All of the Mark Adams slander, the narrative that Texas Tech was done when Chris Beard left, the narrative that Adams can’t recruit. Put it all to bed. Texas Tech just beat No. 6 Kansas and No. 1 Baylor in back to back games.
Bryson Williams was asked after the game if Texas recruited him this off-season, he says they definitely did, but he chose Texas Tech because he wanted to play for defensive guru Mark Adams, an area he said he wanted to improve in.
Texas Tech and first year HC Mark Adams just swept the defending National Champs. Unbelievable. Texas Tech will move to 2nd place in the Big 12 since they own the head to head against Baylor.
My case for Mark Adams as National Coach of the Year:
- Had 5 players on the roster when he took over in April, TTU is now a top 10 team
- Has established arguably the best defense in the country with a roster full of new players
- Five top-25 wins this season (4 top 15 wins)
How about that Grant McCasland guy...
Took over a program that was dealing with a ton of controversy, rebuilt the entire roster/staff, dealt with injuries to key players throughout the season, and still managed to go 22-9.
One of the best young coaches in the sport.
Pretty cool Texas Tech hoops note: Hearing Daniel Batcho has agreed to give up jersey No. 4 for incoming freshman Robert Jennings, who has worn No.4 throughout HS. Have heard Batcho will switch to jersey No. 12.
#TeamPlayer
Remember when all of those Lubbock businesses were offering Chris Beard free stuff? Time to do the same & more with Mark Adams. He never even thought about getting on that plane to Austin.
Texas Tech HC Mark Adams has now landed two of the programs highest rated recruits of all time in Jaylon Tyson (No.3) & Pop Isaacs (No.7). When Adams was hired in April, the national media was convinced he wouldn't recruit at a high level. That take gets worse by the month.
Mark Adams should undoubtedly be in the mix for National Coach of the Year. When he took over In April, Texas Tech had 5 players on their roster. They’ve now beaten 4 top-15 teams and it’s not even February.
Breaking: Georgia PF transfer KyeRon Lindsay has committed to Texas Tech, per
@TXRecruited
.
Lindsay started 8 games for Georgia as a true freshman this season and was a 4⭐️ top-100 recruit in 2022.
Shout out to Pop Isaacs for staying loyal throughout an entire staff change. Tech went weeks without a coaching staff and Pop would’ve had every P5 school in the country calling him if he entered the portal. Really impressive stuff for a freshman.
BREAKING: Texas Tech lands a commitment from Drake transfer Kevin Overton.
The 6’5” guard started all 35 games for Drake as a true freshman, and was named to the MVC All-Freshman team in 2023-24.
Overton is rated as a 4-star transfer by On3 and 247. Big time win for Texas Tech.
Texas Tech just landed two top 10 recruits in program history in basketball and football in a matter of hours:
- 2022 4⭐️ point guard Pop Isaacs (No.7 all time)
- 2023 4⭐️ linebacker Isaiah Crawford (No. 8 all time)
Marcus Santos-Silva is shooting 46% from the FT line this season, switched from a left-handed FT stroke to right-handed mid season, and he gets up and knocks down 2 FT’s to give Texas Tech a 3 point lead with 55 seconds left in the game. Epic.
BREAKING: Texas Tech has landed a commitment from 5-star 2023 SG Elijah Fisher.
Fisher is the No. 1 SG in the class of 2023 and is one of the highest rated Canadian prospects of all time.
Fisher is expected to reclassify to 2022 and join the team this summer.
Darrion Williams just put together one of the better performances I've ever seen from a Texas Tech player:
30 points (12-12 FG, 4-4 3-PT)
11 rebounds
3 assists
2 steals
1 block
HE'S A SOPHOMORE
Texas Tech 5⭐️ 2023 target Elijah Fisher dropped 74 points tonight for
@Crestwood_Hoops
… Yes, you read that right. 😳
Fisher took an official visit to Texas Tech recently and is a priority target for the staff.
NEWS: Texas Tech lands a commitment from 2024 4⭐️ PG Christian Anderson Jr.
