Texas Tech's Grant McCasland Is Betting Big on One Coaching Philosophy
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The expectations for Texas Tech basketball as a program are at an all-time high, but this offseason has unfortunately fallen short.
With star forward JT Toppin out with an ACL injury, it’s seemingly expected that he will end up redshirting the 2026-2027 season with the option of coming back the next year.
Texas Tech still has some moves to make if they want to compete in potentially the hardest conference in college basketball. With Kansas, Houston and Arizona all reloading, Tech has their work cut out for them if they aren’t able to gather up enough talent to compete at the highest level.
Grant McCasland’s Coaching Philosophy Next Season
Looking at the potential rotation for next season, quite a few gaps remain present, and things could be tough if something drastic doesn’t change between now and then. With that being said, this does show the philosophy Grant McCasland brings to Texas Tech basketball.
Based on the limited number of rotational pieces, it seems abundantly clear that McCasland is in favor of running a limited rotation of only eight, maybe even seven, players.
Potential Roster
At point guard, the guy is likely Cruz Davis. Probably the best move of the offseason was the signing of the former Hofstra star. With Christian Anderson gone to the NBA and Jaylen Petty out the door and into the transfer portal, Davis is a great replacement for the point guard position.
It still seems to be quite a mystery as to why Petty decided to transfer, as it would have been his position if he wanted it, but regardless, Davis is now the guy at the one.
Also transferring in are UNLV’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Wyoming’s Damarion Dennis. Those guys will play in the rotation, but it’s unknown how many minutes each will get. I would expect DGL to earn some starter minutes, potentially the entirety of the season.
Aside from transfers, Texas Tech has the freshman DaKari Spear, a six-foot-five shooting guard, and he should get some valuable minutes as the season goes on.
Returning from last season is JT Toppin (if he plays this season), Josiah Moseley, Marial Akuentok, and Latrell Hoover, a player who is still essentially a mystery.
NEWS: Amari Barrett, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard in the 2026 class, has committed to Texas Tech, he told @Rivals. https://t.co/Iivgy9To2a pic.twitter.com/1YqWvqTtEO
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) June 28, 2026
The Red Raiders did add a late commit in Amari Barrett this past weekend. He is the third high school commitment that is scheduled to play for the Red Raiders this upcoming season. Besides four-star Spear, the other two incoming freshmen are not expected to produce much of an impact in their first season as true freshmen.
It’s worrisome to see the state of the roster this deep in the offseason, and it makes it even worse knowing Texas Tech plays in one of the hardest conferences in basketball. With McCasland’s philosophy of a limited rotation, these guys will have to play some serious basketball to keep Tech alive in the Big 12.
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Kade Nix is a sports writer covering Texas Tech on SI. He specializes in college basketball, college football, and the NFL. In 2021, he founded Kade’s Draft Room, a sports website that ran until 2025, and has an extensive background writing for multiple channels and sports websites. In addition to his writing experience, Kade has hands-on football scouting experience, including time as a Texas area scout for the Hula Bowl, giving him a unique perspective on player evaluation and the college sports landscape.