Former WSU wing LeJuan Watts announces he’s transferring to Texas Tech
PULLMAN – Washington State’s men’s basketball team absorbed another blow on Saturday.
Sophomore wing LeJuan Watts is transferring to Big 12 club Texas Tech, he announced on social media, ending his one-year stint at WSU. The 6-foot-6 Watts averaged 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game last season, using his versatile game to help the Cougars go 19-15 on the year.
Watts, who shot 55% from the field and 42% from 3-point range on two attempts per game, is the second Cougar to find a new home this offseason. Former guard Isaiah Watts committed to Maryland on Friday, while fellow portal entrants Nate Calmese, Cedric Coward and Marcus Wilson are still looking.
A native of Fresno, California, Watts’ departure amounts to one of the costliest for the Cougs. In late January, Watts recorded the second triple-double in program history. He also posted nine double-doubles on the year. With Calmese and Isaiah Watts already in the portal, Watts played point guard in the College Basketball Crown tournament against Georgetown on March 31, totaling 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Watts, taking his visit to Lubbock this weekend, is joining a Texas Tech team that made this season’s NCAA Tournament Elite Eight under head coach Grant McCasland, who has taken the Red Raiders to the big dance in each of his first two seasons. The program has also sent several players to the NBA lately, including 2018 first-round pick Zhaire Smith and 2019 lottery pick Jarrett Culver, who helped Texas Tech reach that season’s national championship game.
Watts began his career at Eastern Washington, where he redshirted in 2022-23 before winning Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors in 2023-24. Last spring, Watts followed coach David Riley from EWU to WSU, becoming a coveted player when he entered the transfer portal on April 2.
With Watts’ departure, WSU will have to replace its entire starting lineup for the second consecutive season. Calmese and Isaiah Watts are moving on, while senior forwards Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup have exhausted their eligibility. Combined with Coward, who missed all but six games with a season-ending shoulder injury, the Cougs will be losing 65.3 points, 22.9 rebounds and 14.7 assists per game, which came from their starting five.
WSU has yet to land any replacements out of the transfer portal, but reinforcements could be on the way soon. On Saturday, 247 Sports reported the Cougs are one of eight finalists for Longwood transfer guard Colby Garland, who averaged 12.1 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds last season. He has two years of eligibility left.
The Cougs had a visit set up for this weekend with Wofford transfer Jeremy Lorenz, but he committed to DePaul and canceled his trip to Pullman.
Other portal players Washington State is reportedly seeking include Eastern Illinois senior forward Blake Goodman (3.7 points, in 14.7 minutes), New Hampshire junior guard Sami Pissis (15.8 points, on 35% 3-point shooting) and Boise State sophomore wing Emmanuel Ugbo (3.1 points, in 10 minutes).
WSU does have one class of 2025 commitment, which comes from three-star prep guard Dio Blakely.
The spring transfer portal window closes on April 22. There’s no deadline for players to sign with new programs.