Coaches, Texas Tech basketball teammates love walk-on Jack Francis as much as Red Raider fans
Nathan Giese- Jack Francis is a walk-on player for the Texas Tech basketball team who is undefeated when he plays.
- Francis joined the team as a practice player and was later offered a walk-on spot by coach Grant McCasland.
- Though he doesn't play often, Francis is a valuable member of the team, playing scout team roles and boosting morale.
- Teammates and coaches describe Francis as consistent, positive, and someone who puts the team first.
WICHITA, Kan. — Darrion Williams knows the Texas Tech basketball team's record when Jack Francis takes the floor as well as anybody.
Undefeated. Never lost. Francis is the human victory cigar, and each time he gets to take the floor inside United Supermarkets Arena, he's met with a chorus of cheers from the crowd, each one encouraging him to shoot any time he touches the ball.
Based on this record alone (15-0 prior to prior to Saturday's second-round March Madness game against Drake), Williams joked that Francis might be the best player to ever put on a Texas Tech uniform. And he's just as big of a fan of Francis as the rest of the Texas Tech fan base is — even if he's from Austin.
"He's a good dude," Williams said of Francis. "He's always cracking jokes, keeps the vibes up and comes to practice to work every day regardless of his mood or obviously the opportunity given to him. He never wavers. He's always ready to go and goes as hard as he can."
Francis has been around the Texas Tech program longer than some may realize. Coming out of Anderson High School, the former all-region and district MVP always dreamed of being a Division I basketball player in college. That opportunity came in a roundabout way.
Initially attending Texas Tech University as a student, Francis got in touch with the previous coaching staff about joining the squad. There wasn't an opening on the roster at the time, but he was able to join the practice squad after Ethan Duncan left the team team in Sept. 2022. That gave Francis an opening to be around the program in an unofficial capacity.
Grant McCasland took over as head coach six months later and gave Francis the opportunity to be a walk-on with the Red Raiders later that summer.
"I think one of the most valuable attributes of a great teammate," McCasland said, "is somebody you can count on, like literally always count on. And Jack is the most consistent guy I've ever been around. He is the same every day and he does care a lot about doing things the right way, but he doesn't ever take away from other people when he does."
McCasland can can relate to being in Francis' position since he was a walk-on back in the late 1990s for Baylor. That's where the similarities end in that regard, according to McCasland.
"I was a pain to head coaches because I was always trying to prove things to people of things I couldn't do," McCasland said. "I think Jack just really is trying to look around and try to find ways to fill in gaps."
Francis has played a total of 18 minutes and taken four shots in his two years in a Red Raider uniform. He got his first career field goal in a Dec. 16 win over Oral Roberts.
Playing time is scarce for walk-ons as it is, so Francis finds other avenues to impact the team. During the 2023-24 postseason, when the Red Raiders were hampered by injuries, Francis played the role of BYU forward Noah Waterman in practice.
Waterman is 6-foot-11. Francis is listed at 6-foot-3. Texas Tech won the game.
"He does whatever's asked of him," Williams said. "That's why we always appreciate him. We hang out with him outside of basketball, too, so it's not like just a basketball relationship."
The word "awesome" was used to describe Francis on multiple occasions. Federiko Federiko said Francis is easy to talk to and has everyone's back.
Being one of the few players to be around for both years of McCasland's tenure, Francis said he's grown much closer with guys like Williams, Kerwin Walton and Chance McMillian as the veterans of the program. This year's team also has a different connective tissue than last season.
"Not saying we weren't last year," Francis said, "but I think everyone just really likes, enjoys being with each other on and off the court. I just think everyone just has a really good belief in what we're doing."
Teammates, coaches and fans all appreciate what the walk-on brings to the team, even if he'll never stuff the stat sheet. His value isn't lost on them, and Francis might just be better at this than his coach was.
"There's a difference between trying to stand out and trying to help," McCasland said. "And I think he's just one of those guys that really is genuinely trying to help people around him, which I think makes him a better walk-on than I was."