Texas Tech, K-State square off on Saturday

LUBBOCK, Texas – Round 3 of the Big 12 fight brings Kansas State to Lubbock for a 3 p.m. conference game on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena. The Red Raiders (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) are riding a season-best eight-game winning streak and are currently 9-0 on their home court under first-year head coach Grant McCasland. The Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) have won four in a row, including opening conference play with wins against UCF and at West Virginia. Tech remains unranked in the polls (though receiving 62 votes this week) but has climbed to No. 25 in KenPom following its start to conference play. K-State is currently 57. This will be the only regular-season matchup between Tech and K-State in the newly configured Big 12 scheduling matrix.

Pop Isaacs led Tech with 24 points on Tuesday night in a 90-73 win over Oklahoma State after going for 21 points last Saturday in a 78-67 win at No. 20 Texas. The Red Raiders had all five starters score in double-figures against Oklahoma State in a game where only four turnovers were committed and over 14,000 fans were in attendance. Through two Big 12 games, Tech is averaging 84.0 points per game and only 6.5 turnovers. The Red Raiders are shooting 56.3 percent from the field, are 14-for-28 on 3-pointers, and 28-for-38 (73.7%) at the free-throw line in those games. They’ve held Texas and OSU to an average of 70.0 points, 34.9% shooting, and forced 11.5 turnovers per game. Warren Washington is averaging 15.5 ppg., Joe Toussaint is at 14.0, Darrion Williams is at 10.5 ppg. and 6.5 rebounds per game going into the third round of conference games. Washington had 16 points and five assists in the win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday night and is currently averaging 9.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game. He ranks third in the Big 12 in blocked shots and is sixth in rebounding going into the matchup.

The 2-0 start is the best Big 12 start for Tech since the 2019 season when that team began 4-0 and went on to win the Big 12 regular-season championship with a 14-4 record. The 2004 team also began its conference schedule with four wins in a row before a loss.

K-State is led by head coach Jerome Tang who was an assistant at Baylor along with McCasland. The Wildcats are coming off a run to the 2023 NCAA Elite 8 in Tang’s first season where they were 11-7 in Big 12 play. They have started the conference schedule this season with a 77-52 home win over UCF and an 81-67 road win at West Virginia on Tuesday. Cam Carter leads K-State with 16.7 points per game, while Creighton transfer Arthur Kaluma is at 15.2 ppg. and 8.0 rebounds per game. David N’Guessan leads the team with 8.5 rebounds per game and is also adding 8.2 points , while starter Will McNair is at 8.1 ppg. Tylor Perry, who played for McCasland at UNT, is averaging 15.1 ppg. and leads K-State with 80 assists. He currently leads the Big 12 at the free-throw line where he is 70-for-75 (93.3%) and has made 42 3-pointers. Against WVU, Carter led the team with 23 points while Kaluma and N’Guessan had 17 each.

SERIES HISTORY
K-State leads the all-time series by a 25-24 margin… Tech leads the all-time series in Lubbock by a 16-7 margin. The two programs have split their games the past two seasons with the home team winning each time, including the Red Raiders taking a 71-63 win on February 11, 2023, at United Supermarkets Arena in the last matchup. Tech has won 7-of-10 (and 9-of-12) over the Wildcats. The all-time series began on December 6, 1955, with K-State taking an 89-70 win in Manhattan, Kansas. The Wildcats won the first five games in the series.

