Devan Cambridge's time with the Texas Tech basketball team was anything but ordinary.
The 6-foot-8 forward started the Red Raiders' first eight games of the 2023-24 season, using his athleticism and speed to become a key component of the small-ball look. Then, in a non-conference home game against Omaha on Dec. 6, Cambridge suffered what ultimately became a season-ending knee injury, the first significant injury of his playing career.
Cambridge told the Avalanche Journal in February that he intended to return to the Red Raiders for his sixth year of college basketball. He played three years at Auburn and one year at Arizona State before transferring to Texas Tech last offseason.
Those plans appear to have changed after it was reported on April 2 that Cambridge had told On3 they were heading to the transfer portal. But it didn't take long for Cambridge to change his mind. Cambridge will not officially enter the portal and will end his college career in a Red Raider uniform.
The question is when Cambridge will be able to play again.
“He's been in the gym practicing and taking shooting practice,” Grant McCasland said. “He doesn't have to work too hard, but he's moving straight and I think a lot of things are going well in terms of fitness that we were hoping for to be able to play next season.”
Cambridge was a starter when healthy last season, but the Red Raiders have managed to build a team that allows Cambridge to come off the bench at some point. Texas Tech returns starters Darrion Williams and Kerwin Walton, who took over as Cambridge's starter, and Chance McMillian, who all excelled before the season.
McCasland and his staff also added three transfers in guards Elijah Hawkins and Kevin Overton and center Federico Federico.
McCasland said the hope is to fill out the remaining roster over the remainder of the summer and have Cambridge back to full strength before Big 12 play begins.
“We don't know exactly when that will happen,” McCasland said of Cambridge University's target date. “But we expect that to happen in the first semester, and we're going to have him play in non-conference games. He seems excited, he seems refreshed, he's feeling really good.” .”
