Texas Tech Basketball: Why Elijah Hawkins is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Basketball at Texas Tech has been a wild ride in recent years and it seems like the Red Raiders could be back on the upswing for the near future. After the program fizzled out under Mark Adams, Texas Tech went and found a great new leader in Grant McCasland, a former Baylor aide who had starred throughout his career as a head coach. Year one produced fantastic results, with 23 wins, a 3rd place finish in the Big 12 race, and a trip back to the NCAA Tournament.

The Red Raiders fell in the opening round of the Big Dance, but things are going to look a little differently in their next attempt at postseason success. Leading scorer and thrilling sophomore guard Pop Isaacs transferred to Creighton while a couple other contributors have played their last game in Lubbock. Notably, the Red Raiders will get Darrion Williams back for his junior season while also hoping to get a healthy and prosperous final year from Devan Cambridge, who missed most of last season.

Despite those losses, this is still a rotation filled with talent and it’s the offseason additions that helped maintain that presence. The Red Raiders added several names, including Federiko Federiko, a power forward from Pittsburgh with potential. Drake freshman Kevin Overton showed his potential last season and now transitions into the Big 12. Maybe the most talented and productive newcomer for this next season will be JT Toppin, who showed significant potential as a freshman with New Mexico last year.

For this season, we’re more focused on what Elijah Hawkins will bring to the Red Raiders. A 5’11 guard from Washington DC, he stayed right in his hometown and played a pair of solid seasons at Howard, even making the Big Dance as a sophomore. After two years leading the MEAC in assists, Hawkins took the big jump forward at Minnesota last season and didn’t falter in the Big Ten, averaging 9.5 points and 7.5 assists per game for the Golden Gophers.

Not explicitly known for his scoring or shooting, Hawkins took advantage of those opportunities and has made nearly 38% of the 3-pointers in his career, but his ball distribution and court vision are clearly the highlights here. He’s not the player who’s going to go out and give you 15 points a night; instead he’s the key cog in the whole offense. Hawkins is the piece who creates the magic, giving opportunities for shooters like Williams and Walton.

The departure of Pop Isaacs put a dark cloud over the program, but slotting Hawkins into that point guard position makes this a winning offseason. What Hawkins lacks in his scoring he certainly makes up for in other departments, especially after finishing third in the nation in assists per game. Like we previously mentioned, he’s the picture of what you want as a distributor and he has a history of decent free throw shooting.

Toppin will score more points, and a few other starters will likely make more baskets, but Hawkins is going to assist on a lot of that offense for the Red Raiders. This is one of the best backcourt weapons from last season finding a great new slot with McCasland’s crew and the potential could be limitless even in a new-look Big 12. Does Texas Tech have enough talent to make a legitimate run at a conference title? Will this be an even more efficient and productive season for Hawkins down in Lubbock?