GAME INFORMATION
Matchup: Kansas State (12-3, 2-0) at Texas Tech (13-2, 2-0)
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Venue: United Supermarkets Arena
Tip: 3:05 p.m., Saturday, January 13, 2024
TV: ESPN2
TV CALL: Pete Sousa (play-by-play), King McClure (analyst)

RED RAIDER REPORT
Grant McCasland’s inaugural roster at Texas Tech has 13 players on it with five returners and eight newcomers… McCasland was named the 19th head coach in program history on March 31, 2023, after leading North Texas to the 2023 NIT Championship… He is currently in his 10th season as an NCAA head coach and has a 224-91 overall record with head coaching experiences at Midwestern State, Arkansas State, and North Texas… He was also an assistant at Baylor from 2011-16 and won the 2007 NJCAA National Championship in his first head coaching role leading Midland College
Isaacs is leading Tech in scoring at 16.7 points per game after his 24 points against Oklahoma State and 21 points at Texas to begin conference play… Warren Washington leads Tech with 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, while Toussaint tops the Red Raiders with 4.1 assists per game and is second in scoring with 14.3 points per game… Isaacs leads Tech with 35 total 3-pointers while Chance McMillian has made 31 and leads the reserves with 9.1 points per game
In Big 12 weekly awards, Isaacs was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Tuesday, January 2 for his 28-point performance against Sam Houston… McMillian was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on December 4 after his 24-point performance at Butler where he made eight 3-pointers
Tech is currently first in the Big 12 and 13th nationally by shooting 77.6 percent from the free-throw line after going 13-for-7 against OSU and 15-for-21 at Texas… Tech is led at the line by Toussaint who is 59-for-67 (88.1%), Isaacs (52-for-65 – 80.0%), and Darrion Williams (29-of-34 – 85.3%) … The Red Raiders have made 15 or more free throws in 10 of 15 games… As a team, Tech has shot 80% or better from the free-throw line in 7 of 15 games this season
Controlling possession, Tech committed only four turnovers in the win over Oklahoma State after having only nine in the Big 12 opener against Texas… Through two Big 12 games, Tech has a plus-5 turnover margin and is averaging only 6.5 turnovers per game… The program record for fewest turnovers is two in a single-game – coming on January 25, 2021 at West Virginia
Tech has now made nine or more 3-pointers in 7 of 15 games this season following a season-high 15 against Sam Houston after going 10-for-27 against UTA… The Red Raiders went 7-for-15 from beyond the arc at Texas and were 7-for-13 against Oklahoma State… The 15 3-pointers against Sam Houston matched the second most in program history and fell just one shy of the program record of 16 3-pointers which has happened three times – most recently against Kansas in 2019… The Red Raiders are now 130-for-353 (36.8%) for the season on 3-pointers and are 4th in the Big 12 with 8.7 3-pointers per game… Three players are shooting over 40 percent on 3s with Walton (53.7), Darrion Williams (40.0), and McMillian (44.3)
Tech has been led in scoring by six different players in its 15 games and currently by Isaacs in the past four games… Isaacs led Tech in scoring for the seventh time this season with his 24 points against Oklahoma State after going for the 21 points at Texas… Warren Washington was the sixth different leading scorer after he had his game-high 18 points against ORU following Walton scoring his career-high 22 points against Omaha a game after McMillian led the team for the second time this season with his 24 at Butler… Toussaint has led Tech in scoring three times – most recently with his 19 points against UTA
The Red Raiders returned Lamar Washington, Pop Isaacs, D’Maurian Williams, Kerwin Walton, and Robert Jennings who are each in their second season in the program… Tech returned only 25.4 percent of its scoring from last season with eight departures from last year’s roster… Isaacs is Tech’s leading returning scorer after going for 11.5 points per game as a true freshman in 25 games played last season
The list of newcomers includes five players from the transfer portal in Devan Cambridge (Arizona State), Chance McMillian (Grand Canyon), Joe Toussaint (West Virginia), Darrion Williams (Nevada), and Warren Washington (Arizona State)… All five players signed out of the transfer portal played on teams that advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament… The transfer portal additions had a combined 492 games of experience and 3,454 points scored coming into the season
Cambridge suffered a season-ending knee injury in the win over Omaha on December 6 and will miss the remainder of the year… A starter in all eight games before the injury, Cambridge will have the option after the season to file a medical hardship through the Big 12… He averaged 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Red Raiders and is currently at 983 points and 515 rebounds in his career
Tech’s starting lineup for the opening eight games was: Cambridge, Isaacs, Toussaint, Warren Washington, Darrion Williams… Kerwin Walton has started since Cambridge’s injury, making his first start this season against Vanderbilt… The starting lineup of Isaacs, Toussaint, Warren Washington, Darrion Williams, and Walton is currently 7-0 together
