Big man Federiko Federiko made himself a rather popular player among Texas Tech basketball fans in his lone season in Lubbock. Now, though, he's going to be hard to root for given where he's decided to finish out his college career.
According to multiple social media sources, the 6-foot-11 senior has committed to Texas A&M. Therefore, Tech fans aren't going to be able to wish him well, at least not very easily.
This season, the Aggies will be in their first year under new head coach Bucky McMillian. Leaving Samford for A&M, McMillian has undergone quite the rebuilding process after taking over for Buzz Williams, who left for Maryland this spring.
Federiko is the eighth transfer to commit to McMillian this offseason. Out of that group, four of the players are considered 4-star transfers.
Texas Tech C Federiko Federiko has committed to Texas A&M, per @TiptonEdits
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) May 2, 2025
Check out what he brings to the Aggies 🎥⬇️ pic.twitter.com/fAkgHUgaok
Of course, Federiko is not one of those 4-stars. A backup big man, he averaged just 5.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game last season for Tech.
He played only 18.9 minutes per game (the fewest of his career) and he started only six times. However, he played hard and filled an important role for the Red Raiders as they reached the Elite Eight for only the third time in program history.
During that time, he fought through a shoulder injury that plagued him for most of the season. That was one reason he managed to endear himself to many Red Raider fans.
Perhaps it is the fact that he is a big man, and college basketball fans love to root for players close to 7 feet tall. Or maybe it was simply because he always seemed to give maximum effort, and he found a way to contribute to the cause despite his noticeable flaws as a player.
Whatever the reason, he was a player that Red Raider fans seemed to adopt as one of their own despite his short time in the program. Now, though, most Red Raiders will hope to see Federiko fail, not because of anything personal, but because he will play for the most despised school for many around Raiderland.
What's more, he could wind up being an enemy this season. The Red Raiders are tentatively slated to host A&M this year after the Aggies backed out of their scheduled trip to Lubbock last season.
Whether or not that game will be played is anyone's guess, especially given the new leadership in College Station. If it does, though, Tech fans will be rooting hard against a player they just spent a season pulling for.