Texas Tech basketball: Predictions for the 2023-24 Red Raiders

Sophomore Lamar Washington will be the most improved player for Texas Tech

Last season, the Texas Tech basketball program went against the grain and leaned heavily on a youth movement to play a huge chunk of the minutes.  That was a calculated risk that didn’t pay immediate dividends.

Given that none of the freshmen on the roster were high school All-Americans or one-and-done NBA Draft prospects, there were some serious growing pains from Tech’s youngsters in 2022-23.  Isaacs, Robert Jennings, Elijah Fisher, and Lamar Washington all combined to give the program 64.9 minutes per game on average last year and there were some massive swings from the positive to the negative on a nightly basis.

This year, that experience could start to pay off with Isaacs, Jennings, and Washington all back for their sophomore years.  Of that group, Washington just might be the most improved and he could be a key component off the bench for McCasland.

While Isaacs will also improve as a sophomore, the bar he set for himself last year was much higher than the one Washington set and that’s why Washington will show more improvement.  In other words, Washington had much further to go after last year meaning he will be more noticeably improved than any other Red Raider.

To be honest, I wasn’t a fan of Washington’s game last year.  That was mostly because of the turnovers he committed.  Averaging 3.7 giveaways per 40 minutes of playing time, he was the team leader in a category that no one wants to be at the top of.

What’s more, he also shot only 23.3% from 3-point range.  That’s an area where any Big 12 guard must be at least average so that opponents at least respect his ability to shoot the ball.

However, he did lead Tech in assists per 40 minutes played at 4.6 and steals at 2.4.  In other words, there were some positives that he brought to the floor.

In the scrimmage against A&M, the Portland, Oregon native scored 13 points in 24 minutes off the bench.  Additionally, he had a pair of steals and rebounds in the winning effort.

However, he did turn the ball over three times and he missed his only 3-point shot.  Those are areas where he simply has to be better this season and I think he will step forward.

If Washington proves to be a reliable scoring threat and ball handler this year, it could make the Red Raider bench rather formidable.  McCasland has praised Washington’s work this offseason and the former Oregon Player of the Year has shown he has Big 12 talent.  So look for this sophomore to be noticeably better in 2023-24.