Toussaint scored in double figures in the first eight games of the season before finishing with nine points against ORU for the longest double-figure scoring streak of the season… Jarrett Culver began the 2018-19 season with 13 straight double-figure scoring games for the previous long to start a season… Isaacs has currently scored in double-figures in six straight games for the second longest streak this season
Showing team balance, Tech matched a season-best with five players in double-figures against Oklahoma State with Isaacs (24), Washington (16), Walton (16), Williams (14), Toussaint (13) – it was the first time all five starters scored in double figures… Tech established a season-high with five players in double-figure scoring for the first time at Butler with McMillian (24), Isaacs (18), Toussaint (18), Cambridge (16), Warren Washington (10)… The Red Raiders had four score in double figures at Texas in the Big 12 opener with Isaacs (21), Toussaint (15), Warren Washington (15) and McMillian (11)
A season-high 11 players scored in the opener against Texas A&M-Commerce… Tech had seven players score against OSU
Eight players have made their Tech debut this season, including most recently with Jack Francis and KyeRon Lindsay who played for their first time this season against Omaha
Darrion Williams was McCasland’s first signee on April 21, 2023
Cambridge and Toussaint were both officially announced on July 6, 2023, to complete the roster… Six players were signed by McCasland and staff in the off-season
Tech is a team comprised of 5th-year seniors (3), seniors (3), sophomores (6), and freshmen (1)
Tech has players from Texas (3), California (3), Arizona (1), Minnesota (1), Nevada (1), New York (1), Oregon (1), Tennessee (1), Finland (1)
Toussaint reached the 1,000-point milestone on Tuesday night in a game against Oklahoma State where he finished with 13 points and two assists… He now leads the Red Raiders with 4.1 assists and is second in scoring at 14.3 points per game… For his career, Toussaint has 1,006 points, 429 assists, 155 steals, and 305 rebounds through 147 games… He is currently 10th in the Big 12 with a 2.18 assist-to-turnover ratio after zero turnovers against OSU, 15th in assists, and 18th in scoring… A Bronx native, he has scored in double figures in a team-best 13 games this season… At the free-throw line, Toussaint is 59-for-67 (88.1 percent) which is second in the Big 12 behind only Tylor Perry who is at 93.3% for KSU… Toussaint had a career-high 12 assists and scored 18 points for his first double-double of the season in the overtime loss at Butler… Toussaint scored the first four points of Tech’s season in the opener against Texas A&M-Commerce and finished with 10 points to go along with three rebounds and an assists in his Tech debut… A 6-foot guard, he is in his fifth and final season of college basketball after playing his first three seasons at Iowa and then last year at West Virginia… The New Yorker played against Texas Tech four times as an opponent in his career, including three times last season while at WVU and once while at Iowa in 2019… He scored his career-high 22 points against the Red Raiders in Lubbock after making 12 free throws and has now scored 20 or more four times in his career… He had his first career double-double with 11 assists and 11 points against Alabama State back on Nov. 18, 2021, while playing at Iowa… His 147 games are the most experience on this year’s Tech roster and the fifth most among all active players in the nation… Toussaint is coming off a season at WVU were he averaged 9.4 points and had 89 assists… He started against Texas A&M in the exhibition game, finishing with a team-high seven assists and having six points and three rebounds in 36 minutes of play… Toussaint’s 13 games this season in double figures leads the team and now has him with 39 double-figure scoring games in his career… His points-assist double-double at Butler was the first for Tech since John Roberson had 12 points and 12 assists against Iowa State in 2011
Isaacs went off for 24 points with four 3-pointers in the win over Oklahoma State and has now scored over 20 points in four straight games for the first time in his career… He also led Tech with 21 points at Texas last Saturday where he surpassed the 500-point career milestone after going 7-for-15 from the field, 3-for-5 on 3-pointers, and shooting 4-for-4 at the free-throw line… Against OSU, Isaacs was 4-for-8 on 3-pointers and 9-for-15 from the field along with adding four assists in the win… He is now leading the team with 16.7 points per game for the season and is averaging 22.4 points in the past five games… Isaacs is currently 5th in the Big 12 with his 16.7 ppg. and is 6th with 2.33 3-pointers per game… He has reached double-figure scoring in six straight and 12 overall games this season… He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week for the first time in his career after going off for a career-high 28 points in the win over Sam Houston on December 28 before also leading Tech with 21 points on New Year’s Day against North Alabama… Against Sam Houston, Isaacs made five 3-pointers for the fourth time in his career – including