Unfortunately, the Texas Tech basketball program is now linked to the Florida Gators after this season’s painful loss to the Gators in the Elite Eight. However, unlike what transpired a couple of months ago, now, another win for Florida might be good news for the Red Raiders.
This week, Florida made huge waves in the college basketball world by landing one of the top prizes remaining in the transfer portal, point guard Boogie Fland. Last season at Arkansas, the 6-foot-2 New York native put up 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game as a true freshman.
While Fland did miss two months near the end of the season due to an injury, he was still one of the top freshman guards in the nation a season ago. Now, he’s going to join the defending National Champions as they try to repeat in 2025-26.
So what does this have to do with the Red Raiders? The answer is that it might help Grant McCasland and his program land their own star point guard for next season.
We have previously talked about the Red Raiders’ pursuit of Australian point guard Ben Henshall. Soon to turn 21, the 6-foot-5 prospect has played professionally in his home country for part of the past two seasons.
In 44 games in the Australian NBL over the last two years, Henshall has averaged 7.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. That included 9.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 28 games in 2024-25.
While Henshall has declared for the NBA Draft and is still sorting out his professional options after participating in last week’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, he is also rumored to be considering NCAA basketball as an option for 2025-26. What’s more, most believe that his college choice is between Texas Tech and Florida.
Now that the Gators have gone all-in on Fland as their point guard for the upcoming season, it might stand to reason that they are out of the Henshall sweepstakes. If Henshall wants to be a point guard and showcase his skills in that role in hopes of upping his draft stock, Florida is not as attractive of an option anymore.
However, Texas Tech still has a huge need at the point guard spot. Though 2024-25 breakout star Christian Anderson will be back for his sophomore season, he is more comfortable and effective when playing as an off-ball guard. Yes, Anderson could likely play the point for Tech, however, he is a more natural shooting guard, where he can spot up from the outside, which is his best skill.
Last season, Elijah Hawkins handled the point guard role for McCasland. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game, but if he is going to play college hoops next season, he’ll need the NCAA to grant athletes a fifth year of eligibility, as has been rumored.
Tech can’t wait for that decision to come down before filling out the roster, especially if a player of Henshall’s talent is available. Henshall has until May 28 to decide if he’ll stay in the NBA Draft. If he doesn’t, Lubbock might now be his best landing spot given the Gators’ addition of Fland. That would be a huge win for the Red Raiders.
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