24 hours. I think that's huge for us. We would prefer more rest. But with our team, there's enough grit in our locker room to be prepared for the next one. Adrenaline is sure a huge part of it."
Darrion Williams played the role of hero against the Razorbacks, hitting a 3-pointer with 9.7 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game before he scored the game-winning basket with 7.3 seconds left in overtime. Williams finished the game with 20 points and nine rebounds, while true freshman Christian Anderson scored a career-high with 22 points. Anderson made three 3-pointers in the second half, including hitting one to make it 69-66 with two minutes to play and then another to cut the Razorback lead to 72-69 with one minute remaining. JT Toppin recorded his 18th double-double of the season with 20 points, 10 rebounds and matched a career-high with five blocked shots while Federiko Federiko grabbed seven offensive rebounds and Kevin Overton added 12 points and matched a season-high with seven rebounds. Tech established a new program record in the NCAA Tournament with 51 rebounds (22 offensive) and finished the game by taking 18 more shots than the Razorbacks. A stat correction after the game pushed Toppin to 10 rebounds in the game. Anderson's 22 points are the highest ever by a Big 12 freshman in a Sweet 16 game and tied for 10th most ever by a Big 12 freshman in any NCAA Tournament game. The 22 offensive rebounds were a season-high for the team which had 17 in four games this season. Tech played without Chance McMillian for the fourth straight game. A starter in 30 games this season, McMillian averages 14.2 points per game and is 69-for-159 (43.4 percent) from 3-point range. He remains listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury.
The Gators extended a nine-game winning streak with its 87-71 win over No. 4 Maryland in the Sweet 16 after advancing to San Francisco with a 77-75 win over UConn in the Second Round and 95-69 victory over Norfolk State in the First Round. The team had six players score in double figures against Maryland, led by Will Richard who had 15 points with three 3-pointers and Alijah Martin adding 14 points with three 3-pointers. Thomas Haugh contributed 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds while Walter Clayton went for 13 points and four assists. The Gators finished the game 11-for-28 from 3-point range and had 16 assists on 30 overall makes (30-for-60). Clayton leads Florida this season with 17.7 points per game and with 150 assists while Martin is averaging 14.6, Richard is at 13.5 and Alex Condon is leading the team with 7.7 rebounds in addition to scoring 10.9 points per game. Condon was limited due to injury against Maryland, finishing with six points and four rebounds in 13:32 of playing time.
Florida is third nationally by averaging 85.5 points per game and with 41.9 rebounds per game while also ranking second with 16.4 fastbreak points per game. The Gators went 14-4 in SEC play and won the SEC Championship with an 86-77 win over Tennessee on March 16 in Nashville before the NCAA Tournament. Todd Golden is in his third season as the program's head coach, leading the Gators into the Elite 8 with a 73-33 record in that time. He was the head coach for three season at San Francisco and is currently 130-69 as a head coach in his career.
Through three NCAA Tournament games, Williams leads the team with 20.3 points per game along with adding 8.0 rebounds per game after having nine against the Razorbacks. Toppin is averaging 20.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while Anderson and Elijha Hawkins are scoring 11.3 points per game each. Hawkins led Tech with five assists in the win over Arkansas and now has 22 assists and only seven turnovers in the tournament. As a team, Tech is now averaging 81.3 points, 41.6 rebounds and 15.3 assists per game. The team has already established a new program record with 361 made 3-pointers this season – including making 13 in its First Round win over UNC Wilmington before being limited to only two in the win over Drake and going 8-for-32 against Arkansas. For the season, Tech is shooting 36.7 percent from 3-point range but is now at 25.0 percent through its trios of wins. Toppin was 10-for-18 from the field against Arkansas and is now at 27-for-39 (69.2 percent) in the tournament.
Grant McCasland has led the Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first two seasons and is in the national tournament for the third time in his career as a head coach. His 51-19 record at Tech is the best start for a head coach in program history. His team has nine players who had NCAA Tournament experience before this season: Kerwin Walton (2021, 2022 – *North Carolina; 2024 – Texas Tech); Chance McMillian (2021, 2023 – *Grand Canyon; 2024 – Texas Tech); Darrion Williams (2023 – *Nevada; 2024 – Texas Tech), Jack Francis (2024 - Texas Tech), Eemeli Yalaho (2024 – Texas Tech), JT Toppin (2024 – *New Mexico), Kevin Overton (2024 – *Drake), Elijah Hawkins (2023 - *Howard), Federiko Federiko (2023 - *Pitt). The team is comprised of five returners and eight newcomers: Walton is in his third season at Texas Tech and McMillian, Williams, Francis and Yalaho are in their second. Tech went into the transfer portal for the additions of Overton (Drake), Hawkins (Minnesota), Toppin (New Mexico), Federiko (Pitt) and Corbin Green (Air Force) while Christian Anderson, Jazz Henderson and Leon Horner are in their freshman season.Â
Toppin leads Tech with 18.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 18 double-doubles in an all-America season, Williams is at 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists and McMillian is scoring 14.2 points per game during a season where he's shooting 52.5/43.4/88.2. Anderson gives the Red Raiders four players averaging in double-figure scoring this season at 10.8 points per game with 18 double-figure scoring performances in his freshman season. Hawkins is now seventh nationally with a 3.22 assist-to-turnover ratio with 219 assists and only 68 turnovers this season along with scoring 9.8 points per game going into the Elite 8. The win over the Razorbacks takes the Red Raiders to 7-1 in the month of March going into Saturday's game.
Texas Tech earned a 69-66 win over Florida in the 2018 NCAA Tournament Second Round in the most recent meeting between the programs. The Gators are 2-1 all-time in the series, earning a 79-76 win on December 10, 1960, in Gainesville before taking a 71-69 overtime win on December 8, 1962, in Lubbock. In 2018, Tech advanced to the Sweet 16 with Keenan Evans scoring 22 points, Zhaire Smith providing 18 points and nine rebounds and Jarrett Culver producing 11 points and nine rebounds. The Red Raiders would go on to reach the program's first ever Elite 8 during that tournament run. Tech is 1-3 all-time against NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds, earning its win with a 75-69 victory over No. 1 Gonzaga in the 2019 Elite 8 to reach the program's first Final Four.
HOW TEXAS TECH GOT TO SAN FRANCISCO: The Red Raiders advanced to the program's seventh trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in program history after advancing with a 77-64 win over No. 11 Drake on Saturday in the Second Round after an 82-72 First Round victory over UNC Wilmington in Wichita, Kansas… The two games showed the team's versatility with contrasting styles, first going 13-for-46 from 3-point range against UNCW before outscoring Drake by a 50-20 margin inside the paint in a rare game with a season-low two 3-pointers. Kerwin Walton led Tech in its First Round win, scoring a career-high 27 points after going 8-for-19 on 3-pointers before not scoring against Drake. In the win over Drake, Darrion Williams scored a season-high 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting, JT Toppin recorded his 17th double-double of the season with 25 points and 12 rebounds and Elijah Hawkins provided 16 points, seven assists and did not commit a single turnover. The Red Raiders have 34 assists and only 12 turnovers through two games in the tournament. Toppin and Williams are the first two Red Raiders to score 25-plus in the same NCAA Tournament game while Walton's eight 3-pointers against UNCW established a new program record in the NCAA Tournament and the team set a new program tournament record with 13 made 3-pointers and an overall program record with 46 3-point attempts. Toppin and Williams both made 11 field goals against Drake to match the program record in an NCAA Tournament game for field goals. Hawkins was one rebound shy of a triple-double against UNCW, finishing the game by recording his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. His 10 assists matched a program record in the NCAA Tournament and gave him 21 career games with double-figure assists. Toppin, who swept through the all-America honors along with being named Big 12 Player of the Year, went for 12 points and 11 rebounds in the first-round win over UNCW and is now leading Tech with 18.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. The pair of games in Wichita saw Toppin surpass the 1,000-point milestone and Hawkins became the program's single-season assist leader and went over 800 career assists.