last season at Texas when he scored 23 points as a freshman against the Longhorns… A sophomore from Las Vegas, Isaacs has now led Tech in scoring seven times this season including with 19 points and a career-high seven assists against Vandy in a game where he also only had one turnover to start the six-game streak of double-figure scoring… He goes into the game against K-State with 538 points and 97 3-pointers made through 40 career games played at Tech and is currently averaging 3.3 assists and a 1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio… In his second season at Tech, Isaacs also had 18 points and four assists at Butler, including hitting the game-tying layup as time expired in regulation to force overtime… Proving to be a clutch player for the Red Raiders, Isaacs also hit the game-winner against UNI with 0.8 on the clock and finished with 18 points and four 3-pointers for the second straight game in the Bahamas… Isaacs now has 28 double-figure scoring performances and 22 games of three or more assists in his career… In the preseason, Isaacs also went off for 30 points after going 6-for-10 on 3-pointers in the exhibition win over Texas A&M where he also led the team with three steals… Last season, he made 62 3-pointers (37.8%), including making five 3-pointers in games against Nicholls, TCU, and Texas… Isaacs scored a previous career-high 24 points in the non-conference game against Nicholls and also had 23 points at Texas after he went off by making 5-of-9 3-pointers against the Longhorns… Isaacs made 24 starts last year and earned Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors during his first season at Tech where he averaged 11.5 points, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game… He finished third in scoring among freshmen in the Big 12 and was fourth throughout the conference by averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers per game
Darrion Williams leads Texas Tech with four double-doubles after going for 14 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in the win over Oklahoma State… He comes into the matchup against Kansas State averaging 9.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game… He contributed seven points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the win at Texas… A sophomore, who transferred from Nevada, Williams has 397 points, 343 rebounds, 127 assists, and 64 steals through 48 career games… A Sacramento, California native, he recorded his third double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the win over ORU… His three double-doubles are the fourth most in the Big 12, behind Hunter Dickinson of Kansas who has nine… Williams had recorded his second double-double of the season and third of his career after going for 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Michigan… Against Michigan, he had a season-high three 3-pointers which was just shy of his career-best of four 3-pointers in a game last season against Arizona State in the NCAA Tournament… He matched his season-high when he went 3-for-3 on 3-pointers against UTA and is currently 18-for-45 (40.0%) for the season from beyond the arc… He recorded the first double-double of the season for Texas Tech and the second in his career by going for a career-high 14 rebounds and adding 10 points in the win over Corpus Christi… Williams began his Tech career by going for 14 points and seven rebounds in the win over Commerce before scoring nine points and having six rebounds against San Jose… He earned Mountain West Freshman of the Year last season while playing at the University of Nevada after earning Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior year of high school at Bishop Gorman… He transferred to Tech during the summer after averaging 7.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a freshman… He also had 90 assists, 47 steals, and 11 blocks in his first collegiate season… Darrion scored a career-high 16 points in a game against Fresno State and had a previous-best of 13 rebounds in his first-ever double-double against New Mexico last season… His freshman-year report saw him record 11 games with double-figure rebounds, 11 games with double-figure scoring, and one double-double… Williams started against Texas A&M in Tech’s exhibition game and finished with six points and two rebounds in 17 minutes… In the scrimmage against UTEP, Darrion had 14 points… Last season, Williams was 91-for-220 (41.4%) from the field and 35-of-98 (35.7%) on 3-pointers… The Athletic had Williams as the 14th best available transfer while ESPN put him at No. 43 on its 2023-24 transfer list
