Grant McCasland Breaks Down Red Raiders' New Faces, Returners Ahead of Season

Coming off an Elite Eight run in 2024, the Texas Tech Red Raiders' roster takes on a new shape in 2025. The program welcomes several new faces in a sport characterized by its high volume of roster turnover, making stability at the top crucial for repeated success.

Since joining the Red Raiders in 2023, the 48-year-old McCasland has established a strong reputation for himself in the college basketball world. At his old stomping grounds in Denton, Texas, the North Texas Mean Green were a gritty, defensive basketball team anchored by strong recruiting and transfer portal gems.

His success with UNT — 67.5% winning percentage, two-time conference regular season champions, and a strong postseason résumé — earned McCasland the opportunity at Texas Tech, where he had previously served as the men's basketball director of operations from 1999-01. And since then, his program building has continued to be a staple.

Day 1 in the USA!

Can't wait to be in here with Red Raider Nation 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/RXSbl3QtzG
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) September 23, 2025

The cornerstone of the roster will be the returning Big 12 Player of the Year, JT Toppin, who averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks after transferring from New Mexico. He should be the engine that keeps the program churning, much like in 2024-25, but the Red Raiders have done their best to surround him with talent with the goal of another deep postseason run.

"With Christian Anderson and JT Toppin back, two guys that I think are the best playmakers in the Big 12, you need to have guys that can score and have good feel and have character and want to win," McCasland said. "I think the key component to that was just finding guys that we felt like created space on the floor."

One example of this is Luke Bamgboye, a London-born 6-10 forward who transferred from VCU this offseason after the Rams' NCAA Tournament run. McCasland highlighted Bamgboye's feel around the rim and value as a vertical lob threat, but he also said the big man has an outside shot that can benefit the team's scorers.

VCU Rams forward Luke Bamgboye (9) has the ball against the Brigham Young Cougars — Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Transfer portal additions Tyeree Bryan from Santa Clara and LeJuan Watts from Washington State should also help keep defenses honest beyond the arc. Bryan hit 42.9% of his 3-point shots last season, while Watts nailed 42.2% of his 3s in 2024.

"We need to have key contributions from LeJuan Watts, Tyeree Bryan, Donovan Atwell, Luke Bamgboye. Those guys, we knew coming into this season we needed significant contributions from them in order for our team to be what they needed to be," McCasland said.

Watts, in particular, earned McCasland's praise for matching expectations with execution and showing a passion for the game.

"He's such a versatile player that we felt like needed to be involved, but it doesn't mean that someone has the work ethic and the approach that matches that expectation," McCasland said of Watts. "I will say his has, and he's just really lived it. And he doesn't just love it — he lives it every day, and it's been a joy to see him improve, and I think he'll have a great season."

Grant McCasland on why he thinks LeJuan Watts will have a great season—a combination of both his physical tools, as well as his love for and commitment to the game of basketball. pic.twitter.com/YmkGTg6Lit
— Ryan Mainville (@RyanMainville) September 23, 2025

Another surprise for McCasland has been LaTrell Hoover, an incoming freshman from Samuel Clemens High School in Schertz, Texas, near San Antonio. The Red Raiders' head coach said he thinks Hoover could be a "special player" and has impressive physical tools despite not playing basketball until 10th grade.

"If you ask me one person that's been probably the most pleasant surprise, it's been Latrell Hoover," McCasland said. "He's big. He's a legit 6-10.5, 6-11. He's 7-plus wingspan. He's got big hands. … We put him in guard drills where he's moving laterally, guarding the ball, and he moves as good as anybody on our team."

The new additions across the roster should only serve to benefit Toppin and Anderson, who are expected to drive the team forward in a competitive Big 12. While Toppin is the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, there may be more room to grow, as McCasland highlighted his improved ball-handling and defensive capabilities.

But the X-factor for the Red Raiders might be Anderson. The 6-3 sophomore guard showcased his scoring abilities in 2024, particularly down the stretch. He had a career-high 22 points in Tech's Sweet 16 win over Arkansas, and he spent the summer competing on the German national team roster at the EuroBasket 2025 tournament.

#TexasTech and Germany point guard Christian Anderson with an impressive steal + poster dunk vs Slovenia 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ALPDg4lo8p
— RedRaiderSports.com (@RedRaiderSports) August 8, 2025

The summer of 2025 was an active one for Anderson. While he was on the preliminary roster for Germany's EuroBasket run, he saw more activity during the nation's silver medal finish at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists during the competition, while also earning a spot on the tournament's All-Star Five.

"I don't know of a guy who has the work ethic, confidence, feel for the game, the way he embraces big moments, the way he handles adverse situations — I mean, he's just got it all," McCasland said of Anderson.

"He's just got more explosiveness to the way he's moving, and he's big. And at that point guard spot, if you can apply physicality and be explosive and score the way he does from distance — I mean, he just really has all the tools, and I think legit he's one of the best guards in the country."

With Toppin leading the way and Anderson stepping up into a more on-ball role, the Red Raiders could have the star power to compete with the best in the country. However, McCasland's ability to spot talent where others don't could provide the foundation needed for Texas Tech to become a contender.

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