On Monday, Texas Tech received the commitment of 2027 point guard Aaron Britt, Jr.
Player: Aaron Britt, Jr.
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190
Class: 2027
Position: Point Guard
High School: Villages Charter School | Jacksonville, FL
Stats: 14.4 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.0 rebounds (link)
Recruiting Profiles: On3 3-star 89 grade | 24/7 Sports 4-star 91 grade | ESPN 4-star 85 grade
Offers: Texas Tech, South Florida, Dayton, California, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCF, Virginia Tech, Washington, Arkansas State, Charlotte, FIU, Kennesaw State, UNLV, Wichita State, Jacksonville, Sacramento State, Albany State, Butler, Creighton, Marquette, Providence, St. Louis
Britt is a point guard. You don’t get to type that up very often, but he’s a true point guard that can score. I would love to see Britt’s shooting splits in terms of how well he shoots from deep, but all of the pieces to be a guy who immediately steps on the court and can command the offense is there. Terrific handles and he’s adept at throwing it to the rim for a pick-and-roll buckets and he’s tough enough to score inside.
Rivals’ Joe Tipton talked to Britt concerning his commitment to Texas Tech:
“I would just say right when I stepped on campus, it was just a different feeling,” Britt said on his decision to choose Texas Tech. “I knew it was home. I’ve seen in past years that they play freshman a lot of minutes and I trust coach to do the same.”
I did not have time to non-transcript McCasland’s first practice presser, so used the AI machine to help.
1. Roster Construction & Offseason Strategy
Conviction & Fit Over Numbers: McCasland reflected on the previous offseason, admitting he took too much of a “numbers/offensive” approach and failed to build enough competitive depth [01:40]. This year, he prioritized player competitiveness, unselfishness, and finding guys who genuinely want to be Red Raiders [02:56].
Tournament-Tested Talent: He emphasized bringing in Division I transfers who have played in the NCAA Tournament (such as Cruz Davis and Dre) to add proven experience [03:32].
Re-evaluating “College as a Business”: While acknowledging the modern NIL landscape, McCasland stated that inside the locker room, he wants an environment focused on team success, humility, and personal growth rather than transactional mindsets [06:07].
2. Player Updates & Injuries
JT Toppin: There is no strict timeline for his recovery [08:40]. McCasland noted that Toppin wants to play and is working hard in rehab, but the staff will not rush him—ensuring he is 100% healthy for the end of the season is more important than when he starts [08:19].
Darrion Williams: In what McCasland called a unique story, Williams re-enrolled at Texas Tech to work with the medical staff, pursue his degree, and prepare to play [11:02]. Under NCAA rules, he is practicing with the team [12:37].
Donovan Atwell: Highlighted as an elite 3-point shooter in the Big 12 who continues to make massive leaps on the defensive side of the floor [14:21].
DaKari Spear: Praised as an incoming freshman with a strong winning background who has made huge strides defensively and is expected to have a significant impact [09:16].
Bassala Bagayoko (International Prospect): The staff secured his NCAA eligibility after a long process [15:30]. McCasland noted his high IQ, defensive ability, and unselfish nature, though he wants him to develop a more aggressive scoring mentality [21:00].
3. Team Culture & Program Standard
Alumni Influence: A late-July alumni event brought past players (including Keenan Evans, Tariq Owens, and Matt Mooney) back to campus [15:11]. Alumni remind the team that the goal at Texas Tech is to compete for championships [19:05].
Staff Continuity: McCasland praised the continuity of his coaching and strength/training staff (including Mike Neil and Coach Wright), noting it is the first time in a while the entire coaching staff has returned [19:26].
Red Raider Sports’ Lane Selph has a recap of McCasland’s presser as well:
When Texas Tech entered the last off-season offseason, McCasland said he viewed roster construction more from a numbers perspective. Looking back, he believes that approach is something he handles differently now.
“That’s where we, in the offseason the year before, I looked at a numbers approach and I took the wrong approach in the overall aspect of what I felt like we needed as coaches,” McCasland said. “And I’ll talk about myself. I probably thought too highly of what I was capable of doing with a defensive team, and when an offensive approach was what made our offense look good, and just the competitive spirit of the team was not right from a depth standpoint,” McCasland said.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese on the return of JT Toppin:
“He’s rehabbed. He’s rehabbed in a way that I think reflects his desire to play. But I’m not rushing it in any way, shape or form because if we have JT when he’s ready, then we’ll have a great team, and that will be the best thing for our team.”
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese on patience in building the roster:
“Our staff brought a lot of people to the table that could be on our roster,” McCasland said. “Then I ended up saying I wanted a deeper level of conviction of who, and we probably held on longer than everybody wanted, but I think in the end this five-for-five component is going to be interesting to see how it all plays out.”