Texas Tech will tip off the 2026-2027 season in under a week, and there are high expectations this season in Lubbock.
After a second-round loss in the NCAA tournament last season, the Red Raiders are aiming for a long playoff run with a roster full of experienced veterans. Texas Tech already has one of the best current rosters in the country as is, and with big man Jamichael Stillwell hopefully returning soon to the lineup, Tech will get even better.
Not to mention, the return of JT Toppin will certainly elevate this Texas Tech team into elite status if they haven’t hit it by the time he returns from injury.
Can Texas Tech Win The National Championship?
The question on every Red Raider fan's mind: Does Texas Tech have what it takes to become a national champion? The answer: unequivocally yes.
Texas Tech’s roster has just about every box checked when they are in full form. Experience goes a long way in March, and Grant McCasland and Co. made an effort to bring in some of the most talented veterans from all over the country. In the backcourt, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Cruz Davis have a combined seven seasons of college basketball, and are both coming off a year where they averaged 20 points per game.
Donovan Atwell returns as one of the best three-point shooters in the country, giving the Red Raiders a reliable ace from beyond the arc.
Also returning is Darrion Williams, except in a different fashion than the others. Williams returns to Lubbock following a one-year stint with NC State and has seemingly won the fanbase back over already. He provides a versatile chess piece for McCasland, who can do it all wherever he’s needed.
The frontcourt is where the biggest questions lie. With Jamichael Stillwell and JT Toppin currently out, this frontcourt will rest on the shoulders of Bassala Bagayoko, the 6’10” freshman from Mali, and returner Josiah Moseley. The duo is talented enough to make plays, yes, but when Stillwell and Toppin return, Tech may have a top-5 roster in college basketball.
In addition to the Red Raiders' talent in the starting lineup, there are some impressive depth pieces that will give Texas Tech the ability to make deep runs in the postseason. Transfer Damarion Dennis (Wyoming) and freshman DaKari Spear offer fantastic depth pieces in the backcourt, and LaTrell Hoover and Marial Akuentok have the ability to make plays in the frontcourt.
The Right Man for The Job
The Red Raiders roster is talented top to bottom and offers a variety of skill sets to cover just about every basis. However, this team wouldn’t be able to go nearly as far as they will if it weren’t for head coach Grant McCasland.
McCasland has been one of the best coaches in college basketball in his first three seasons at Texas Tech. There’s a reason that McCasland’s name has continued to pop up among head coaching searches for some of the top programs in the country, especially this past offseason.
With the talent of Tech’s roster mixed with experience and a top-tier head coach, Texas Tech could very well win the national championship. In terms of ceilings in college basketball, I believe the Red Raiders enter the 2026-2027 season with the highest possible ceiling and a very real shot at making it to Detroit in April.
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