ACC point guard now on Texas Tech’s radar as portal hunt heats up

Though the college basketball transfer portal window has closed, it does not mean that the activity is over. There are loads of players still looking for new opportunities, and Texas Tech is one of the programs still filling out its 2025-26 roster. Now, it is being reported that the Red Raiders have been in contact with a point guard from the ACC.

According to Sam Kayser of 247 High School Hoops, Tech is one of a number of programs that have reached out to Miami transfer point guard Divine Ugochukwu. Other schools that have expressed interest include Kentucky, Baylor, Pitt, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Dayton, South Florida, Vanderbilt, High Point, Ball State, and Louisiana.

Ugochukw was a freshman this past season for the Hurricanes. In 28 games (16 starts), he averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game.

While those numbers are far from eye-popping, Ugochukwu has shown enough promise to have plenty of big-time suitors. In fact, his new list of potential teams is much more impressive than the group of schools that offered him a scholarship coming out of high school.

As a 3-star prospect in the class of 2024, the Sugar Land, Texas native held offers from Miami, Baylor, Texas A&M, SMU, and a handful of mid-major programs. He was rated the No. 251 overall player in his class and the No. 14 player in Texas.

Texas Tech is certainly in the market for some help at the point guard position. Though sophomore Christian Anderson has announced his return for next season, the program will likely have to replace senior point guard Elijah Hawkins, who is in the portal while waiting for word on whether the NCAA will grant a fifth year of eligibility across the board for its athletes this offseason, as some expect.

Of course, if Hawkins and the rest of the 2024-25 seniors who are currently out of eligibility are given an extra season, he could return to Lubbock to man the point guard spot for head coach Grant McCasland. This past season, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, helping Texas Tech reach the Elite Eight.

Even if Hawkins does return next season, adding Ugochukwu might not be a bad move for Texas Tech. With three years left to play, he could be part of the future on the South Plains. However, it is fair to assume that he will be looking for an opportunity to have a major role on whichever team he joins, and that could be in question if Hawkins is part of the equation.

Still, Tech is leaving no stone unturned in the search for a point guard to pair with Anderson. That's why Ugochukwu has heard from McCasland and Co.