The Red Raiders have gone from an unranked team throughout most of the regular season to being ranked in the Top 10 of the national polls for five straight weeks. Tech, which is No. 9 in the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll, finished second in the Big 12 standings after going 15-5 in conference play, setting the program's record for most total conference victories and with eight road wins in conference play. As a program, Texas Tech is now 22-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders were a No. 6 seed last season, falling 80-67 to NC State in the First Round in Pittsburgh. Tech advanced to the 2019 NCAA Final Four as a three-seed where it fell 85-77 in overtime to Virginia in the championship game. The Red Raiders have reached national prominence in recent years, making the NCAA Elite Eight in 2018, the final Monday night in 2019 and the 2022 Sweet 16. The program was also at its highest national seed at No. 3 – coming in 1996, 2018, 2019 and 2022.
GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: No. 3 Texas Tech (28-8) vs. No. 1 Florida (33-4)
Location: San Francisco, California
Venue: Chase Center
Tip: 3:09 p.m. (PDT), Thursday, March 27
TV: TBS
TV CALL: Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner, Stan Van Gundy, Lauren Shehadi
Westwood Radio: Ryan Radtke, P.J. Carlesimo
TEXAS TECH SPORTS NETWORK: Geoff Haxton (play-by-play), Chris Level (analyst)
- Team success has led to an influx of postseason awards for the Red Raiders, headlined by McCasland being named a Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year semifinalist and Toppin to the Jersey Mike's Player of the Year semifinal list. Toppin has earned all-America honors, Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team while Williams earned All-Big 12 First Team, McMillian was selected to the All-Big 12 Second Team and Christian Anderson secured All-Big 12 Freshman Team in the conference's postseason honors. Toppin, Williams and McMillian are NABC Gulf All-District First-Team selections. Toppin is the first player in Big 12 history to earn player and newcomer of the year honors and is the second Red Raider to be named Big 12 Player of the Year with Jarrett Culver taking the honor in 2019. He was named to AP All-America Second Team, NABC All-America Second Team, USBWA All-America Second Team, The Sporting News All-America Second Team, is a Karl Malone Award Finalist, Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist and was a Big 12 All-Tournament selection… The Red Raiders came into this season without a single player being named to the All-Big 12 Preseason Team
- The Red Raiders are currently ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 and USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll along with being at No. 7 in the NCAA NET and No. 8 on Kenpom ratings… Tech was unranked for the majority of the season but has been in the AP Top 10 for five straight weeks, passing the program's previous longest stretch in the 2017-18 season… The Red Raiders appeared in the AP Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 22 on January 27… As a program, Tech has appeared in the national rankings for a program-best eight straight seasons
- Tech's 28 victories this season pushes the program to 25 wins or more in a season for the sixth time in program history… The 2021-22 team went 27-10 for the previous most wins before this year's team matched the 27 wins on Saturday night… The program record for wins came in the run to the 2019 Final Four, going 31-7 in the 2018-19 season
- Tech improved to 3-1 in overtime games this season after its 85-83 overtime win in the Sweet 16 over Arkansas… The Red Raiders also earned an 82-81 overtime win at Houston and a 111-106 double-overtime win over Arizona State after dropping an 85-84 overtime decision against Iowa State at home on January 11
- Tech leads the Big 12 and is sixth nationally with a 1.67 assist-to-turnover ratio after having 12 assists and eight turnovers against Arkansas… 13 assists and only five turnovers against Drake… 21 assists and only seven turnovers versus UNCW… Through three NCAA Tournament games, Tech has 46 assists and 20 turnovers… Tech has double-digit assists totals in all 36 games this season after having 12 assists on 34 makes against Arkansas… The Red Raiders are averaging 16.5 assists per game which ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 26th nationally
- Toppin has now scored 20 or more points in 16 games this 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 is 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 17 double-doubles are only behind Tony Battie's 20 during the 1996-97 season in the Tech record book and are the 8th most nationally
- Texas Tech entered the postseason after matching a Big 12 and program record with only two turnovers at Arizona State in the regular-season finale and are on a 10-game streak of 10 turnovers or less after having only five turnovers against Drake and eight against Arkansas in the past two games… The Red Raiders have had 10 or less turnovers in 23 games this season and eight or less in the last eight games… The two turnovers at ASU were the second time the program has accomplished the rare feat, the last time coming in 2021 against West Virginia… Only Oklahoma State (2012) and Kansas (2024) have also done it in Big 12 history… Tech's previous low this season was three turnovers in a win over Syracuse in the Legends Classic in non-conference play and only five in a road win at Utah
- The Red Raiders went 8-2 on the road this season, surpassing 2018-19 (6-3 total) and 2006-07 (6-5 total) for the most road wins in Big 12 play in the program's history… The 1995-96 team was 11-0 on the road for the overall program record… Tech is currently 5-3 in neutral-court games this season, earning a win over Syracuse in the Legends Classic (Brooklyn), against Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals, Drake and UNCW in the NCAA Tournament in Wichita, and versus Arkansas in the Sweet 16 in San Francisco… Tech lost to Saint Joseph's in Brooklyn, dropped a contest to Texas A&M in Fort Worth on December 8 and fell to Arizona in the Big 12 semifinals
- Texas Tech went 15-3 on its home court this season, having outscored its opponents on its home court by an 18.8 scoring margin… Tech averaged 83.7 points per game at home with Toppin averaging 19.7 points and 10.5 rebounds at the USA… The Red Raiders secured back-to-back seasons with 15 home victories and the program's eighth season of 15-plus wins at home… The program went 18-0 on its home court during the 2021-22 season for the best home stretch… McCasland has led Tech to a 30-5 home record in his two seasons
- Texas Tech has already made the most total 3-pointers (361) in program history overall and in Big 12 play… Tech's average of 10.1 3-pointers per game is above the previous record of 8.5 which was set last season… Tech has currently made 353-for-952 of its 3-point attempts (37.1 percent), passing the previous record of 289 from last season (34 games)… The Red Raiders have made 10 or more 3-pointers in a program record 21 games this season, including setting a program-high in the NCAA Tournament with 13 against UNC Wilmington… Against Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals, Tech set a program record by making 12 3-pointers by halftime… Through two NCAA Tournament games, Tech is 15-for-60 from 3-point range
- Texas Tech is currently third in the Big 12 and 35th nationally in 3-point percentage (36.7)… The Red Raiders are making 10.3 3-pointers per (23rd nationally), including matching the program record for the third time this season with its 16 3-pointers against Colorado in the home finale after also hitting the mark at Oklahoma State and in the season-opener against Bethune-Cookman… Tech has now made 13 or more 3s in nine games this season… The 15 3-pointers at Kansas came after three games with 10 or less following the six-game streak… The 46 attempts against UNCW from beyond the arc established a new program record which was at 43 attempts (against Kansas earlier this season) … The Red Raiders are attempting 27.2 3-pointers per game, the second most in the Big 12 and 27th most nationally… The team is coming off a season-low two 3-pointers made in the win over Drake with the previous low being three in a loss to UCF… In Big 12 play, Texas Tech was 203-for-555 (36.6 percent) during the 20-game schedule
- Tech comes into the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 with six players who have made 35 or more 3-pointers this season: Anderson (71-for-185, 38.4%), McMillian (69-for-159, 43.4%), Walton (61-for-154, 39.6%), Hawkins (53-for-168, 31.6%), Williams (45-for-133, 33.8%), Overton (39-for-117, 33.3%)
- Tech has recorded double-digit assists in all 36 games this season after posting 21 in the NCAA Tournament First Round against UNCW, 13 against Drake on 28 makes, and 12 in the Sweet 16 versus Arkansas… In the Big 12 quarterfinals, Hawkins had 11 assists against Baylor to lead the team in assists while McMillian posted a career-high six assists in Tempe in the regular-season finale… Tech had a season-high 30 assists in a non-conference game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and a Big 12-best of 25 in the road win at Oklahoma State… The team is averaging 17.0 assists through two NCAA Tournament games and 16.7 for the season
- The Red Raiders are third in the Big 12 at the free-throw line with a 76.5 percentage after going 9-for-11 in the win against Arkansas and 19-for-22 in the win over Drake… The Red Raiders have made 13.8 free throws per game this season with a streak of double-figure makes at the charity stripe in six straight games ending last game against Arkansas… Tech made a season-best 24 free throws in an overtime win at Houston (24-of-34) and also in a non-conference win over Northern Colorado where it was 24-for-26 (92.3%)… As a team, Tech has shot over 85 percent at the line in nine games this season and is currently 43-for-56 (76.8 percent) through its three NCAA Tournament games