Anderson Jr. is one of the top shooters in the 2024 class. Averaged 20 PPG while shooting 49% from 3 at Oak Hill this season.
Top-10 PG in the 2024 class, per 247.
Final thought of the night: Texas Tech has to be one of the most fun programs in the country to cover as a journalist. The fans, the coaching staff, the way this team plays… It’s all so fun. Today was a blast. Best atmosphere I’ve ever been apart of.
Just how good is Texas Tech's defense?
- Held Tennessee to 52 points (75.3 season avg)
- Held Gonzaga to 69 points (87.9 season avg)
- Held Iowa St to 51 points (70.4 season avg)
- Held Kansas to 67 points (81.7 season avg)
- Held Baylor to 62 points (81.5 season avg)
Kevin Obanor and Fardaws Aimaq will be one of the more lethal/versatile frontcourt combos in all of CBB next season.
Good luck trying to grab a rebound with those two in the game as well.
Jaylon Tyson and Pop Isaacs we’re both incredible vs WVU. But let’s talk about Fardaws Aimaq for a second. Aimaq put up 10 points in the final 5 minutes vs WVU to secure the crucial road win. Was 10-10 from the FT line. HUGE double double performance from the Big Maple!
Grant McCasland was obviously a home run hire for Texas Tech, but McCasland snagging Canadian coaching legend Dave Smart in the offseason may go down as one of the best assistant hires of the last few years.
Two absolute winners.
How good is the new Big 12 going to be in basketball?
In 2022-23, all 16 members finished in the top 80 of KenPom, and 8 finished in the top 30. In 2021-22, 5 members finished in the top-7.
BREAKING: Texas Tech lands a commitment from MWC Freshman of the Year JT Toppin.
The 6’9” forward led the Mountain West in rebounds, offensive rebounds, FG %, blocks, and defensive rating as a true freshman.
Toppin was the 5th best transfer of the portal cycle, per
@EvanMiya
.
Per multiple reports, former 5⭐️ QB Quinn Ewers will be in Lubbock today visiting Texas Tech. Ewers was the No.1 prospect in the class of 2021 and recently entered the transfer portal after a year at Ohio State. Could we see a Kittley & Ewers package deal?
BREAKING: Texas Tech lands a commitment from Minnesota transfer Elijah Hawkins.
Hawkins is one of the best passing PG’s in the country. Averaged 7.5 APG last season (tied for 2nd nationally). Had a 38.8% assist rate in 2023-24.
Tech isn’t done yet either.
Still can’t comprehend what I just watched 😂. Texas Tech was down 23, didn’t lead once in regulation, forced OT, and somehow pulled out the W. One of the crazier TTU games I’ve ever seen.
Breaking: Texas Tech has landed a commitment from North Carolina guard Kerwin Walton.
Walton broke the North Carolina freshman three-point % record in 2020-21, converting on 42% of his three-point attempts (min. 50 attempts).
Woah... Reports surfacing that Jerome Tang and K-State will be hiring Ulric Maligi away from Texas.
Maligi is considered one of the better recruiters in the state of Texas. That one will sting for the Longhorns.
If you need some Monday motivation, here's a snippet of Texas Tech's new Head Coach Joey McGuire delivering a hall of fame level pregame speech to his players at
@CHLonghorns
.
Not a bad week for Texas Tech basketball:
- Beat No. 6 Kansas by 8 at home
- Beat No. 1 Baylor by 3 on the road
- Beat Oklahoma St by 21 at home
- Landed Texas transfer Jaylon Tyson
Clarence Nadolny became the first Texas Tech player in the last 11+ years to register at least 14 pts, 3 reb, and 2 stl, in 20 minutes or less of a Big 12 game.
Breaking: Kevin Obanor has announced he is returning to Texas Tech for one final season.
Obanor has recorded 6 straight double-doubles in the NCAA Tournament and is averaging 16 ppg & 11.5 rpg in Tournament games.
Will be an early favorite to make the Preseason All B12 team.
After Elijah Fisher’s reclassification, Texas Tech now has the No. 13 overall 2022 recruiting class. The Red Raiders also have the No. 1 transfer class in the country.
