A first look at Texas Tech basketball's dynamic potential starting lineup for 2024-25
The Texas Tech basketball program won't tip off its next season until November. That means five months of waiting for fans to get their next look at the Red Raiders.
Of course, the transfer portal madness of the spring and early summer has brought renewed excitement for next season. That's because, for the second offseason in a row, Grant McCasland has brought it quite the transfer class.
Last offseason, despite not being named Texas Tech head coach until early April, McCasland managed to bring in six transfers to round out his first roster in Lubbock. Highlighted by Nevada transfer Darrion Williams and a pair of Arizona State transfers in Devan Cambridge and Warren Washington, last year's Texas Tech transfer class ranked 29th nationally according to 247Sports.com.
Meanwhile, he's done even better in 2024. Despite only bringing in four transfers thus far, McCasland's current transfer class sits at No. 18 in the nation. That's the third-best class in the conference at the moment.
Now that the Red Raiders have signed New Mexico forward JT Toppin, the roster is close to complete as there are only two scholarships left to hand out. So it is a natural time to look at what the potential starting lineup for the Red Raiders will look like.
Point guard: Elijah Hawkins
At the point guard spot, Tech will be led by Elijah Hawkins. One of the best facilitators in the nation, the Minnesota transfer is quite the floor general.
Last season, he averaged 7.5 assists per game to go along with 9.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. In fact, he had more assists than shot attempts.
If there is a drawback to Hawkins, it would be his size. The senior is only 5-foot-11 meaning for the second year in a row, Tech will head into the Big 12 season undersized at the point guard position.
Still, Hawkins is a terrific option at point guard. He is the best pure point guard Tech will have had since Keenan Evans (though his game is very different than Evans') and he will be the piston that drives the Red Raider engine.