UCF transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell has committed to Texas Tech, On3’s Joe Tipton reported Friday afternoon. The 6-8 senior is awaiting an additional year of eligibility through an injunction.
If he is deemed eligible and is able to suit up for Texas Tech, it will mark the fifth program of Stillwell’s career. He has previously made stops at Miami Dade College, Butler CC, Milwaukee, and UCF.
In the Atlanta native’s lone season at Milwaukee, he was named First Team All-Horizon League and the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year. He then transferred to UCF, where he spent this past season. The forward averaged 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game for a Knights team that made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed.
Stillwell heads to a Texas Tech program that has posted a stellar 74-31 (38-18) in three seasons under head coach Grant McCasland. This past season, the Red Raiders went 23-11 (12-6) and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. There, they fell to No. 4 seed Alabama 90-65.
“This isn’t going to define who they are as people,” McCasland said following that loss. “It’s not. I mean, it’s all tough. Nobody loves going through difficult times like tonight. But, man, I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else. We had some great moments and games. It’s really not the time to talk about it. I just love those guys and thankful for them, and thankful for the way they competed all the way through some tough times.”
“It’s always worth it to give your whole heart to them. I told them it’s always worth it to give your whole heart to each other, even when it gets tough like this, and you kind of wonder, like, man, how did that happen? Because it did happen fast. And, but, no, these guys are amazing and a lot of amazing things happened this year that we’ll be able to look back on with a lot of gratitude.”
Texas Tech is once again expected to be near the top of the Big 12 Conference next season, thanks to the return of two-time All-American JT Toppin. Toppin suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the Red Raiders’ game against Arizona State on Feb. 17, which kept him out of the final eight games of the season.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and X (formerly Twitter) account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