BREAKING: Texas Tech has landed a commitment from highly coveted transfer Fardaws Aimaq.
Aimaq was rated as the No. 10 overall transfer prospect by
@247Sports
.
Mark Adams has now landed commitments from De'Vion Harmon and Fardaws Aimaq in the last 24 hours alone.
Wild stat: Dating back to 2014, Texas Tech had won 2 games against AP top-25 teams. Through 4 games, Joey McGuire has already beaten 2 AP top-25 teams… Coaching matters.
BREAKING: Texas Tech has landed a commitment from Arizona State transfer Warren Washington.
Washington averaged 9.2 PPG, 7 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in 2022-23. Was being pursued by TCU, Michigan, Arkansas, Memphis, and Oklahoma St, amongst others.
Wow. Terrence Shannon Jr has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.
Can't say it's a huge surprise, but the fact he entered the portal less than 24 hours after TTU's loss to Duke says a lot.
Certainly surprised Mark Adams wasn’t named B12 COTY. I’m a huge Scott Drew fan but what Adams has done in less than a year, having to put together a staff, bring in 9 new players, win 7 games against AP top 25 teams, and play through key injuries is more impressive to me.
Breaking: Texas Tech has landed a commitment from Gardner-Webb guard transfer D'maurian Williams, per his Twitter.
Williams averaged 14.5 pts, 4.6 reb, and 2.5 ast last season while shooting nearly 40% from 3.
6'5" guard with three years of eligibility remaining.
Mark Adams and his entire staff are some of the hardest working people you'll ever meet and it shows in their game-planning. On top of that, Mark Adams has fully revitalized the street dog culture that got TTU to the natty in 2019. Couldn't be happier for those coaches & players.
I have no idea what KJ Allen’s ceiling is, but I think he’s going to be really important for Texas Tech next season. Big bodied, freak athlete, massive hands, high-motor, etc. Love how he plays. Has some DeJuan Blair to his game.
BREAKING: Texas Tech has landed a commitment from Oregon transfer De’Vion Harmon.
Harmon averaged 10.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.3 SPG in 2021-22.
Fantastic pick up for Mark Adams.
Texas Tech checks in at No. 25 in the latest AP top-25 poll.
Pretty remarkable turnaround for a Texas Tech team that went 5-13 in conference play last season and underwent a complete roster/staff overhaul.
Grant McCasland and this new TTU staff deserve a ton of credit.
Breaking: Texas Tech is hiring legendary JUCO HC Steve Green to be their third assistant, per
@lubbockonline
.
Green has won 3 JUCO National Championships and has been named coach of the year 3 times.
Notorious for running the “Golden State” offense.
Over 14,000 in attendance for Texas Tech’s season opener against the North Florida Ospreys. There’s a reason TTU has the No. 3 home court advantage in the country, per KenPom.
After today’s road victory over No. 20 Texas, Mark Adams and Texas Tech have now beaten 5 AP Top 20 teams this season which ties a program record. Unprecedented what Mark Adams and his staff have done with 9 new players on their roster.
NEWS: Arizona State transfer Devan Cambridge has committed to Texas Tech. Cambridge was previously committed to Oregon but never signed with the Ducks.
Big time get for the TTU staff. The Red Raiders have now landed 2 of ASU’s top 4 players from last season, per
@EvanMiya
.
Texas Tech may have broken the algorithms after that Oklahoma blow out victory:
The Red Raiders moved up 4 spots in KenPom and now sit at No. 6 in the country + now have the No. 1 ranked defense in the country.
If Texas Tech can win out, they will undoubtedly be a 2 seed.
In a year where the Big 12 will likely send 7 teams to the NCAA tournament, Mark Adams has led Texas Tech to an 8-4 conference record with 6 games remaining.
Unbelievable job for a first-year HC with 9 new players on the roster playing in the toughest league in the country.
Hard to put in words how much respect I have for Pop Isaacs. Kid stuck with Texas Tech this summer after a sudden coaching change as a freshman. Had every elite program in the country calling him this summer.