Warren Washington is only 10 points away from the 1,000-point milestone after he went for 16 points, four rebounds, two blocks, and a team-high five assists in the win over Oklahoma State… He leads Tech with 7.7 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game along with averaging 9.9 points after also going off for 15 points and three blocks against the Longhorns… The tallest Red Raider on the roster at 7-foot, Washington now has 50 games in his career with double-figure scoring performances… He had made his last 11 shots – dating back to a dunk against Sam Houston midway through the second half and has gone 5-for-5 from the field in the past two games – before shooting 7-for-10 against Oklahoma State… He’s currently shooting 63-for-11 (63.0%) from the field for the season and 380-for-648 (58.6%) for his career … Over the past five games, Washington is averaging 11.6 points and 3.0 blocks… A starter in all 15 games, he is currently sixth in the Big 12 with his 7.7 rebounds per game and third with 1.8 blocks per game… Washington transferred to Tech this season from Arizona State and now has 990 points, 685 rebounds, and 139 blocked shots in 124 games in his career… He recorded his first double-double of the season and 10th of his career with a season-high 18 points and 12 rebounds in the win over Oral Roberts… His 12 rebounds against ORU was the third time this season he had 12 rebounds in a game, including in the season-opener against Commerce and then against Omaha… Washington recorded a season-high four blocked shots for the first time against Villanova at Battle 4 Atlantis where he also had eight rebounds… In his sixth year of college, he has also played at Oregon State, Nevada, and Arizona State before making Texas Tech his final destination in his collegiate career… An Escondido, California native, he has 17 double-figure rebounding games, and a team-best 10 double-doubles through 124 games in his career… He is coming off a season at Arizona State where he averaged 9.2 points and 6.9 rebounds and earned Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors… Washington started for the Red Raiders in the exhibition win over Texas A&M, finishing with a team-high seven rebounds but not scoring… In a scrimmage against UTEP, Washington led Tech with 16 points after going 7-for-9 from the field… His career resume includes a career-high 21 points in games against Wyoming and Southern Cal and a 14-rebound performance against Texas Southern last season while at ASU… Washington has 27 total blocks this season with at least one in every game this season besides the opener
Kerwin Walton has started the past seven games and is currently shooting 22-for-41 (53.7%) from beyond the arc this season after going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points against OSU… In the win, he was 7-for-8 from the field and is now shooting 57.8 percent overall this season… A senior from Hopkins, Minnesota, the game last Saturday at Texas was the 100th in his career… Walton, who is currently averaging 7.5 points per game, made his first start of the season against ORU, finishing with 17 points on 4-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc after he had scored a career-high 22 points by going 6-for-7 on 3-pointers in the win over Omaha… He was held scoreless at Texas after going 0-for-2 on 3-pointers in 28:15 on the court… Last season, Walton started seven games for the Red Raiders and started 21 in his first two years at North Carolina… He has now made 126 3-pointers in his career… In the Bahamas, he hit a 3-pointer to cut UNI’s lead to 62-59 at Battle 4 Atlantis and finished with those three points and then played a season-high 15:48 against Michigan… A senior with another year of eligibility remaining after this season, he is in his second season at Texas Tech after playing two years at North Carolina… A Hopkins, Minnesota native, Walton has 546 points through 101 games played in his career… He averaged 3.6 points with 23 3-pointers made in 27 games played last year for the Red Raiders with seven starts… As a freshman at North Carolina, Walton made 58 3-pointers, averaged 8.2 points, started 20 games, and set the UNC freshman percentage record at 42.0 percent… Walton had a previous career-high 19 points against Louisville as a freshman where he made a career-high five 3-pointers… He was a sophomore on the 2022 North Carolina team that advanced to the NCAA National Championship game
McMillian had scored in double-figures in five straight games before being held to five against OSU… He is currently averaging 9.1 points to lead the Tech reserves after contributing 11 points with two 3-pointers at Texas in his first Big 12 game and now has 807 points in his career… His 31 total 3-pointers put him 11th in the Big 12 and he’s also 11th in the conference with 2.07 3-pointers per game this season… Over the past five games, McMillian is averaging 11.2 points per game and is 12-for-24 (50%) on 3-pointers… Before Big 12 play, he was coming off a game against UNA where he had 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field with three 3-pointers for his sixth double-figure scoring performance of the season and the 36th of his career… McMillian transferred to Tech during the summer after playing three seasons at Grand Canyon and currently has 807 points, 140 3-pointers made, and 162 assists through 106 career games played… McMillian matched a career-high with 24 points at Butler where he established a new career-best with eight 3-pointers and also led the team with seven rebounds in 36 minutes as a reserve… A Vallejo, California native, he earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week for the performance at Butler where his eight 3-pointers were just one back of the program record set by Alan Voskuil against Kansas back in 2009… It was the first time a Tech player has made six or more 3-pointers since Toddrick Gotcher made six in 2015 against UT Martin… He also led the Red Raiders in scoring