Texas Tech Basketball

Bryson Williams scored 22 points to lead No. 25 Texas Tech to a 75-67 home win over No. 6 Kansas on Saturday in Lubbock's United Supermarkets Arena.

Williams hit nine of 13 shots alongside eight rebounds and three assists. Clarence Nadolny complemented Williams' effort with 17 points.

Ochai Agbaji (24 points) and Jalen Wilson (20 points) combined for 44 on 13-of-20 shooting (9-of-14 from three-point range), but the rest of the Jayhawks accounted for just 23 points on 8-of-29 from the field (1-of-12 on three-pointers).

The Red Raiders defense gave Kansas problems all afternoon, accounting for 10 steals and three blocks. KU also committed 17 turnovers. Texas Tech dominated on the glass as well, out-rebounding Kansas 34-24 (13-6 on the offensive boards).

Texas Tech shone brightest in the final 5:59 of the first half, when the Red Raiders held KU without a made field goal. Wilson accounted for KU's only points during that span with a pair of free throws.

Ultimately, Texas Tech outscored Kansas 7-0 in the final 4:20 of the frame, allowing the Red Raiders to take a 33-25 lead into the half.

Texas Tech led by as many as 14 points in the second half after a Marcus Santos-Silva three-point play put the Red Raiders up 51-37 with 11:52 remaining, but KU chipped away at the lead and cut it down to 71-67 after an Agbaji three-pointer with 1:11 left.

However, Texas Tech closed the game with four free throws to seal the win.

Texas Tech is now 11-3 overall (1-1 Big 12). KU is 12-2 (1-1).

Texas Tech guard Mac McClung has withdrawn from the NCAA transfer portal but left open the possibility of moving on to the NBA.

"Just didn't feel right in my heart," McClung wrote Thursday on Twitter. "Whatever decision I make in the near future with the NBA process, I will always want to be a part of Red Raider Nation."

On April 11, he had announced his plans to prepare for the NBA draft while also entering the transfer portal:

The Gate City, Virginia, native averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 2020-21 after transferring from Georgetown. He also shot 41.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, both of which were personal bests.

McClung's original decision came 10 days after Texas officially announced the hiring of head coach Chris Beard from Texas Tech. The Red Raiders subsequently promoted associate head coach Mark Adams to succeed Beard.

Stadium's Jeff Goodman noted McClung would've needed the NCAA to grant him a waiver in order to receive immediate eligibility at another school. That's not a problem at Texas Tech. Adams also provides a level of continuity for players on last year's squad, which might have played into McClung's final decision.

The 21-year-old now has until July 19 to decide if he'll be a part of this year's draft class ahead of the July 29 event.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman omitted McClung from his most recent big board. Likewise, he wasn't among the top 100 prospects on ESPN.com or for Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.

Returning to Lubbock might be the best move to help his hopes of carving out an NBA career.

KJ Allen, who was one of the featured players for East Los Angeles College on the inaugural season of Last Chance U: Basketball, announced on Instagram that he has flipped his commitment from USC to Texas Tech.

"After careful consideration these last few weeks with my friends and family I have decided to De-Commit from USC," Allen wrote.

"I thank [USC head men's basketball coach Andy Enfield] and his staff for their belief in me. I wish them the best.

"I would like to thank all the schools that have recruited me and am very appreciative. At this time, I would like to announce that I will be committed to Coach [Mark] Adams and the Texas Tech Red Raiders💯#WreckEm."

247Sports ranks Allen, a 6'6", 225-pound power forward, as the 10th-best junior college prospect in the class of 2021. He was given a 3-star rating.

East Los Angeles College went 29-1 and reached the California Community College Athletic Association Championship quarterfinals before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allen joins a rebuilding Texas Tech program that has seen seven players either enter the transfer portal or put their names in consideration for the NBA draft since head coach Chris Beard announced he was leaving for Texas.

Mark Adams, who was Beard's associate head coach, has taken over a program that went 18-11 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Texas Tech star Mac McClung announced Sunday he was declaring for the 2021 NBA draft while simultaneously entering the NCAA transfer portal.

College players are permitted to enter the NBA draft process and retain their NCAA eligibility as long as they do not hire any outside representation. That allows players like McClung to receive feedback from pro scouts before deciding whether to stay in the draft or return to school. Should McClung take the latter route, he will not be heading back to Lubbock.

The junior from Virginia, who began his career at Georgetown, first made a name for himself with his eye-popping in-game dunks but began rounding out his game under head coach Chris Beard as a member of the Red Raiders.