- Texas Tech has seen eight different starting lineups this season… The starting lineup of Williams, Walton, Toppin, McMillian and Hawkins improved to 17-5 after the quarterfinal win over Baylor… Walton is the only Red Raider to start all 36 games this season… The starting lineup of Williams, Walton, Toppin, Hawkins and Anderson improved to 4-0 with the win over Arkansas
- The 80.9 ppg. scoring average is the most for the program since the 1994-95 team averaged 88.8 points per game throughout its season and the 78.3 per conference game is second within the program records with the 2001-02 team averaging 79.4 in 16 games… Recorded program's highest scoring performance in a Big 12 game with 111 points at home against Arizona State on February 12 and also scored 101 points against Lamar in its final non-conference game… Only the second time ever in a Big 12 game with 100-plus points following a 102-75 win over Texas A&M (2/7/1998)… Tech averaged 74.4 points per Big 12 game last season and 71.9 in 2018-19 during its championship run… Six players have led Tech in scoring this season with Toppin being the high-scorer in 17 games and Williams now at 8 after his 28 points against Drake… Tech finished the regular season third in the Big 12 in scoring average with Arizona at 82.0 ppg.
- Tech has won 19 games by double figure margins, including going 9-0 in Big 12 games in that category… The Red Raiders have limited 10 opponents under 60 points this season, including eight in conference play… The 51 points by West Virginia was the lowest for a Big 12 opponent this season… Tech was 10-2 when holding Big 12 teams under 70… The Red Raiders are now 19-2 when the opponent scores under 70 and own a 12.9 scoring margin of victory which ranks 9th nationally
- Tech currently has four players who have surpassed the 1,000-point scoring mark: McMillian (1,453), Hawkins (1,388), Williams (1,097), Toppin (1,007)… Williams reached the milestone at TCU and Toppin with his 25 points against Drake in the last game this season… Walton is next on the milestone watch list having scored 937 career points
- The 38-point win at Oklahoma State was the largest margin of victory in a Big 12 road game in program history… The 38-point win on the road surpassed a 30-point win at Iowa State (2/22/2020) for the road record and was the second most in any Big 12 game with a 46-point win over TCU (2/10/2020) at home as the overall program record… The 28-game point win at Arizona State also followed a 28-point win at Utah
- Tech is playing its 100th season and has now won 20-plus games 18 times… McCasland joins 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 now 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
McCasland is now 262-108 (70.8%) in his NCAA career, including his Texas Tech records of 51-19 overall (70 games – 72.9%), 26-12 in Big 12 games, 30-5 at home and 12-8 in true road games. He is now 4-3 in the NCAA Tournament in his career (3-1 at Tech). 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 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup last summer in Buenos Aires and will compete in the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup from June 28-July 6 this summer in Lausanne, Switzerland. McCasland's roster has 13 players on it this season, including two fifth-year seniors (McMillian, Kerwin Walton), two seniors (Hawkins, Federiko Federiko), three juniors (Jack Francis, Corbin Green, Williams), three sophomores (Overton, Toppin, Yalaho) and three freshmen (Anderson, Jazz Henderson, Leon Horner). McCasland is a 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men's College Coach of the Year Semifinalist presented by AXIA Time that was announced last Friday. As an assistant coach at Baylor, McCasland helped lead the Bears to the 2011-12 Elite Eight and 2013-14 Sweet 16. Baylor appeared in four NCAA Tournaments four times with McCasland as an assistant. At North Texas, McCasland led his team to the second round in 2020-21 after a 78-69 overtime win over Purdue in a 13-4 first-round matchup. He is 3-1 as Tech's head coach in the NCAA Tournament and the fastest to 50 wins in program history.
Toppin has earned All-America Second Team from the AP, NABC, USBWA and The Sporting News after being named the Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, All-Big 12 Newcomer Team, Big 12 All-Tournament this postseason. He is also a 2025 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year semifinalist, earning his way into the group after not being on a watch list throughout the season. A sophomore from Dallas, Toppin comes into the NCAA Elite 8 with 1,027 points and 30 double-doubles in his career after also going off for 25 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Drake after 12 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over UNCW to begin the tournament. Toppin leads the Red Raiders with 18.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 27 double-figure scoring performances this season. A participant in the 2024 NBA Draft Combine, he has scored 30-plus in three games, including a career-high 41 points in a double-overtime win over Arizona State where he also had 15 rebounds. For his career, Toppin now has 30 double-doubles and 19 games of 20-plus scoring through 68 games. He recorded his 16th double-double of the season with 26 points and 10 rebounds in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinal win over Baylor and has recorded a double-double in five of the last six games. Through three NCAA Tournament games, Toppin is averaging 19.0 points and 10.7 rebounds in the trio of wins to advance. His game against Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals was his third straight double-double, each coming with him scoring over 25 points before having that streak end with 11 points and six rebounds against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinal loss. He finished the regular season with 14 double-doubles following 25 points and 11 rebounds at Arizona State in a game where he was 10-for-19 from the field. He now has 16 games this season with 20-plus points and 10 with 10 or more makes after going 10-for-18 against Arkansas and 11-for-13 in the win over Drake. Toppin has led Tech in scoring in 17 of the 32 games he's played in. He was a two-time Big 12 Player of the Week and also a four-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. He had a streak of four straight double-double going with 14 points and 11 rebounds at TCU after a week where he had a career-high 41 points against Arizona State before posting 32 points and 12 rebounds in the 38-point road win at Oklahoma State. He had already scored 17 points at halftime against OSU and finished the game shooting 12-for-17 and had 16 points in the second half against West Virginia. In his career-high performance at home against ASU, he had 18 points at halftime, 33 at the end of regulation and finished with 41 points and 15 rebounds for his ninth double-double. His 41 points were the most by any Big 12 player this season. His 21st career double-double also came with him grabbing seven offensive rebounds and going 17-for-22 from the field in the first matchup against ASU – a new Tech record with 17 makes in a Big 12 game (previous Jarrius Jackson – 15 in 2006 at Nebraska). The 17 makes were one off the record in all games from Dub Malaise (1966) and Jim Reed (1954) who both made 18 shots in a game. His 41 points were also the most for a Red Raider since Jackson had 41 points in that game and the most for a Texas Tech sophomore since Mike Singletary scored 43 points against Texas A&M in the 2009 Big 12 Tournament. Toppin's 41 points ranks as the seventh most in the record book. The Naismith Hall of Fame nominated as a finalist for the Karl Malone Award. Toppin missed the final four non-conference games before returning to the court against UCF to record his fifth double-double of the season (17th career) where he finished with a season-high 26 points, 10 rebounds and matched a season-best with four blocked shots. His 12 offensive rebounds against Saint Joseph's were the second most in Texas Tech program history – only behind Will Flemons who had 15 against Houston on February 14, 1990. Toppin transferred to Tech after being named the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year last season following a freshman season at New Mexico where he averaged 12.4 points and 9.1 rebounds. He also provided 68 blocked shots, 38 steals and recorded 12 double-doubles which was tied for the 38th most in the nation. Toppin returned to his home state after a freshman season where he recorded 23 double-figure scoring performances in 35 games. His first career double-double came with 15 points and 10 rebounds against UT Arlington and was highlighted by him going for a career-high 27 points and 11 rebounds against Toledo. Averaging 1.9 blocks per game as a freshman, he had a career-best five blocks in games against San Diego State, San Jose State and UNLV. His 12th double-double of the season came with him going off for 13 points and 11 rebounds against San Diego State in the MWC tournament. Toppin finished his first collegiate season going 193-for-310 (62.3 percent) from the field with 11 3-pointers. He was ranked No. 12 in ESPN's transfer rankings and was the third-best transfer still available when he signed on May 28. His 30 career double-doubles leads Tech and his 18 this season are only behind Tony Battie who had 20 during the 1996-97 season in the Texas Tech record book. Toppin's list of season awards also includes Karl Malone Award Finalist (March 6), Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Nov. 25), Big 12 Player of the Week (Feb. 17), Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 17), AP National Player of the Week (Feb. 18) and Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 24).
