How Texas Tech basketball can round out 2025-26 roster through transfer portal

The basketball transfer portal window is now closed, so it’s time to take a deep dive into where things stand for the Texas Tech basketball team as the Red Raiders move toward the 2025-26 season.

Grant McCasland has had great success in his first two years as head coach, leading the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA Tournament and coming minutes away from a berth in the Final Four. Now, McCasland is looking to keep that momentum going into Year 3.

UP TO DATE: Texas Tech basketball transfer portal tracker: Red Raiders add Villanova transfer

Several key pieces are already guaranteed to leave with another one still in limbo, which could dictate how the Red Raiders move forward in the transfer portal over the next couple of months.

Here’s a look at what Texas Tech has done in the transfer portal thus far and what it can still do to put the best team together for 2025-26.

Breaking down Texas Tech basketball’s roster with transfer portal now closed

Departures

Elijah Hawkins — 5-11, 190, Guard (exhausted eligibility; 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists)
Chance McMillian — 6-3, 190, Guard (exhausted eligibility; 1.4 2points, 4.0 rebounds, 52.3% FG, 43.3% 3FG, 88.5% FT; second team all-Big 12)
Kerwin Walton — 6-5, 210, Guard (exhausted eligibility; 6.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, 39.6% 3FG)
Kevin Overton — 6-5, 200, JR, Guard (transferred to Auburn; 7.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 42.2% FG, 33.1% 3FG)

Currently in the transfer portal

Darrion Williams — 6-6, 225, SR, Forward (currently going through NBA Draft process; 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 34% 3FG; first team all-Big 12)
Federiko Federiko — 6-11, 215, S-SR, Forward (5.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 74.3% FG, 27 blocks)
Eemeli Yalaho — 6-8, 240, JR, Forward (3.3 points, 2.4 rebounds in eight games)
Corbin Green — 6-5, 230, SR, Forward (0.1 points in nine games)

Returning to Texas Tech basketball

JT Toppin — 6-9, 225, JR, Forward (18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 55.4% FG, 48 blocks; consensus second team All-American, Big 12 player of the year)
Christian Anderson Jr. — 6-2, 165, SO, Guard (10.6 points, 2.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 38% 3FG; Big 12 all-freshman)
Leon Horner — 6-4, 215, SO, Guard (0.2 points, 0.6 rebounds in nine games)
Jack Francis — 6-3, 185, SR, Guard (0.2 points in 11 games)
Jazz Henderson — 5-11, 175, R-FR, Guard (missed the 2024-25 season with an injury)
Marial Akuentok — 6-10, 230, R-FR, Forward (redshirted the 2024-25 after reclassifying and joining the team in January)

Offseason additions through transfer portal/recruiting

Tyeree Bryan — 6-5, 210, SR, Guard (Santa Clara transfer; 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 46.3% FG, 42.9% 3FG)
LeJuan Watts — 6-6, 233, JR, Forward (Washington State transfer; 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 54.9% FG, 42.2% 3FG)
Josiah Moseley — 6-6, 229, SO, Forward (Villanova transfer; 1.9 points, 2.3 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game in 30 games)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 29: JT Toppin #15 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders drives to the basket against the Florida Gators during the first half in the West Regional Elite Eight round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Chase Center on March 29, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Where Texas Tech basketball’s 2025-26 roster stands with transfer portal window closed

The roster stands at 11 players with 10 of them expected to be on scholarship. That leaves three scholarships to play with to round out the rest of the roster.

The return of JT Toppin is the headliner here, and for good reason. Toppin was a consensus second team All-American after earning Big 12 player of the year, leading the team in points (18.4 per game) and rebounds (9.2) in his first year in Lubbock. Toppin is looking to be the third player to win back-to-back Big 12 player of the year crowns, joining Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield (2014-15 and 2015-16) and Kansas’ Raef LaFrentz (1996-97 and 1997-98).

Christian Anderson’s return is also significant after the Atlanta native emerged as a go-to scoring option at times and showed an ability to play on or off the ball in the backcourt.

From there, Texas Tech has surrounded those two known commodities with four players out of the portal either being 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6 with three of them — Tyeree Bryan, LeJuan Watts and Donovan Atwell — all shooting at least 38% from 3-point range last season.

What’s next for the Texas Tech basketball team in the transfer portal

True defined depth is the most glaring weakness right now. The potential starting five of Toppin, Anderson, Bryan, Atwell and Watts is solid and provides a lot of options. Beyond that, though, there’s just Josiah Moseley who has played significant time in college while the rest are young players who haven’t seen the floor much, or at all.

The two biggest pieces the Red Raiders could stand to add are a proven point guard and another big, preferably one in the 7-foot range.

The big man will be hardest to get at this juncture. One name that jumps out is Joshua Ojianwuna, the 6-foot-10 big who is in the portal out of Baylor.

There are more options for the point guard spot, though it depends on what kind of role they’re looking for Anderson to have next season. Is he moving to the true ball-handler role, staying at the off-guard spot? Most likely it’ll be a combination of the two, so Texas Tech mainly needs somebody who can run the offense and find the slew of shooters on the floor, much like Elijah Hawkins, just not at as high of a level. That would be asking too much.

Potential X-factors

How the Red Raiders build out the rest of the roster will tell us a bit more about how they view redshirt freshmen Jazz Henderson and Marial Akuentok.

Henderson missed the 2024-25 season after suffering an injury in the preseason, while Akuentok reclassified to the 2024 recruiting class and joined the team in January, redshirting the season.

Henderson has a built-in chemistry with high school teammate Toppin, which could play a factor next season. Akuentok, meanwhile, was rehabbing an injury he suffered while still in high school but spent the semester being around the team and learning from the likes of Federiko Federiko, whom Akuentok shares a similar length and body type.

While Texas Tech will probably add more veteran players at point guard and at the big man spots, should they decide to look to pad depth at the other positions, it would show they’re trusting Henderson and Akuentok to take over those roles as reserves.

The Darrion Williams factor

The variable here is Darrion Williams, Texas Tech’s do-everything forward, who is utilizing the stardom generated from his March Madness performance to test things in the transfer portal and the NBA Draft.

Timing is key with Williams. Players don’t have to formally withdraw from the NBA Draft until June 15, leaving about a two-month gap between now and when Williams would have to make that decision. Does Texas Tech assume Williams is gone and look to fill the void? Or do the Red Raiders wait and see what’s going to happen, keep that scholarship spot open for him and go from there?

Texas Tech is already generating preseason buzz simply by keeping Toppin and Anderson, and the additions they’ve already made. Bringing Williams back would take things over the top, but that’s not a given. Many see Watts as the Williams replacement due to his similar build and stat line at Washington State, but the two could just as easily play together, and would make a unique look for the Red Raiders.

Best guess is that Williams will either return to Texas Tech — it would be shocking if the Matador Club let somebody else swoop in and take him away from the Red Raiders — or stay in the draft, and that may not be decided for a while.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech basketball’s needs for 2025-26 with transfer portal now closed

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