McClung averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game with TTU in 2020-21. With Beard leaving the program to take over for Shaka Smart at Texas, now is as good a time as any for McClung to test out his standing in the league.

It's the second time McClung has put his name in the NBA draft pool. He originally declared last season before ultimately deciding to return to college and enter the transfer portal. According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, McClung conducted 11 interviews during the predraft process last spring before withdrawing from the class.

"Going through this process was really informative," McClung said last May. "I got a chance to speak to the decision-makers and hear what they thought about my game. They shared with me things I need to work on to be successful at the next level. I'm very optimistic about the feedback I have received and can't wait to take that knowledge to my future home."

Despite improving his offense last season, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman did not include the guard in his latest complete mock draft following the NCAA tournament.

Mac McClung's time with the Texas Tech Red Raiders may not be done just yet.

"He's considering coming back," Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams told the College Hoops Today podcast. "I'm going to meet with Mac and his family soon. I want the best for these guys. I just want these guys to know that I'm going to support him either way."

Who will remain on Texas Tech's roster after Chris Beard left to coach the Texas Longhorns has been a primary focus of the early offseason for the Red Raiders.

Branson Nash of the Dallas Morning News noted Marcus Santos-Silva and Micah Peavy are in the transfer portal but Kevin McCullar and Kyler Edwards both said they were coming back with Adams now installed as the head coach.

Texas Tech went 18-11 during the 2020-21 season and lost in the second round of the NCAA men's tournament to Arkansas.

Beard was a major loss considering he took the Red Raiders to the Final Four for the first time in program history in 2019 and went 112-55 in five seasons as the head coach. However, getting McClung to return would be a major boost for the team's outlook during the upcoming season.

The All-Big-12 second-team selection averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game during his first season with Texas Tech after transferring from Georgetown. He was the team's leading scorer and often the go-to option in crunch time and would likely fill a similar role in 2021-22.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman did not list McClung among the top 50 players for the 2021 NBA draft on his latest big board.

Mark Adams will take over as head coach of the Texas Tech men's basketball program following the hire of former head coach Chris Beard at Texas, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein. 

Adams, a Texas Tech alum, is in his second stint on the Red Raiders coaching staff. He rejoined the program in 2016-17 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach before the 2019-20 campaign. 

Former Texas Tech assistant Ulric Maligi followed Beard to the Longhorns, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. 

Adams was the director of basketball operations from 2013-15, for three of the four seasons that his son Luke Adams played on the team.

According to his team bio, Adams was heavily involved with the team's defense in his role as associate head coach, and under his guidance, the Red Raiders were regularly one of the top defensive units in the nation. 

He helped lead the team to the national championship in 2019, a year after the program reached the Elite Eight. 

He holds a 554-244 record through 23 seasons as a head coach with five different programs, with his last stint at the helm of a program coming from 2004-13 at Howard College. He led the 2010 team—which was headlined by Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder—to the NJCAA national championship and was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year for his efforts. 

In 2017, he was inducted to the Wayland Baptist Hall of Fame in recognition of his work with the program from 1983-87.

Adams holds 15 Coach of the Year honors and has appeared in eight national tournaments (three NJCAA, three NAIA, two NCAA Division II). 

Following Chris Beard's departure, Texas Tech is reportedly going to interview one of its most famous alums for the vacant men's head basketball coaching job. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Texas Tech has received permission from the Milwaukee Bucks to interview assistant coach Darvin Ham this weekend. 

Beard was officially introduced as the head coach at the University of Texas on Thursday.

Chip Brown of 247Sports reported that Beard agreed to a seven-year, $35 million contract to replace Shaka Smart. The 48-year-old graduated from Texas in 1995 and was a graduate assistant for the program under Tom Penders. 

Ham transferred to Texas Tech in 1993 after spending one season at Otero Junior College. He appeared in 90 games over three years with the Red Raiders and averaged 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest. 

Since retiring from professional basketball as a player in 2008, Ham has been a coach for the past 13 seasons. He was a head coach for the 2010-11 season with the New Mexico Thuderbirds in the NBA G League. 

Ham has been one of Mike Budenholzer's top assistants dating back to 2013-14 with the Atlanta Hawks. He joined Budenholzer with the Bucks in 2018.

Texas Tech reached the national title game during the 2018-19 season with a 31-7 record. It made the NCAA tournament this season as a No. 6 seed but lost 68-66 to Arkansas in the second round. 

Patrick Mahomes isn't ready to stop cheering for a Chris Beard-led basketball team.

