Texas Tech men’s basketball held its first official practice of the 2026-27 season Tuesday, beginning preparation for a Nov. 2 opener at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock. Coach Grant McCasland said the roster has the athleticism, competitiveness and commitment he wanted while acknowledging that player eligibility remains unresolved.
Jamichael Stillwell, Darrion Williams and Donovan Atwell are all listed on the active roster and have sought temporary injunctions connected to their eligibility. Williams is part of a group of 31 players covered by an injunction granting a fifth season, while Atwell and Stillwell have separate cases seeking another year.
McCasland said the team was assembled with deliberate choices and that familiarity influenced several decisions. Williams returned after playing at NC State during the 2025-26 season, and Atwell came back after producing one of Texas Tech’s strongest three-point shooting seasons. Last season, Atwell made 45.8% of his three-point attempts while averaging a career-best 8.4 attempts per game, according to the report.
The coach also said roster planning was affected by uncertainty surrounding the future availability of All-American forward JT Toppin and the decision of guard Christian Anderson. Anderson remained in the NBA draft and was selected 18th overall by the Charlotte Hornets.
McCasland said Texas Tech will continue preparing with the players who are eligible, regardless of how the cases develop. He described the group as having enough capable players to adjust and said the roster’s experience and competitiveness give the team qualities that were not always present in his previous seasons.
