Texas Tech a top consideration for productive transfer big man from the ACC

With the news that Texas Tech star forward Darrion Williams has entered both the NCAA transfer portal and the NBA Draft, finding help in the frontcourt now becomes a priority for the Red Raiders. An intriguing name that has been tied to Tech is Virginia forward Elijah Saunders.

Standing 6-foot-8 and weighing in at 240 pounds, Saunders isn't a carbon copy of Williams (who is around 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds), but he could help fill Williams' shoes.

Saunders, who will be a senior next season, averaged 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Cavilers in 2024-25. He started 26 of the 29 games he appeared in as well.

Prior to that, the Arizona native spent two seasons at San Diego State, where he made 53 appearances and 21 starts. With the Aztecs, he averaged only 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

However, after taking a huge step forward while playing in the ACC, Saunders is now exploring his options. That could be because of a coaching change at UVA, where former Virginia Commonwealth head coach Ryan Odom has taken over for Tony Sanchez, who was the Cavaliers' interim head coach this past season.

Saunders, who, according to Jon Rothstein, is reportedly considering Texas Tech, Kansas State, Purdue, and Grand Canyon, as well as a return to Virginia, is more of a low-post player than Williams is. However, he does have the ability to stretch the floor.

This season, he averaged 3.3 shots from beyond the 3-point arc per game. He made 34.7% of those attempts, which is actually slightly better than the 34.0% that Williams shot from deep.

Where Saunders differs most from Williams, though, is when it comes to creating for others. He handed out only 22 assists all season compared to the 123 that Williams was responsible for.

Williams is a player who can set up the offense at the top of the key and generate his own shot off the dribble or by backing a defender down. At times, Tech utilized him as a point-forward to create mismatches as he is too big for guards to handle and often too quick for posts to stay in front of.

Saunders isn't that versatile. Rather, he is a stretch forward who is comfortable away from the basket but not adept at making something out of nothing.

Still, if the Red Raiders believe that they will be without Williams next season (and most signs are pointing that way at this moment), adding a player like Saunders to the roster would be a nice fall-back option. He would give Tech some much-needed size and bulk down low, and he is more than capable of being an offensive contributor.

Though Saunders isn't likely to be a player who Tech would ask to take over games in one-on-one situations, the way Williams did time and again in his two years with the program, he is a piece that the Red Raiders could win with. Therefore, it will be interesting to see if he decides to call Lubbock home next season.