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback urged Beard, who is the Texas Tech men's basketball head coach, to remain at his alma mater amid rumors he could leave for the Texas Longhorns:

It is no surprise Mahomes, who attended Texas Tech's Final Four game in 2019, wants Beard to stay put. The coach has been with the Red Raiders for five seasons and has a 112-55 record with three NCAA tournament appearances.

He led Texas Tech to the Big 12 regular-season title and its only Final Four appearance in men's basketball history in the 2018-19 campaign after the team reached the Elite Eight the previous season.

However, the Texas job is open after Shaka Smart left for Marquette.

Beard seems like a natural fit considering Texas is his alma mater and he had experience as a student assistant. Chip Brown of 247Sports reported he is the "leading candidate" for the position.

Still, the Longhorns don't have an MVP quarterback lobbying for them on social media.

Texas Tech men's basketball coach Chris Beard has been reprimanded by the Big 12 following a theatrical ejection during Tuesday's 82-71 loss to No. 14 West Virginia. 

“Coach Beard’s conduct was inconsistent with sportsmanship expectations in the Big 12 Conference,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement. “He is being issued a public reprimand, and put on notice that any future sportsmanship violations may lead to a more severe penalty.”

Beard was not fined for his conduct. 

Carlos Silva Jr. and Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal obtained a letter sent from TTU athletic director Kirby Hocutt to Bowlsby arguing the coach did not violate the conference policy on sportsmanship and vouched for his character:

"This letter is in response to your email regarding a possible sportsmanship incident in our men’s basketball game against West Virginia. Your email states that head coach Chris Beard exhibited unsportsmanlike behavior towards the officials resulting in two technical fouls and ejection from the game.

"This incident occurred near the end of the game following some subjective decisions by the officials. Due to the reasons explained below, it is our position that a violation of C.R. 12.3.5 (Other Misconduct) did not occur. Chris Beard exemplifies sportsmanship on the court and towards the officials. Not only does he live it, but he also talks about it with the team frequently. In his nearly five years in the Big 12 he has not received one technical foul until this last game. He speaks to the team and reminds them about the importance of showing sportsmanship not only on the court but also through their communication.

"We take pride in the fact that as a team we have a very low number of technical fouls. Since Chris has been here, we have never had more than 3 player technical fouls in any given season. In his post-game comments, Chris praised the three officials when asked about the officiating in the game.

"Chris said, 'These guys are the best of the best. These three guys out there tonight, not only do I like, but I respect and trust them. But in college basketball, sometimes you just got to fight for the players and that was my decision tonight to do that.' I respectfully will state that it is our position that we have not violated the Other Misconduct policy of the Conference. Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss further."

Beard further defended his actions in his postgame press conference following the loss. 

"There was no message there, I just thought sometimes from a coaching standpoint you've got to fight for your players," Beard said. "Obviously college basketball, you guys know the drill—Big 12 policy and all that—I would just say from my point of view the West Virginia player was calling a timeout from the floor...if that call is made we've got a chance to set up our press and still have a chance to play the game."

The conference didn't find that explanation satisfactory. If Beard acts out again in a similar manner, he may find himself digging into his wallet to make things right. 

Mac McClung's last-chance jumper gave No. 15 Texas Tech a comeback victory over No. 4 Texas, 79-77, on the road Wednesday night.

The Red Raiders, who improved to 11-3 with the win, trailed 48-38 at halftime but used a 41-point second frame to upend Texas, which was limited to 29 points in the second half.

The Longhorns' only other loss of the season came at the hands of No. 3 Villanova on Dec. 6.

McClung ended the night leading all scorers with 22 points on 42.9 percent shooting from the field, eeking out ahead of Texas star Andrew Jones, who posted 20 points by going an impressive 63.6 percent from the field, hitting four of his six three-point attempts.

Texas Tech's Kevin McCullar and Texas' Jericho Sims each tallied 16 points for their respective teams.

The first half was all Texas. The Longhorns hit 50.0 percent of their shots while holding Texas Tech to 37.0 percent shooting in the opening frame, but the Red Raiders worked quietly. 

Those minute mistakes added up for the Longhorns in the second half as the Red Raiders defense continued to force itself into every play. Suddenly, Texas was hitting just 33.3 percent of its shots from the field, committing eight turnovers in the second half to add onto seven from the first frame. Together, those re-possessions resulted in 19 points for the Red Raiders, while a balanced bench produced 18 points. 

The Red Raiders will face another tough test against No. 2 Baylor on Saturday, while the Longhorns should have a break against Kansas State the same day.