Texas Tech will likely be without its entire starting five from the end of the 2025-26 season.
LUBBOCK, Texas - The fifth and final member of the Texas Tech Red Raiders' starting five from the final game of the 2025-26 regular season has made his announcement on his plans for next year.
Luke Bamgboye is reportedly planning on entering the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3 insider Joe Tipton, meaning Grant McCasland's entire starting unit could be somewhere else by the time the fall rolls around.
The sophomore VCU transfer Bamgboye started 12 of the 21 games he appeared in for the Red Raiders this season, posting averages of 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
It is the sixth player Texas Tech could lose after announcing they'd be entering the portal this cycle. Bamgboye joins LeJuan Watts and Jaylen Petty (committed to UCLA) from the final starting lineup, with Donovan Atwell graduating and Christian Anderson enrolling in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Other players jumping to another program include Jazz Henderson, Nolan Groves (Minnesota), and Leon Horner. Tyeree Bryan and Jack Francis will also not return as they have run out of eligibility.
That leaves just JT Toppin, Josiah Moseley, LaTrell Hoover and Marial Akuentok as the only returning players on the roster for next season.
In other words, this starts a full rebuild. Toppin could miss most of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL, and Moseley is the only other player who has contributed spot minutes throughout last season.
Texas Tech can breathe, however, knowing an elite high school prospect is arriving in Dallas' Dakari Spear from Dynamic Prep. The 4-star recruit is a 6-5 guard who will likely inherit a major responsibility in his freshman season in Lubbock.
For Bamgboye, he'll likely look for a place that more closely fits his skillset as he returns to consistent minutes on the floor. He dealt with knee issues much of this season and didn't fully get his feet under him once he eventually returned and helped Texas Tech reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament.
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