On the Diamond
Texas Tech softball run rules Fresno State, 12-2 and then played Team Japan late into the night, losing 1-0. I’m not even sure if that game against Team Japan counts against their record, but to lose to an Olympic team by 1 seems like a good effort. I forgot to mention this yesterday, but all of the games in California are on FloSports and continue today through Sunday.
Texas Tech baseball opens a 15-game homestand against Albany for 4 games starting Friday, a double-header on Saturday, and a final game on Sunday. All games will be on ESPN+.
Texas Tech baseball and softball announced facility upgrades. Softball received upgrades as a result of John and Tracy Sellers, including a new awning and nets to protect against foul balls. Baseball has a new playing field. Lots of details from the link.
On the Hardwood
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The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes that Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson is likely a first round pick:
Beyond endurance, Anderson’s efficiency stands out. He can really shoot from the perimeter, although you’d think he’d shoot free throws a bit better (78.5 percent), and he can get into his release quickly off the dribble going right or left. He has a low release but a quick trigger, which is how he’s launched more than a dozen 3s per 100 possessions this season — the bar for a true sniper.
And thanks to that 3, opponents have to go over ball screens against him, which sets up his passing. There is zero flair here; he just makes the right play time after time after time. He’s sometimes guilty of forcing balls into tight spots, especially since he doesn’t like to call his own number and go all the way to the cup. But as a pick-and-roll decision-maker, he stands out among collegians. As our CJ Moore wrote in his Top 25 on Monday, Texas Tech is averaging 24.3 points per game on pick-and-roll plays initiated by Anderson, according to Synergy. In the 20 years of data at Synergy, no player has ever accounted for more P&R points per game than Anderson.
As far as the next level is concerned, Anderson’s athleticism and shot creation in switch situations are probably the biggest concerns. He doesn’t score many 2-point baskets (he had zero in 45 minutes against Arizona) or draw many fouls, and his athleticism markers don’t stand out. (A 4.9 percent rebound rate is pretty sad, even if it’s partly because teammate J.T. Toppin grabs every board in sight).
On the Gridiron
Texas Tech football announced that promotions for the personnel staff:
Brian Nance and Quintin Jordan – two charter members of McGuire’s staff – will both now serve as assistant general managers, with Nance overseeing high school personnel recruiting and Jordan continuing in his operations role while adding revenue share management duties. Nance was previously Texas Tech’s Director of Player Personnel, a role Sean Kenney will move into entering each of their fifth seasons.
“The foundation of our program will always revolve around our players, and these three individuals are key elements of that process,” McGuire said. “Our personnel staff under James Blanchard is regarded as one of the best in the nation, not only from the classes we’ve been able to sign but the ability to identify top talent. The trio of Sean, Quintin and Brian are essential in our process and deserving of these promotions.”
Texas Tech football also announced the spring football practices, starting on March 10th and culminating with the spring game on April 17th, which is a Friday night.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams reports that the naming rights with AT&T and Jones Stadium will expire in June and will seek a new naming partner for Jones Stadium.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams also reports that Mississippi State has canceled their series with Texas Tech in 2028 and 2029 because the SEC is going through a 9-game conference schedule.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams also has a bit on the running back room, particularly that the staff would love to utilize J’Koby Williams in a similar manner as Miami used freshman star Malachi Toney:
So Tech running backs coach Garret McGuire has had eyes on Toney’s tape this past month.
“He actually just did a study of the receiver-slash-do it all, the Toney kid from Miami that does a bunch of stuff,” Joey McGuire told a Red Raider Club gathering last week in Midland. “We’ve tried to see a lot of that, of how we could use J’Koby Williams in a lot of different ways.”
The Athletic’s Grace Raynor on the hot recruiting start for some programs, including Texas Tech:
• The quarterback class might be deep, but it’s lacking star power at the top. Rankings will no doubt change, but right now, Texas native Kavian Bryant is the top-rated quarterback in the Class at No. 26, and there are only two QBs in the top 50. In the 2026 cycle, three of the top 10 players were quarterbacks. Bryant, a five-star, committed to Texas Tech in November.
• Speaking of Texas Tech, the Red Raiders are on a roll again. After finishing the 2026 cycle with the program’s highest average player rating of the modern era (dating back to 2002), Joey McGuire and his staff have kept the momentum going into the 2027 cycle. The Red Raiders have four commits (all top-200 prospects), including two five-stars in Jalen Brewster and Bryant. We’ve got a ton of time between now and December, but it’s notable that on the heels of the first 12-win season in program history, Texas Tech (and its robust name, image and likeness program) is still rolling.