There was a time when the Texas Tech men’s basketball roster looked perilously thin this summer.
At one point, there were just nine players on the roster, including their incoming freshmen. Plus, there was JT Toppin, the top player on team who is recovering from ACL tear. Had the season started at a certain point in the summer, head coach Grant McCasland would have had eight players.
Now, it’s getting better and the Red Raiders, McCasland and his newest players have the court system to thank for it.
The NCAA’s Legal Woes Help the Red Raiders
The NCAA is mired in a host of lawsuits around player eligibility. Some are Class of 2022 student-athletes who are fighting the entity for an additional year after they implemented the new age-based eligibility rule (“five-for-five”) without grandfathering in student-athletes that played four in four without a redshirt. Others are fighting on other grounds.
In just about every corner, the NCAA is losing — and it’s helping Texas Tech.
The first to get help was Jamichael Stillwell, a former UCF forward who was one of those Class of 2022 players but with a twist — he played his first two seasons at junior colleges (Miami-Dade in 2022-23 and then Butler CC in 2023-24). He was part of a case in Georgia, where a judge gave him and several other players a temporary injunction to play.
Since Stillwell had already put himself in the transfer portal before the window closed, he could sign anywhere. He officially signed with Texas Tech earlier this week. He brings nearly 12 points and nine rebounds per game with him.
Stillwell put himself in the portal in anticipation of the rule change. Many Class of 2022 players did, just in case. Another who did the same is a familiar face to Texas Tech — guard Darrion Williams.
After he helped the Red Raiders reach the Elite Eight in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, he transferred to NC State, where he averaged 14 points per game in what was supposed to be his final season. Williams was part of a Colorado case that provided reliever to all Class of 2022 student-athletes seeking another season with a preliminary injunction.
Williams signed with the Red Raiders on Friday.
The legal wrangling isn’t done of course. Injunctions are temporary and the case can still be overturned. But, for now, Texas Tech just signed two fifth year players who combined to average more than 26 points per game last season. Both are now officially on Texas Tech’s electronic roster.
The kicker? The Red Raiders only have 11 players listed. They could get a lot better really quick.
