LUBBOCK, TX – Texas Tech men’s basketball will travel to the Bahamas this fall to compete in the 2025 Baha Mar Championship, the program announced Tuesday. The two-day tournament will be held Nov. 20-21 at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center in Nassau.
The Red Raiders will face Wake Forest in their opening game at 7:30 p.m. CST on Nov. 20. Memphis and Purdue will meet in the earlier matchup that day, with winners advancing to the championship game on Nov. 21 at 8:30 p.m. CBS Sports Network will televise all four games of the tournament.
“We're excited about being in the Bahamas and competing in the Baha Mar tournament against a really strong field,” head coach Grant McCasland said.
This marks Texas Tech’s second trip to the Bahamas in three seasons, having previously played in the 2023 Battle 4 Atlantis. The Red Raiders are 0-2 all-time against Wake Forest, most recently falling 70-61 in the 2011 Old Spice Classic. The teams first met in 2005, with Wake Forest winning 78-73 in double overtime.
Tech is 1-2 all-time against Purdue, last defeating the Boilermakers 78-65 in the 2018 NCAA Sweet 16. The Red Raiders are 1-6 against Memphis, with their most recent win coming in 2019 at the Hoophall Invitational in Miami.
Texas Tech enters the 2025-26 season ranked No. 7 by CBSSports.com after reaching the NCAA Elite Eight last season. McCasland has guided the program to a 51-20 record over his first two years, including a 15-5 mark in Big 12 play and three NCAA Tournament wins in 2025.
The Red Raiders return standout JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player and Newcomer of the Year, along with All-Big 12 Freshman Team honoree Christian Anderson. The roster has been bolstered by the additions of transfers Tyeree Bryan (Santa Clara), LeJuan Watts (Washington State), Donovan Atwell (UNC Greensboro), Josiah Moseley (Villanova), Luke Bamgboye (VCU) and freshman Nolan Groves.
Purdue, ranked No. 4 by CBSSports.com, is coming off a 24-12 season and a trip to the Sweet 16. The Boilermakers return All-American guard Braden Smith, All-Big Ten forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer.
Wake Forest finished 21-11 last season, tying for fourth in the ACC. The Demon Deacons return top rebounder Tre’Von Spillers and guards Juke Harris and Omaha Biliew, while adding five transfers, including Mekhi Mason (Washington) and Nate Calmese (Washington State).
Memphis, under eighth-year head coach Penny Hardaway, is coming off a 29-6 season, sweeping the American Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Tigers reloaded through the portal, adding 10 transfers, including Dug McDaniel (Kansas State), Curtis Givens III (LSU), and Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State).
The Baha Mar Championship has previously been won by Louisville (2021), UCF (2022), Miami (2023), and Tennessee (2024).
A limited number of VIP packages are available through participating schools. Packages include a three-night stay at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, general admission tickets to all games, access to the Nov. 19 VIP reception, transportation, breakfast vouchers, welcome gifts, and concierge service. General tickets and hotel bookings open July 1 at www.bahamarhoops.com.
Held each November, the Baha Mar Championship hosts NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball programs in three tournaments over an 11-day span. The event takes place at the 1,000-acre Baha Mar resort, which includes the Grand Hyatt, SLS and Rosewood hotels, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a luxury water park, golf course, spa, and more than 45 dining and lounge options.
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