Williams is leading the Red Raiders with 20.3 points per game through three NCAA Tournament games after a season-high 28 points against Drake, going for 20 points and nine rebounds against Arkansas and posting 13 points and nine rebounds against UNCW. A Sacramento, California native, he earned All-Big 12 First Team and NABC Gulf All-District honors and is currently averaging 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game after also adding three assists and three steals in the win over the Razorbacks. Along with his scoring against Drake, Williams had five assists, six rebounds and zero turnovers to help lead the team to the Sweet 16. His 28 points against Drake surpassed his previous season-high of 27 points in a double-overtime win over Arizona State earlier this season. He did not play in the Big 12 Championship semifinals against Arizona with a lower leg injury before returning to the starting lineup in the NCAA Tournament. Against Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals, he was 4-for-6 from 3-point range in the quarterfinal win and has now made 45 3-pointers this season and 124 in his career. He scored 11 points in the home win over Colorado after he made the game-winning 3-pointer at Kansas in the final 90 seconds and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the road win. He ranks 14th in the Big 12 in scoring and in assists per game. Williams is at 1,117 career points – reaching the 1,000-point career milestone earlier this season with team-high 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting at TCU. He scored a previous season-high 27 points in the overtime win at home over Arizona State by going 10-for-18 from the field, 2-of-4 from 3-point range and 5-of-6 at the free-throw line. A junior in his second season at Tech, he made a career-high five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points at Arizona after also dropping 17 on Baylor in a home win. The USBWA had identified Williams as a candidate for the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List (1 of 50 nationally). His second season at Tech also includes him nailing the game-tying 3-pointer at Houston with 26 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime. A starter in 66 games in his two seasons at Texas Tech, he had scored in double figures in 14 straight games after leading the Red Raiders with 16 points in the win at K-State following going for 15 points, six rebounds and two assists against Iowa State. Williams was 7-for-15 from the field against K-State with one 3-pointer and made his final basket with 17 seconds remaining to push the lead to four. At Utah, he had 19 points and nine assists which was his sixth game with 19 or more points this season and his fourth game with eight or more assists before scoring 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting at BYU. He earned Big 12 Player of the Week after going off for a season-high 23 points in the win over Lamar along with providing nine assists against ORU in the two games leading into conference play. It was his second Big 12 Player of the Week honor in his career after winning it in the final week last season. His previous season-best 23 points against Lamar came with him matching a previous career-high by making four 3-pointers. He had produced 20-plus points in three straight games after going for 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win over DePaul along with scoring a team-high/season-high 21 points against Northern Colorado to go along with 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and the 11th of his career. In Brooklyn, he earned Legends Classic All-Tournament honors after leading the Red Raiders with a season-high 20 points against Syracuse in a game where he also had six rebounds and three assists. He recorded a career-high 11 assists and nearly became the third Red Raider in history to have a triple-double after adding eight points and eight rebounds in the win over Northwestern State. Williams is Tech's leading returner from last year's roster with 11.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and nine double-doubles after a sophomore season where he earned All-Big 12 Third Team and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team honors. He made 33 starts last season, scoring in double-figures in 19, including a program-best performance where he went 12-for-12 from the field and scored 30 points in a 79-50 home win over No. 6 Kansas. A Sacramento, California native who played his freshman season at Nevada, he finished his first season at Tech shooting 131-for-265 (49.4 percent) from the field and 44-for-96 (45.8 percent) on 3-pointers along with providing 82 assists, 38 steals and 11 blocked shots. In Big 12 play last season, Williams averaged 13.1 points per game and was 23-for-44 on 3-pointers which is the second best in program history for percentage at a 52.3 percent. He established a career-high with 14 rebounds in a non-conference win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and had his ninth double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Baylor in the regular-season finale. His 19th double-figure scoring performance of his sophomore season came with 10 points against NC State in the NCAA Tournament. Williams is in his third trip to the NCAA Tournament and has 1,117 points, 669 rebounds and 294 assists through 99 career games.
