Texas Tech's exhibition match against Kentucky went down to the final stretch of the game, which should be looked at as a positive note ahead of the college basketball season.

One of the advantages of playing in a competitive exhibition match is that you get a sense of what your team looks like in key moments late in the game. Though the exhibition against the Wildcats didn't end up coming down to the last couple of possessions, it may have revealed which player Grant McCasland trusts the most when Tech is in need of clutch plays.

Texas Tech's season opener is almost here, and one of the most important questions McCasland will need to answer ahead of the season is who he should look for when Tech needs to close out a game.

The Case for Darrion Williams

There's a strong case to be made that Darrion Williams is, in fact, that player. Williams spent two years under Grant McCasland from 2023 to 2025 before leaving for NC State last season. Those two years provide him an advantage, as he has plenty of familiarity with the system at Texas Tech and also brings a veteran presence that brings reliability in in-game situations.

Not to mention, Williams should be one of the Red Raiders' most reliable scorers, as he's averaged double-digit points the last three seasons, including a 15.1 points per game average his second season at Texas Tech.

Williams has also been a reliable free-throw shooter, which is vitally important for closing out games. His two seasons at Texas Tech both resulted in a percentage higher than 83%, with a rate as high as 87.5% in his first season with Tech, where he started all 33 games. Last season at NC State, however, that same percentage took a dip, but only down to 77.3%.

Williams in the Clutch

Williams also has a history of being reliable in late-game situations. In the 2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Williams hit a game-tying three-pointer with 9 seconds remaining to cap off a massive comeback for Texas Tech to beat Arkansas and move on to the Elite Eight.

The Red Raiders will need a player that they can look for in crunch-time situations for both the possibility of leading a comeback and closing out a lead. Williams provides a veteran presence with familiarity in the program as well as experience across four seasons of college basketball. That should equate to him being more than capable of being the go-to guy for this team.

Whomever is the guy to have the ball in his hands to make the final decision to take the final shot to make the potential game-winning basket will be determined. The Red Raiders are fully healthy, and if all their players remain eligible due to impending 5th-year court battles with the NCAA, Texas Tech has the potential to make a deep run in the 2027 NCAA Tournament.

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