Texas Tech basketball takes a surprise hit with latest transfer portal addition

Just when we thought we might have a handle on what the 2025-26 Texas Tech basketball roster might look like, the transfer portal threw us another twist on Friday when reports surfaced that big man Federiko Federiko would be exploring his options. Now, the Red Raiders have to be in the market for another post player who can give them some size and rim protection.

A 6-foot-11 forward who has one season of eligibility remaining, Federiko transferred to Texas Tech last offseason after two seasons at Pittsburgh. In his career, he's appeared in 103 games, making him a grizzled veteran in terms of the college game.

This past season, he averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as the only big man off the Red Raiders' bench. Though he averaged only 18.9 minutes per game, the fewest of his college career, he still played an integral role in helping Texas Tech reach the Elite Eight.

Federiko was the only member of the 2024-25 Red Raiders who was over 6-foot-9. Thus, his height was important in helping his team compete in the paint, especially against opponents with a size advantage over Texas Tech.

Many Tech fans, though, grew frustrated at times with the native of Finland. Federiko often struggled on the offensive end, especially when it came to his ability to corral passes from teammates or finish around the rim. What's more, the fact that he was only a 49.2% shooter at the free-throw line often drove fans mad.

While no one is suggesting that Federiko has the potential to be an All-Big 12 performer, he is a useful player. After all, as the old basketball adage says, "You can't coach height", and he supplied that for the Red Raiders.

Now, head coach Grant McCasland must make it a priority to find more size via the portal. That's because 6-foot-8 junior forward Eemeli Yalaho has also entered the portal.

Therefore, the only players on the current roster over 6-foot-6 are Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin (who is listed at 6-foot-9, but who is closer to 6-foot-7 in reality) and redshirt freshman Marial Akuentok, a 6-foot-10 native of Canada who joined the program in January but did not play this season.

Though Akuentok has an intriguing future, he can't be the only size that the Red Raiders have on the roster next season if they hope to compete for a National Championship. Of course, many Red Raider fans assumed that Federiko would return to help in that regard.

Because Federiko has never been a dominant player, many believed that he would be more likely to remain content with his role on the Texas Tech roster. However, like so many players across the nation, he's now exploring his options.

Now, we must allow for the possibility that Federiko's departure was a Texas Tech decision. Perhaps the program has a plan to upgrade in the post, and the Red Raiders believe that they have the chance to bring in more impactful big men to surround Toppin down low.

Regardless of why Federiko has entered the portal, what is certain is that the Red Raiders now have another hole to fill. It will be interesting to see what they do in the coming days and weeks to add some size in the post as they continue to put together the pieces of the puzzle for next season.