McMillian earned All-Big 12 Second Team and NABC Gulf All-District First Team honors and leads the Big 12 by shooting 43.4 percent (69-for-159) from 3-point range this season. At the Big 12 tournament, he left the game against Baylor with an upper body strain and did not return in the second half. He has not played since, missing the semifinals against Arizona and the tournament games against Arkansas, Drake and UNCW. He remains listed as day-to-day. A starter in 30 games this season, McMillian has made three or more 3-pointers in 13 games and leads the team with his 69 makes from beyond the arc. He had a season-high five 3-pointers in two games, first against Texas A&M and then again against Baylor, and also has 24 games in double-figure scoring with four over 20 this season. Among active NCAA players, McMillian is 30th by shooting 40.8 percent from 3-point range and 63rd with 243 made 3-pointers. He played in two NCAA Tournaments while at Grand Canyon and with the Red Raiders last season. He has led the team in scoring in seven games this season, most recently with 19 points in a home win over Baylor and with season-highs of 23 against Texas A&M and at Houston. A Vallejo, California native, he entered the postseason after going 3-for-4 against Colorado from 3-point range and finishing with 15 points. He is 10th in the Big 12 with 2.30 made 3-pointers per game and is 15th by averaging 14.3 points per game. During the regular season, McMillian returned from missing two games with a lower body injury to provide nine points, two assists and two steals in the win at Kansas. A fifth-year senior, he matched a season-high with five 3-pointers at TCU and finished with 19 points in the loss before missing the games against West Virginia and Houston with his injury. A starter in 30 games this season, including matching a season-high with 23 points at Houston where he made two 3-pointers and was 7-of-7 at the free-throw line, he has now made three or more 3s in 13 games this season. He has made 13 straight free throws (67-of-76 / 88.2 percent for the season) after sealing the win at KU by making two with seven seconds remaining but not attempting one in the past three games. McMillian forced overtime in the first matchup against Arizona State with an offensive rebound and putback in the final second of regulation and finished with 14 points in the double-overtime win where he was 7-for-7 at the free-throw line. At OSU, he went 4-for-4 at the free-throw line. Against Baylor, he went 5-for-11 on 3-pointers and scored a team-high 19 points. McMillian has led Tech in scoring in five games this season and has scored 20 or more points in eight games in his career after also having a three-game streak which was capped by 20 points against ORU where he went 8-for-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. He made five 3-pointers for the first time this season and finished with a game-high 23 points in the loss against Texas A&M after he had led Tech with 22 points in the win over DePaul. He leads Tech by playing 33:02 minutes per game with a season-high 48:48 against Arizona State, 42:38 at Houston, and 42:32 against Iowa State where he had 18 points and eight rebounds in the overtime loss. Last season, McMillian averaged 10.8 points per game and was 65-for-168 (38.7 percent) on 3-pointers in his first season as a Red Raider where he recorded 18 double-figure scoring performances that included a career-high 27 points at Oklahoma where he went 6-for-8 on 3-pointers. McMillian was selected as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week twice last season, the first time against going off for 24 points at Butler where he went 8-for-10 on 3-pointers. He finished the year 40-for-44 at the free-throw line, including going 26-for-28 in conference play. McMillian is currently 243-for-595 (41.0 percent) on 3-pointers in his career. He has recorded 1,453 points, 244 assists, 100 steals, 483 rebounds and 72 double figure scoring performances through 154 games played in his career.
Hawkins has established a new Texas Tech single-season program record with 219 assists this season and now has 807 assists, 1,392 points and 223 steals through 126 career games after leading the team with five assists against Arkansas. A Washington, D.C. native in his first season at Texas Tech, he leads the Big 12 (12th nationally) with 6.4 assists per game, 219 total for the season and is seventh nationally with a 3.22 assist-to-turnover ratio after also going off for 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in the win over UNCW and then 16 points, seven assists and zero turnovers against Drake. Through three NCAA Tournament games, he is averaging 11.3 points and 7.3 assists. He was 10-for-11 from the free-throw line against Drake and is now 80-for-95 (84.2 percent) for the season at the line. His 10 assists against UNCW matched a program record in the NCAA Tournament and gave him 21 double-figure assist games in his career and 16 double-doubles (six this season). He also established a new Texas Tech record in Big 12 tournament games with 11 assists against Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals. In the Texas Tech record book, Hawkins passed John Roberson who had held the single-season record of 212 during the 2008-09 season. Against Baylor, he added 12 points in the quarterfinal win for his fifth double-double of the season. He had a season-high 12 assists at Arizona during the regular season while at Houston he finished with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists - going 4-for-7 on 3-pointers and 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. Hawkins now has 21 career games with 10 or more assists after he posted 131 assists and only 34 turnovers in Big 12 games this season. In Tucson, he added 10 points to his 12 assists to record his fourth double-double of the season and the 14th of his career. A senior point guard, in his first season at Texas Tech, Hawkins dished out nine assists in the home win over Arizona in the first matchup following his third double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 assists at Kansas State. His 10 assists at K-State included the final possession where he found Williams who made a layup to extend the lead to four with 17 seconds remaining after he had put Tech up two with a layup of his own. He had recorded his 17th career game with double-digit assists after contributing 10 assists with zero turnovers against Iowa State in an overtime game where he also had seven points. He scored a season-high 22 points with a career-best six 3-pointers at BYU after recording the 12th double-double of his career with 12 points and 10 assists in the win against Utah. Hawkins has scored in double figures in 16 of 33 games played this season. For his career, Hawkins is 186-for-518 (35.9 percent) on 3-pointers with a previous career-high five 3-pointers made last season against Coppin State. He had recorded his 11th career double-double and first of this season against UAPB after providing 11 assists, 10 points and five steals in his first start as a Red Raider. He made his Texas Tech debut by going for a team-high five assists and adding seven points in just under 13 minutes of play against Wyoming and has recorded three or more assists in every game he's played this season. Last season, Hawkins was second nationally last season with 7.5 assists per game at Minnesota where he also averaged 9.5 points and had six double-doubles as an All-Big 10 honorable mention selection before transferring to Texas Tech to play his final season. Hawkins scored a career-high 24 points against Ohio State last season and had a 17-assist performance against IU Indy in a non-conference win for his career-best. He began his collegiate career with two seasons at Howard before playing one at Minnesota. Last season, he had eight games with double-figure assists, including dishing out 15 assists and scoring 11 points in a win over Butler in the NIT and also having double-doubles against Nebraska (12p/11a), Maine (12p/10a), Northwestern (13p/10a) at home, Illinois (12a/10p) and at Northwestern (14p/10a). He has a team-high 76 games with double-figure scoring performances in his career. Hawkins currently has 1,388 points, 802 assists and 222 steals through 125 games played in his career. At BYU, in his season-high scoring performance, Hawkins was 7-for-12 from the field and 6-for-9 on 3-pointers (career-high) to give him 22 points. He scored 13 of those 22 points in the second half where he was 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Hawkins played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2023 while at Howard. He enters the NCAA Tournament's fourth round with 345 made free throws in his career and as the team's leader with his 78 double-figure scoring performances. He has led Tech in assists 26 times this season.
Walton went off for a career-high 27 points and eight 3-pointers made in the NCAA Tournament First Round win over UNCW before not scoring against Drake or Arkansas. For the season, Walton is now 61-for-154 (39.6 percent) from 3-point range and is averaging 6.0 points per game. He has made 230 3-pointers in his career, a 41.9 percentage which ranks 18th in the NCAA. A fifth-year senior, he's playing in his fourth NCAA Tournament and came into the national event after going for 13 points with two 3-pointers against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinals after he scored 12 points after making four 3-pointers against Baylor in the Big 12 quarterfinals. In the regular-season finale, Walton made three 3-pointers at Arizona State and finished with 11 points after a game against Colorado where he went 4-for-8 on 3-pointers and finished with 12 points in the win. He now has 10 games this season with three or more 3s. Walton hit 3-pointers to open the game and the second half for the Red Raiders in the win at Kansas – finishing with six points in the game where Tech made 15 3-pointers as a team. Against Houston, he had 12 points with four 3-pointers. Tech's only player to have started every game this season, he scored 13 of Texas Tech's first 15 points in the second half at home against Arizona State in the first meeting and finished the game with 13 points on 3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range. He was also 3-for-3 on 3-pointers in the second half at Houston in the overtime road win and finished the game with 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range in the game. Walton opened this season with a previous career-high seven 3-pointers and led the Red Raiders with 21 points in the season-opening win over Bethune-Cookman. His 21 points in the opener marked his second career game with 20 or more points in his career only being surpassed by his career-best 22-point performance last season against Omaha. The eight 3-pointers against UNCW in Wichita and seven to begin the season were the most for a Red Raider since McMillian made eight last season at Butler and one off from Alan Voskuil's program record of nine against Kansas back on March 4, 2009. A Minnesota native, Walton averaged 8.5 points per game last season and finished 65-for-136 (47.8 percent) from beyond the arc. His percentage was second nationally and second in program history. He scored a career-high 22 points in a non-conference win over Omaha where he was 6-for-7 on 3-pointers and 8-for-9 from the field. In Big 12 play, Walton started all 18 games last season with a pair of 18-point scoring performances in road games at Houston and UCF. He finished the season with 11 double-figure scoring performances with 12 points against BYU in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinal win in Kansas City. He had eight games with three or more 3s, with a 3-for-4 outing against NC State in the NCAA Tournament First Round being the final one. Starting his career with two seasons at North Carolina, Walton has now played 96 games with 69 starts at Texas Tech where he is 149-for-346 (43.1 percent) from 3-point range as a Red Raider. He comes into the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 with 937 points through 156 career games played.
