This season, the Texas Tech basketball team is going to be led by a trio of returning stars, Donovan Atwell, Darrion Williams, and (eventually) JT Toppin. However, the supporting cast that surrounds them will likely determine just how far the Red Raiders can go.
Though the season is just one game old, it appears that Wyoming transfer Damarion Dennis will be a huge contributor in 2026-27. In fact, he might wind up being one of the biggest offseason steals in the transfer portal.
In Monday night's 76-42 season-opening win over Jackson State, Dennis was Texas Tech's best player. On a night when Williams and Atwell combined for just five points, Dennis picked up the slack by scoring 22 points off the bench. Though he shouldn't be expected to be a 20-point scorer every night, if he can give his team some firepower as a reserve, it will do wonders for the entire rotation.
Texas Tech got a huge steal in Dennis
Dennis committed to Texas Tech in April. At the time, most fans didn't even notice. That's because their focus was on more high-profile players, especially big men.
Dennis, who grew up in Dallas and played high school basketball in San Antonio, was never a blue-chip prospect or portal target. Coming out of the prep ranks, he was just a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports. Meanwhile, other recruiting services didn't even bother to give him a star rating.
Damarion Dennis drops 2️⃣2️⃣
— Big 12 Studios (@big12studios) November 3, 2026
Highlights vs. Jackson State 🎥@TexasTechMBB pic.twitter.com/LujVbBMunr
Initially, he picked Texas A&M Corpus Christi over offers from Southern Illinois, Incarnate Word, UT-Arlington, Louisiana Tech, and other mid-major programs. Absent from his recruiting bio were any offers from major-conference programs.
Prior to his sophomore season, he transferred to Wyoming. Playing in the Mountain West was a step up for him given that the MWC is arguably the strongest mid-major league in America. With the Cowboys last season, he averaged 11.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Though those numbers were solid, they weren't enough to make him a premier target when he entered the transfer portal again this past offseason.
However, Texas Tech has a key coach with a connection to the Wyoming program. Top assistant Jeff Linder was the head coach at Wyoming from 2020-24. Though his time with the Cowboys didn't overlap with Dennis', Linder still has a good relationship with current Wyoming head coach Sundance Wicks, who was an assistant to Linder in Laramie for three seasons.
Thus, Linder and the Red Raiders had some insight into what Dennis could bring to the table. That allowed them to make an early move to land him, and that may pay huge dividends this season.
Though it is early, it appears that Dennis has taken his game to another level since arriving at Tech. He scored 11 points against Kentucky in Tech's final exhibition game this year, and in Monday's opener, he set a new career high in points.
He appears to be the perfect type of player to bring off the bench. He has already shown the ability to score in multiple ways (off the dribble, from 3-point range, etc.), and he has displayed excellent athleticism.
Additionally, Dennis plays with a ton of energy. That makes him a great rotational piece who can lift his team on nights when some of the starters are struggling.
His energy and athleticism should also translate to the defensive end of the floor. Though he's only 6-foot-1, he does have the leaping ability to clean up on the glass and the quickness to stay in front of opposing guards.
So while transfer additions like Williams, Cruz Davis, Dre Gibbs-Lawhorn, and Jamichael Stillwell all garnered more interest from the fans during the offseason, it might be Dennis who proves to be the most shrewd acquisition the program made. If early indications are accurate, he could be one of the most invaluable players on this year's team.
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