LUBBOCK, Texas-Texas Tech's 2027 Men's Basketball
roster is beginning to take shape a couple of months before tip-off in West Texas. After adding a trio of guards in Cruz Davis, Damarion Dennis, and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn to the roster all the way back in April, Tech added former UCF forward Jamichael Stillwell and returned Darrion Williams, who spent last season at NC State. The Red Raiders added former UCF forward Jamichael Stillwell
and returned Darrion Williams, who spent last season at NC State.
Another familiar face, according to reports, is in the works to return to the Red Raiders. So far in early August, the Red Raiders have secured players who in any other offseason in college basketball would not have been available to even pursue.
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After a preliminary hearing last week, U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney of Colorado granted a preliminary injunction that gives the class of 2022 an additional fifth year after the class was left out of the NCAA's plans to implement its new 5-for-5 eligibility rule.
With that, the ruling allowed for athletes who did not sign a professional contract to return to their former schools or transfer if their names were placed into the portal during its initial opening while complying with roster size rules and revenue sharing totals. With fall fast approaching and Tech losing six of the team's capstone pieces to the portal or the draft, the addition of veteran pieces in Stillwell, Williams as of late, and among others previously has helped shape a roster looking to excel once again.
Tech returns star senior forward JT Toppin, who was on track to be in consideration for another Big 12 Player of the Year title before a season-ending injury ended his season late in the calendar. While Toppin is a staple of Head Coach Grant McCasland's frontcourt, the additions of Stillwell and Williams help elevate some of the many losses in that area of the floor while adding depth.
Stillwell was fourth in points per game at UCF, which made its first NCAA tournament since 2019, while being a top-five rebounder in the Big 12. While at NC State, Williams in his lone season led the team with 14.0 points per game, averaging north of five rebounds a night.
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During his first stint in Lubbock, Williams helped the Red Raiders to the 2025 NCAA Elite Eight and was named to the All-Big 12 First Team with an average of 15 points a night. Both add tournament and conference experience, but in the case of Williams, he brings a vital sense of familiarity with McCasland's system, which in this era of college athletics is rare. After losing Luke Bamgboye and LeJuan Watts via the portal, Williams and Stillwell could be the two players starting in the frontcourt alongside Toppin come November.
The backcourt has not been spared change heading into this season. After Tech lost star guard Christian Anderson to the NBA, the Red Raiders also lost sophomore guard Jaylen Petty to the portal. Both were key scorers late in the season after Toppin was injured. The Red Raiders also lost Nolan Groves, Leon Horner, and Jazz Henderson via the portal early in the spring. So Tech made up for the losses by adding Davis, Dennis, and Gibbs-Lawhorn. Each has experience playing high minutes on the floor and putting up solid scoring numbers.
Davis led Hofstra in points per game with nearly 20 points during his time on the floor; Dennis was third at Wyoming in points per game and averaged the fourth most minutes for the Cowboys as a sophomore, while Gibbs-Lawhorn also averaged 20 points a night at UNLV. The point? Despite the big losses in the backcourt, Tech brought in high-level scorers who could all have big scoring nights while adding value with depth. Playing in a Grant McCasland backcourt is historically not an uncomplicated task for any player. However, the Red Raiders have gotten deeper due to a ton of additions after those high losses.
With 11 spots filled between returning players, additions, and high school recruits, the Red Raiders have four more spots to play with on the roster. According to reports, Tech is looking at bringing back Donovan Atwell, who played a massive role for the Red Raiders during his first season in West Texas.
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Atwell set the school record in made three-pointers while setting a new conference record for made shots beyond the arc, establishing himself as one of the best perimeter shooters in the country during his short stint with Tech. Atwell went undrafted after declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft he did sign an Exhibit-10 summer league contract with the Chicago Bulls. Reports have linked Atwell with a return to Tech with the new fifth-year eligibility ruling. Although November is not close yet not far away either, the Red Raiders still have opportunities to keep adding to the roster until the start of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/texas-tech as Texas Tech MBB Continues to add to 2027 Roster after Key Losses in the Spring
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