Anderson is coming off a career-high 22 points against Arkansas after hitting three 3-pointers and going 5-of-5 at the free-throw line for his fourth game this season scoring 20-plus and 18th double-figure scoring performance. He was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and matched a previous career-high with 21 points in the regular-season finale at Arizona State in a game where he was 4-for-8 from 3-point range and 7-of-7 at the free-throw line (career-high). A true freshman from Atlanta, he is averaging 10.8 points and 2.09 3-pointers per game. In his first NCAA Tournament game, Anderson started and finished with seven points and three assists against UNCW before contributing five points and three rebounds against Drake. He recorded his 17th double-figure scoring performance of the season with 19 points against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinals to extend a streak of having made two or more 3s in five straight games – a streak started by going 5-for-10 from 3-point range in the win at Kansas. The streak ended with him going 1-for-8 from 3-point range against UNCW before going 1-for-6 against Drake. He made five 3-pointers and recorded a career-high six assists in the win at Kansas where he finished with 15 points. The five 3-pointers matched a career-high and he's now at 71-for-185 (38.4 percent) for the season after going 46-for-109 (42.2 percent) in Big 12 games. Within conference games during the regular season, Anderson led Tech in 3s made and percentage. He averaged 11.4 points against Big 12 opponents. He also recorded 21 points and five 3-pointers made in the win over West Virginia. He made his first career starts against West Virginia and Houston, playing a career-high 40 minutes against Houston where he had a career-high eight rebounds and scored 10 points. Anderson, who has started both NCAA Tournament games, registered double-figure scoring performances in 13 conference games after also going for 16 points (4-for-8 from 3-point range) at Oklahoma State. Against WVU, he scored 16 of his career-high 21 points in the second half and finished the game with four assists to go along with 5-of-8 shooting on 3-pointers. He also produced 10 points, five assists (matched career-high) and three steals in the first matchup against Arizona State in the double-overtime win. Anderson has 19 games with two or more 3s this season and now has made four or more in six games. He also scored 18 points on 4-for-4 shooting from 3-point range against Iowa State and followed it by contributing eight points and a career-high six rebounds in the road win at K-State. Anderson scored 20 points against Lamar after going 8-for-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range in the non-conference finale before leading Tech with five assists against UCF. He is now shooting 117-for-272 (43.0 percent) overall and 63-of-79 (79.7 percent) at the free-throw line after making 6-of-7 against Houston for his previous career-best. His 20 points against Lamar in non-conference play marked the third double-figure scoring performance of his season after he also recorded 11 points against ORU and a previous career-high 12 points against Northern Colorado where he was 4-for-6 on 3-pointers. Through 34 games played in his career (after missing the first two of the season with a lower body injury), he already has nine games with four assists or more and 13 with three or more. He made his collegiate debut against Wyoming where he scored nine points and contributed four assists and three steals in over 25 minutes of play as a reserve. Anderson missed the first two games of the season with a lower body injury but made his presence felt early with a 3-pointer for his first points and finished the night against Wyoming shooting 4-for-7 from the field. He signed with Texas Tech on May 21, 2024, as a four-star recruit following one season at Oak Hill Academy where he averaged 19.1 points and 4.6 assists per game. Originally a Michigan signee, Anderson opened his recruitment and joined the Red Raiders who he practiced with in June before going overseas in July to lead Germany to the 2024 FIBA U18 Eurobasket Championship this season. He averaged 20.3 points and 5.0 assists per game in the tournament, including going off for 31 points and five assists in the finals against Serbia. An Atlanta, Georgia native, Anderson played at The Lovett School where he averaged 23.7 points in his high school career with 2,038 points. As a junior at The Lovett School, before Oak Hill, Anderson averaged 26.1 points and 4.1 assists with three games of 40 or more points. Anderson has made four or more 3-pointers in seven games this season and comes into the NCAA Elite 8 with 368 total points, 76 total assists, 101 rebounds and 41 steals this season.
Overton recorded his 11th double-figure scoring performance of the season with 12 points against Arkansas in a game where he also matched a season-high with seven rebounds. He matched season-highs with 20 points and four 3-pointers made against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinals and comes into the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 averaging 7.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season. A sophomore from Oklahoma City, he transferred to Tech this season after playing at Drake during his freshman season. Overton has scored in double figures in 11 games this season, scoring 20 points for the first time against Northern Colorado in non-conference play. He also added six rebounds against Arizona and now has five or more rebounds in 17 games this season. He had a season-high seven rebounds for the first time in a home win over Baylor during the regular season. In the regular-season finale in Tempe, Overton was 2-for-4 on 3-pointers and finished with eight points and five rebounds. He also had 13 points and five rebounds at Oklahoma State in a game where he made three 3-pointers and three assists. Overton produced 14 points and five rebounds in the win over Cincinnati on the road where he was 3-for-5 on 3-pointers. A lead reserve, he posted 17 points against Lamar and Texas A&M and is the second leading scorer off the bench for the Red Raiders. In non-conference play, he scored his season-high 20 points for the first time against Northern Colorado after going 7-for-11 from the field and 4-of-6 on 3-pointers. In his first season at Texas Tech, his 20-point productions are the fifth time in his young career with 20 or more points. He also had six rebounds against Lamar to match a season-high and had six straight games with five or more rebounds going before having two against UCF. Overton also scored 19 points in a game against Northwestern State where he was 8-for-9 from the free-throw line after 10 points in his only appearance from the starting lineup in his Red Raider debut against Bethune-Cookman. Overton joined the Texas Tech program this season after a freshman year at Drake where he provided 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists as a starter in 35 games (29.9 minutes per game). He scored double figures in 19 games with a career-high 23 points coming against Murray State in his freshman season. Overton finished his first collegiate season shooting 62-for-179 on 3-pointers and contributed 21 steals. He scored 20 or more points in three games with 22 against Oakland and 21 against Saint Louis before his 23-point performance against Murray State where he was 8-for-11 from the field with five 3-pointers. Overton played one prep season at Sunrise Christian in Kansas before beginning his collegiate career. He has 671 points, 248 rebounds and 30 double-figure scoring performances through 70 games in his collegiate career. For his career, Overton has made 101 3-pointers and is 228-for-528 from the field.
