Texas Tech's exhibition match at Kentucky gave us a good idea of what to expect in terms of the rotation that Grant McCasland will use throughout the season.

As the Red Raiders prepare to tip the season off at home against Jackson State, here is what the starting lineup could look like in the season opener.

PG: Cruz Davis

Backups: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Damarion Dennis

Hofstra transfer Cruz Davis will get the start as Texas Tech's primary point guard in 2026-2027. He averaged over 20 points per game last season with the Pride and led them to a fantastic season that resulted in an NCAA tournament appearance.

Davis will be able to carve out a crucial role in this lineup if he can learn to be an effective distributor for the players around him. Of course, the Red Raiders will also rely on his ability to score, though it's unreasonable to expect a repeat in the type of production we saw last year at Hofstra. Behind Davis, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Damarion Dennis will be able to take over point guard duties when necessary, but I would expect to see Davis on the court for 30-plus minutes a game.

SG: Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

Backups: Damarion Dennis, Dakari Spear

Grant McCasland didn't want to have to worry about scoring the basketball this season, as he brings in yet another 20-plus points-per-game scorer in the form of Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, a UNLV transfer.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has been a proven scorer throughout his college career and will provide a crucial offensive punch for the Red Raiders this season. Behind him, Damarion Dennis will get ample minutes this season as well. Dennis executed well in the exhibition game against Kentucky, and I would expect both him and Gibbs-Lawhorn to hover around the 25-minute mark this season.

SF: Donovan Atwell

Backup(s): Darrion Williams

Starting at small forward will be sharpshooter and returner Donovan Atwell.

Atwell averaged 13.5 points for the Red Raiders last season while shooting 45.6 percent from three. As one of the best shooters in the country, it will be hard to justify leaving him out of the game for chunks at a time. In the exhibition against Kentucky, Atwell logged just over 30 minutes, and I would expect that to accurately reflect how often we see him this season.

PF: Darrion Williams

Backups: Josiah Moseley

After a one-year stint at NC State, Darrion Williams is back in the starting lineup for Texas Tech. With JT Toppin and Jamichael Stillwell still absent in the frontcourt, Darrion Williams may be the most important player on this roster to begin the season.

The box score also reflected that notion, as he played 37 minutes in the exhibition match against Kentucky, reflecting his importance to this team with crucial members of the frontcourt unavailable.

Williams is a much smaller power forward at 6'6”, but has the physicality and versatility to impact the team in multiple spots on the floor. Behind Williams, Josiah Moseley will be able to provide value when Williams needs a break.

C: Bassala Bagayoko

Backup(s): Josiah Moseley, Marial Akuentok, Latrell Hoover

The most uncertain of the five positions to begin the season is at center. Bassala Bagayoko will likely get the start, but he and Josiah Moseley will likely split minutes pretty evenly. Without Toppin and Stillwell, the frontcourt remains the biggest question for this Texas Tech team as they attempt to reach their expectations this season.

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