with 17 points in the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in 25 minutes as a reserve before having nine points with three 3-pointers against Villanova in the first game in the Bahamas… McMillian now has 37 games in double-figure scoring in his career and three games with 20 or more… McMillian secured six rebounds in both games against Commerce and San Jose State to begin his career at Tech for his previous season-high in rebounding before his seven against Butler… In his first year at Tech, he is a senior with another year of eligibility after this year following playing at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Arizona where he advanced to the 2021 and 2023 NCAA Tournaments… Against Texas A&M in Tech’s exhibition, McMillian scored 17 points with four 3-pointers as a reserve in 23 minutes… McMillian is 139-for-337 (41.2%) on 3-pointers in his career including a game last season against SFA in February where he made six 3-pointers for GCU… He scored a career-high 24 points for the first time in his career in that game against SFA on Feb. 24, 2023… McMillian is coming off a season at Grand Canyon where he averaged 10.9 points per game and had 78 assists
Lamar Washington scored a season-high eight points against Omaha and has played all 15 games this season as a reserve where he is averaging 3.4 points, 1.1 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game… At Texas, Washington had four points and one rebound in 7:35… He had matched a previous season-high with seven points and added three assists against Villanova after he had scored a season-high seven points in just under 30 minutes of play as a reserve against Corpus Christi… A sophomore with 47 games of experience, he has three games this season with three or more assists and 12 in his career… In the season opener, he led Tech with four assists and also added five points and four rebounds in the win over Commerce and then had four points and four rebounds against San Jose State… Washington is in his second season at Tech after averaging 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game as a freshman… He finished with 13 points and two steals in the exhibition win over Texas A&M where he played 24 minutes as a reserve… Washington had a career-high 13 points and five steals last season in a win over Kansas State at home… He played in 32 games and made three starts during the 2022-23 season… A 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard, Washington is a Portland, Oregon native who was named the 2021 Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year before finishing prep school in Arizona… Washington has 159 points, 73 assists, and 35 steals through those 47 games in his career
Robert Jennings contributed five points and a rebound in the win at Texas in the Big 12 opener and had two points in 7:03 as a reserve against OSU… A sophomore forward, Jennings had a career-high eight rebounds and season-best six points in the win over ORU and provided four points and four rebounds against Vandy… In his second season at Tech, Jennings has played in 42 games in his career and is currently at 115 points and 87 rebounds… Against ORU, he secured seven offensive rebounds in the game in just under 10 minutes on the court… A Desoto, Texas native who is listed at 6-foot-7, 230-pounds, Jennings has appeared in 12 games this season and in 42 during his Texas Tech career with four starts last season… He had a career-high eight points in games against Houston Christian, Oklahoma, and Louisville last season… Jennings played in 30 games with those four starts last season as a true freshman where he averaged 2.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per game
Cambridge suffered his season-ending injury with 983 points and 515 rebounds in his career… He was averaging a career-high 10.5 points this season after he scored a season-high 17 points in the win over Michigan in a game where he was 6-for-10 from the field before going for 16 points at Butler on 6-for-11 shooting… He scored in double figures in five of eight games this season and in 45 games through 135 games in his career… Cambridge got into double figure scoring for the second time this season with 11 points against Villanova and was shooting 52.7 percent which was second on the team… He led Tech in scoring for the first time this season with 15 points in the win over San Jose State before his 17 against Michigan… A 6-foot-6 fifth-year senior from Nashville, Tennessee, he averaged 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game to go along with his scoring… Cambridge began his career with three seasons at Auburn before playing last season at Arizona State… He averaged 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season for the Sun Devils and helped ASU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament… Cambridge has made 116 3-pointers and is 360-for-821 (43.8%) from the field in his career… He scored a career-high 26 points against South Carolina as a freshman on January 22, 2020, and had a career-best 11 rebounds against San Diego on December 18, 2022… Cambridge started against Texas A&M in Tech’s exhibition win, scoring 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 on 3-pointers… For his career, Cambridge has recorded five double-doubles and has scored 20 or more points in two games