Federiko pulled down a season-high seven offensive rebounds against Arkansas and finished the game with nine rebounds and seven points in 13 minutes. He was 3-for-3 from the field and is now averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds this season after also providing six points and two rebounds against UNCW in the NCAA First Round and nine points and six rebounds against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinals. He made his sixth start of the season against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinals, grabbing four offensive rebounds and is now averaging 2.35 offensive rebounds per game through 34 games played. He also secured nine rebounds (five offensive) against Houston at home during the regular season. Along with his Big 12-high nine rebounds against Houston, Federiko scored four points and had two assists in 29 minutes of playing time against the Cougars from the starting lineup. It was his fifth start of the season and second in Big 12 play. Federiko had a career night against Oral Roberts in non-conference play, going for a career-best 23 points and adding 12 rebounds for his first double-double of the season and the third in his career. He also provided eight points and four rebounds (three offensive) in the home win over Baylor after he had a huge block at Houston at the end of regulation to force overtime in a game where he finished with six rebounds (three offensive). Federiko has 80 offensive rebounds for the season – 2.35 per game which ranks as the 12th best in the Big 12. A senior from Finland, he also led Tech with eight rebounds (four offensive) in the home win over Oklahoma State. He had a season-high six offensive rebounds against ORU in non-conference play and five in the home win over Arizona. He also led the Tech reserves with 14 points and added three rebounds in the road win at Utah where he shot 7-for-9 from the field. He missed the Lamar game with an upper body injury before returning for Big 12 play. He was 11-for-13 (84.6 percent) from the field against ORU and also finished the game with a career-high five assists and six offensive rebounds. It was his first game in double-figure scoring as a Red Raider and came in his third start of the season. Federiko provided seven points, six rebounds and a career-high four steals against Texas A&M. He began this season going 9-for-9 after making his only shot against Saint Joseph's before going 1-for-3 against Syracuse and 2-for-3 against Northern Colorado where he finished with five points and three assists. Against Texas A&M, Federiko was 3-for-3 from the field. He had previously scored a season-high eight points for the first time in the win over Wyoming where he was 4-for-4 from the field. The tallest Red Raider on the roster at 6-foot-11, he is a senior in his first and final season at Texas Tech following two years at Pitt. Federiko came into this season after he averaged 4.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and had 43 blocked shots as a starter in 26 games at Pitt. He had a career-high 22 points against North Florida last season and finished with eight games in double-figure scoring as a sophomore and two last season. In 2022-23, he went for 13 points and eight points at Florida State and produced his only double-double of the season with 17 points and 14 rebounds against Sacred Heart. Last season, he had a double-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks against North Carolina A&T. As a sophomore, Federiko recorded 18 games with two or more blocks, including having four blocks in games against Miami, Vanderbilt and North Carolina before having six games with three or more blocks last season. Federiko was a NJCAA All-America as a freshman at Northern Oklahoma. He now has 564 points, 512 rebounds, 126 blocks and 13 double-figure scoring performances through 102 games at the NCAA level.
Yalaho has missed the last 15 games with an upper body injury and is averaging 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in eight games played this season. In his last game played, he came up with the defensive stop against Houston in overtime to force a traveling call in the final seconds to secure the win and finished the game with four points and four rebounds. A sophomore from Finland, he made his first career start and scored a career-high 13 points in the non-conference win over Lamar after going 5-for-8 from the field, including 2-of-2 on 3-pointers. Yalaho also had five rebounds against Lamar in his fifth game of the season. He was coming off a game where he provided three rebounds and two points in the win over ORU in 13 minutes of playing time. He made his season debut against Northern Colorado where he had two points, one rebound and a block in four minutes of play and also had two points and three rebounds against Texas A&M. Yalaho had missed the previous six games to start his sophomore season with a lower body injury. He entered this season after playing in 17 games last season as a freshman, including scoring a previous career-high 10 points against Houston in the Big 12 Championship semifinals. A Finland native, Yalaho was 16-for-33 from the field and averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He had a career-best six rebounds at UCF where he also had eight points. Against Houston in Kansas City, Yalaho scored in double figures for the first time in his career after he also provided seven points and three rebounds in the regular-season finale win over Baylor. Over the summer, Yalaho returned to Finland where he participated in workouts with his national team. Yalaho has played in 25 career games.
Green has appeared in nine games this season after he joined the Texas Tech program as a walk-on in September. He played the previous two seasons at Air Force. A Midlothian native, Green returned to his home state having played in 36 career games and produced 46 blocked shots. As a freshman in the 2022-23 season, Green started 12 games and played in 24 at Air Force where he averaged 6.5 points and had 34 blocks. Last season, he played in 12 games where he averaged 2.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and had 12 blocked shots. His career-best came with 17 points and 12 rebounds against USC Update on November 21, 2022. Green is a junior with one year of eligibility remaining after this season.
Francis has appeared in 11 games this season and 16 in his career. He recorded his first field goal in his career with a layup against ORU for his first points of the season. He is a walk-on who played in five games last season for the Red Raiders. He scored his first career points with a pair of free throws against Sam Houston in a non-conference win and had two rebounds against Kansas and Oklahoma State in Big 12 play. An Austin, Texas native, Francis was a practice player for the program during the 2022-23 season before earning a spot on the roster. He was a 1,000-point scorer at Anderson High School.
Horner played nearly eight minutes against Arizona in the Big 12 semifinal and produced one rebound, one block and one steal in his first action since playing at Utah. He scored his first career points in the win over Oral Roberts and has now made nine appearances this season. He is a true freshman who joined the Texas Tech program after playing at Dynamic Prep and Frisco Memorial. As a senior at Dynamic Prep, Horner averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was a McDonald's All-American nominee and helped the program to the Texas Christian Athletic League 6A State Championship. He earned T-CAL All-State Second Team honors. At Frisco Memorial, Horner was a three-time all-district selection who had 889 points, 419 rebounds and 121 assists in three seasons.
Henderson is out for the season as he recovers from a lower body injury. He joined the program as a walk-on this season after being a three-time state champion at Oak Cliff Faith Family in high school. A Dallas native, he averaged 14 points and 7 assists as a senior after going for 10 points and 7 assists as a junior.
Marial Akuentok officially signed with Texas Tech on January 10, 2025, and has enrolled at the University to join the program immediately… Akuentok is a 6-foot-10, 230-pound center/forward from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who played with the Canada National Team and won a bronze medal in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup last summer… He is a top 100 recruit who has reclassified from the 2025 class and joins the Red Raiders this semester but will redshirt.
McCasland statement regarding Devan Cambridge: "Devan is seeking a medical hardship waiver and is no longer with the team. We are thankful for his contributions to our basketball program."
