It's been a week since Texas Tech star Darrion Williams declared for the NBA Draft and entered the transfer portal, and while no concrete frontrunner to secure his signature has emerged, one school that is sure to irk Red Raider fans has come up recently.
Williams entered the portal after a standout junior season in Lubbock, Texas, which saw Texas Tech reach its first Elite Eight since 2019, falling to eventual national champions Florida through a late rally from the Gators. In his last three games in the NCAA Tournament, he averaged 23.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
His year-end stats saw the 6-foot-6 forward average 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Red Raiders, finishing second in both statistical categories behind star forward JT Toppin. Toppin, who was receiving buzz as a potential late first or early second-round pick in the NBA Draft, returned to Texas Tech — a sign of the program's deep NIL pockets.
As Williams is projected to be a second-round pick, there is a chance he returns to school, though whether or not that is Texas Tech is a troubling question for many in Lubbock.
"Based on his first two college decisions, it seems likely Williams will stay out west," Billy Heyen said, mentioning that in-conference foe Arizona was rumored to be interested in him earlier this offseason.
However, it now appears as though it could be a different Big 12 school that leads the race for Williams. David Evans of Sportscasting suggested that the BYU Cougars are the frontrunners to bring him in.
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"BYU makes sense for a few reasons," Evans says." Kevin Young, a former NBA assistant, has shifted the program toward a more pro-style approach. That matters to a player like Williams, who’s already shown an advanced feel for the game."
Evans said that SEC powerhouses Arkansas and Kentucky are also interested, but the draw of playing with incoming star freshman A.J. Dybantsa could be a major factor.
The Sacramento native is currently one of the most sought-after names in the transfer portal. The Field of 68's Rob Dauster suggested that if he returns to Texas Tech, the Red Raiders could gain serious traction as the nation's preseason No. 1 team.
Williams, currently rated as the fourth-best player in the transfer portal by ESPN's Jeff Borzello, would be yet another Texas Tech player to leave West Texas for an in-conference foe. In recent years, Kevin McCullar Jr. jumped ship to Kansas, while guard Kyler Edwards transferred to Houston, though Edwards' transfer was before the Cougars joined the Big 12.
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