D’Maurian Williams has 816 points and a team-high 146 3-pointers made through 89 games played in his career… He scored two points in four minutes of play against Commerce in the opener but has not scored in another game this season… A senior with another year of eligibility remaining after this season, D’Maurian is in his second season at Tech after playing his first two years at Gardner Webb where he averaged 14.5 points per game as a sophomore after 10.8 as a freshman… He played 27 games with one start last season for the Red Raiders, averaging 3.1 points per game and with 14 3-pointers… For his career, Williams is 146-for-380 (38.4%) from beyond the arc… He had a career-high 27 points against Columbia International while playing at Gardner Webb and also had a 10-rebound performance against UNLV… Last season, Williams scored a season-high 17 points against Jackson State after going 5-for-7 on 3-pointers… He’s scored in double-figures 40 times in his career and has one double-double
Tech’s roster has one true freshman on it with Eemeli Yalaho who scored two points in six minutes of play in the opener against Commerce to make his collegiate debut and played just under five minutes against San Jose State… An international player from Jyväskylä, Finland, he completed high school with his senior season at Western Reserve Academy (Hudson, Ohio) where he averaged 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game… Yalaho is listed as a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward
Two of the newcomers made their debut in the win over Omaha after they were with the Red Raiders last season but not on the active roster… KyeRon Lindsay transferred to Tech at midterm last December after starting his career at the University of Georgia where he started eight games and played in 10 as a true freshman… He was 2-for-2 at the free-throw line against Omaha for his first points as a Red Raider and scored four points against UNA by going 2-for-2 from the field in the final three minutes of the game… A Denton, Texas native, Lindsay averaged 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game at Georgia including recording a double-double with a career-high 14 points and 10 rebounds against Miami (Ohio) on November 14, 2022… Jack Francis is a sophomore from Austin who was on the practice squad last season and earned his spot on this season’s roster… Francis is the team’s only walk-on and is an accomplished player who scored over 1,000 points at Anderson High School… Francis scored for the first time in his career by going 2-for-2 on free throws against Sam Houston… Lindsay and Francis both practiced with the Red Raiders throughout the 2023 Spring semester
McCasland’s staff includes assistant coaches Dave Smart, Matt Braeuer, Achoki Moikobu, and Luke Barnwell along with Kellen Buffington (general manager), Andrew Wright (strength & conditioning), Clay Wilson (player development), Jardon Powell (director of administration and operations), Cooper Anderson (operations), Chris Nottingham (video coordinator), and Christian Hosley (assistant strength & conditioning). Braeuer, Moikobu, Wright, Wilson, and Hosley worked with McCasland at UNT

A BRIEF LOOK AT TECH PROGRAM HISTORY
The Red Raiders are a proud program that has experienced great success with 19 overall NCAA Tournament appearances and advancement to the 2018 Elite 8, 2019 National Championship Final, and 2022 Sweet 16. This is the 99th season in program history and includes recent appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022, a 2019 Big 12 regular-season championship, 25 NBA Draft selections, and over 1,500 wins. Recently in the NBA Draft, selections of Zhaire Smith (R1-P16), Jarrett Culver (R1-P6), and Jahmi’us Ramsey (R2-P43) were made. Mac McClung represented the program by winning the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Tech went 18-0 at home during the 2021-22 season for the best record nationally two years ago. Last season, the program ranked No. 21 in average attendance with 13,222 per game.

RANKINGS
Texas Tech came into the 2023-24 season unranked AP Preseason Poll and has remained unranked in the Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, and Jan. 8 polls…
Tech is receiving votes for the first time this season with 62 in the January 8 poll after the Texas win
Tech is 1-0 against ranked opponents this season
The Red Raiders were at No. 25 to begin the 2022-23 season following advancing to the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16… Tech was in the first three polls last season and rose as high as No. 21 before falling out and not returning
Tech was picked 8th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll
Kansas was picked first in the Big 12 Preseason Poll followed by Houston, Texas, Baylor, and TCU to round out the Top-5
Texas Tech did not have a player selected in the preseason awards
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
FEATURE LINKS
Devan Cambridge – Bounce(back)Man
Joe Toussaint – On Point
Players explain what toughness is to them
McCasland story – Rising through the ranks
Four Journeys to Big 12 Media Day
Our coaching staff’s path to coaching
Define Yourself – player video series

Release provided by WES BLOOMQUIST Texas Tech Athletics