ADDITIONAL TEAM NOTES: Texas Tech scored its most points in a Big 12 game in program history with 111 against Arizona State… The 38-point margin at Oklahoma State was the largest road win margin in a Big 12 game in program history and the second largest ever in a Big 12 game… Tech also recorded 28-point road wins at Arizona State and at Utah this season… The 111 points against ASU in the first meeting are not only the most by a Red Raider team in Big 12 history, it was also only the second time over 100 in a Big 12 game ever – the only other time a 102-75 win over Texas A&M in 1998… The Red Raiders have now played in 20 double-overtime games in program history and are 9-11 in those games… The last double-overtime game in Lubbock was back on February 20, 1994 – a 128-125 double-overtime win over Texas... Tech's 16 3-pointers against Colorado and at Oklahoma State followed another 16 output in the season-opener against Bethune-Cookman which matched the program record that was most recently accomplished against Kansas back on February 23, 2019 - also against UNC-Asheville (2004) and New Mexico State (1996)… The Red Raiders finished last season with 11 games of 10 or more 3s and has already surpassed that this season, making 10 or more 3s in 22 games this season… Tech has shot over 45 percent from 3-point range in seven games this season… A previous season-best stretch of three straight games with 10 or more 3s ended against UCF after Tech went just 3-for-16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range in the Big 12 opener… The Red Raiders have shot over 50 percent from 3-point range in three games this season: Bethune (53.3), Wyoming (55.6) and Northern Colorado (56.5)… Texas Tech was second in the Big 12 last season by shooting 35.9 percent on 3-pointers and third with 8.5 made per game… Tech's largest runs of the season have been 17-0 spurts, the first time to end the first half against Bethune-Cookman and then midway through the first half against ORU to build out a 22-point halftime lead… Tech had 13-0 runs in the second halves against Arizona and K-State – finishing off Arizona with a 13-0 run in the 16-point win in Lubbock… The 30 assists against UAPB marked the eighth time in program history with 30-plus assists and the most since a 32-assist performance against Tennessee State in 2019; Tech now has seven games with 20 or more assists this season after having 21 against UNCW in the NCAA Tournament First Round, 26 assists on 34 makes against ORU and with 24 assists at Utah on 34 makes… Tech's 47-point non-conference win over Wyoming was its largest margin of victory since a 50-point victory over Jackson State on December 17, 2022… Texas Tech remained dominant in non-conference home games where it has now won 38 straight after the win over ORU to extend the streak into next season… The program has not lost a non-conference home game since falling to Kentucky in a 76-74 overtime decision on January 25, 2019… Tech owns a 15-3 home record and is 7-2 on the road this season… Tech is now 2-22 all-time at Kansas and snapped a five-game losing streak at Allen Fieldhouse with the win… Tech advanced to the Big 12 Championship semifinals for the eighth time in program history
RANKINGS
• Texas Tech has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for a program record eight straight seasons
• After going most of the season unranked, Tech has now been ranked eight straight weeks and in the Top 10 for five straight weeks
• The five straight weeks in the AP Top 10 is a new program record, passing four from the 2017-18 team
• Tech entered the AP Top 10 for the first time at No. 9 and was at No. 10 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (Feb. 17)
• The Red Raiders were at No. 12 (Feb. 10) in the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches poll along with being at No. 9 in the NCAA NET and Kenpom
• Tech was at No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll on Monday, February 3 for its highest ranking under McCasland at the time
• Tech entered the AP Top 25 for the first time this season on January 27 at No. 22 in the AP Top 25 and was at No. 19 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll… The team was also at No. 11 in Kenpom.com and in the NCAA NET
•  Tech moved from unranked to No. 24 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (Nov. 18)... A loss to Saint Joseph's bumped Tech from the USA TODAY Coaches Poll… The Red Raiders started the 2024-25 season unranked in the preseason polls after being at No. 22 in both national polls going into the NCAA Tournament last season… The Red Raiders were at No. 25 in the final 2023-24 USA TODAY Coaches Poll and received votes in the final AP Poll
• Texas Tech was picked 7th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and did not have a player selected in the 2024 preseason awards
• Last season, Tech was at No. 15 (Jan. 29) for its highest ranking of the season; Tech came into the 2023-24 season unranked in the AP Preseason Poll and remained unranked in the Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, and Jan. 8 polls; The team received votes for the first time last season with 62 in the January 8 poll after the win over the Longhorns in Austin to begin conference play
• The No. 15 national ranking was the highest since the program was No. 12 in the AP Top 25 at the end of the 2022 season… Tech was as high as No. 9 in 2022
• Tech's highest AP ranking in program history came at No. 6 in February of 2018 (16th Week Poll)… The 2018-19 team was No. 8 in the final week of the regular season and No. 7 throughout the postseason that led to the 2019 National Championship Final
COACHING STAFF
McCasland's staff includes assistant coaches Luke Barnwell, Matt Braeuer, Jeff Linder and Achoki Moikobu along with Kellen Buffington (general manager), Andrew Wright (strength & conditioning), Chris Nottingham (player development), Jardon Powell (director of administration and operations), Cooper Anderson (operations) and Brian Pete (video coordinator). Linder joined the staff this season after being the head coach at Wyoming (2020-2024) and Northern Colorado (2016-2019) while Pete was at Vanderbilt last season. Braeuer, Moikobu and Wright are in their second season at Tech and all worked with McCasland at UNT. Braeuer has been named the SFA head coach but will continue to coach the Red Raiders throughout the remainder of the season
PROGRAM NOTES
The Red Raiders have now advanced to 21 overall NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the 2018 Elite 8, 2019 National Championship Final, 2022 Sweet 16 and the 2024 First Round… This is the 100th season in program history and includes recent appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2024... The program won the 2019 Big 12 regular-season championship with a 14-4 conference record.
RED RAIDERS IN THE PROS
Texas Tech has had 25 NBA Draft selections in program history… Recently in the NBA Draft, selections of Zhaire Smith (R1-P16), Jarrett Culver (R1-P6), and Jahmi'us Ramsey (R2-P43) were made… Tony Battie was selected at No. 5 in the 1997 NBA Draft for the top pick in Tech history... Mac McClung, who has signed a two-way with Orlando, represented the program by winning the 2023 and 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest… Former Red Raiders who are listed on NBA G-League rosters are Jarrett Culver (Osceola), De'Vion Harmon (Indiana), Mac McClung (Osceola), Kevin Obanor (905 Raptors), Jahmi'us Ramsey (Oklahoma City), Zhaire Smith (Cleveland) and Warren Washington (Sioux Falls)... Former players overseas includes: Adonis Arms (Guangdong Southern Tigers in Chinese Basketball Association), Brandone Francis (Selenge Bodons Sukhbaatar in Mongolian MBL), Keenan Evans (Olympiacos in Greek GBL), Bryson Williams (Aliaga Petkimspor Izmir in Turkish BSL), Marcus Santos-Silva (Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball in French Betclic ELITE ProA), Davion Warren (Guangzhou Loong Lions in Chinese CBA), Dejan Kravic (Estudiantes in Spanish Primera FEB), Joe Toussaint (Karhubasket in Finnish Korisliiga), Justin Gray (Itelyum Varese in Italian Serie A), Tariq Owens (Cremona in Italian Serie A), John Roberson (Al Ahly Cairo in Egyptian Superleague), Zach Smith (Pitesti in Romanian Liga Nationala), Michael Singletary (Fubon Braves in Taiwanese PLeague+), Joel Ntambwe (Abeilles in Central African D1), Kyler Edwards (JDA Dijon Bourgogne in France), Jeffrey Crockett (Keravnos in Cyprus), Toddrick Gotcher (Fomik Zamek in Poland), Davide Moretti (Umana Reyer Venezia in Italy Serie A), Robert Tuner (FOS Provence in French ProB), TJ Holyfield (Pass Lab Yamagata in Japanese B2), Matt Mooney (Adelaide 36ers in Australian NBL), Clarence Nadolny (Rouen in French ProB), Devon Thomas (U.M.F. Grindavik in Iceland), Chris Clarke (Obras in Argentina)... Former players who transferred to other college programs and are now on NBA rosters are: Terrence Shannon (Minnesota), Kevin McCullar (New York), Jaylon Tyson (Cleveland) *subject to change based on player movement throughout the year
VIDEOSÂ
EP1 - Toughest Team Wins | EP2 - Toughest Team Wins | EP3 - Toughest Team Wins | EP4 – Toughest Team Wins | Define Yourself | JT Toppin (Red Raider Life) | CBS Confidential - 2 | CBS Confidential - 1Â
FEATURE STORIES
Toughest Team Wins | Formative Conversation | Four Journeys to Big 12 Media Day | Elijah Hawkins | JT Toppin | Chance McMillian | Kerwin Walton | Darrion Williams | Grant McCaslandÂ
Follow the Red Raiders: Keep up with Texas Tech men's basketball news at TexasTech.com and at the team's social media on Instagram, X and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
