Grant McCasland needed a point guard. He found one in his own backyard, landing Plano native and CAA Player of the Year Cruz Davis out of the transfer portal
Texas Tech basketball has its answer at point guard. Hofstra guard Cruz Davis committed to the Red Raiders on Thursday, per On3, giving Grant McCasland his most significant portal addition of the offseason.
Davis brings a winding college resume to Lubbock. He spent his freshman year at Iona before following Rick Pitino to St. John's, where an injury limited him to just four games. A medical redshirt gave him an extra year of eligibility, and he used it wisely, landing at Hofstra where Speedy Claxton turned him into one of the best guards in the country outside of a major conference.
In two seasons as a starter for the Pride, Davis saved his best for last. He took home CAA Player of the Year honors this past season after putting up 20.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game on better than 40% shooting from deep. The Plano native now gets a chance to do it in the Big 12.
Davis built his reputation this season by taking down programs with far larger budgets and rosters. In December alone, he put up back-to-back signature games against ACC opponents. At Pittsburgh on Dec. 7, he went 14 of 25 from the floor with five made 3-pointers, finishing with 36 points and seven assists in an 80-73 Hofstra win, a game the Pride led by as many as 17. Six days later at Syracuse, he scored 22 points and handed out nine assists in a 70-69 upset. Davis put up 33 against Elon and 32 at Towson during CAA play, and had 30-point outings against North Carolina A&T and in the CAA quarterfinals against William and Mary. When Hofstra reached the NCAA Tournament, Davis scored 14 against Alabama before the Pride fell. He had double-figure scoring in 31 of 34 games this season.
Davis steps immediately into the No. 1 point guard role for the Red Raiders. Both of Tech's lead guards are gone. Jaylen Petty transferred to UCLA and Christian Anderson declared for the NBA Draft. Davis fills that void and then some.
His style of play also fits the void Anderson left. Davis attacks the basket far more than his predecessor, who launched 60% of his attempts from 3. Davis kept that number closer to one in three, meaning Tech will need shooters around him. Fortunately, building around perimeter shooting is exactly how McCasland operates.
Durability is not a concern either. Davis logged 40 or more minutes on 20 occasions last season. He is built for a featured role.
The one real question is whether his production translates from the CAA to the Big 12. That is a significant jump in competition. That answer comes next season.