Texas Tech basketball fans are keeping a close eye on the transfer portal as they wait to see how head coach Grant McCasland and his staff assemble the roster for the 2025-26 season. Thus, even when a redshirt freshman who didn't play a minute this past season entered the portal, some Red Raiders took notice. Of course, that was largely due to his familiar last name, one that ties him to Texas Tech.
Okku Federiko, a 6-foot-8 forward for the South Carolina Gamecocks, is looking for a new home. Of course, with that last name, it isn't hard to figure out that he is the younger brother of Texas Tech forward Federiko Federiko.
Okku Federiko is also a native of Helsinki, Finland, like his older brother. He enrolled at South Carolina in January and sat out the remainder of the season so he has yet to amass any college stats.
South Carolina freshman Okku Federiko has officially entered the Transfer Portal @On3sports has learnedhttps://t.co/AEFLZRanvi pic.twitter.com/xq2a6iJSJ9
— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) April 10, 2025
As a high school player, he played for the Finland National Team in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship. During that event, he put up 11.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks in seven games played.
That included a double-double in the group phase against Albania when he put up 20 points and corralled 10 rebounds. That day, he was 4-of-4 from 3-point range and handed out four assists.
It would seem that the younger Federkio is a more versatile player than the Federiko who calls Lubbock home. Tech's Federiko has never attempted a 3-pointer in his college career and rarely dishes out any assists.
Of course, Tech's Federiko is also three inches taller than his little brother. Thus, he is more of a traditional post player, whereas Okku is a stretch forward.
Right now, there has been no indication that the Red Raiders are pursuing Okku Federiko. After all, Tech likely doesn't want to invest a scholarship in another developmental player at the forward position with guys like junior-to-be Eemeli Yalaho and redshirt freshman Marial Akuentok (a 6-foot-10, 230-pound Canadian forward who joined the program in January) already on the roster.
Instead, Tech is seeking impact players who can make immediate contributions next season as the program looks to reach the Final Four for the second time in its history. Still, some naturally connected Okku Federiko to Tech, given that his older brother is a Red Raider. However, it doesn't appear at this time that a family reunion in West Texas is in the cards.