LUBBOCK – Texas Tech is back in the Associated Press Men’s Basketball Top 25 for a program-record eighth straight season after coming in at No. 22 this week.
The Red Raiders (15-5, 6-2 Big 12) enter the AP Top 25 for the first time this season after being unranked in the preseason poll and on the outskirts by receiving votes throughout the year. Along with the AP poll, the team is No. 19 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and No. 11 in Kenpom and the NCAA NET rankings. Tech, which received the most AP Top 25 votes of unranked teams last week and was as high as No. 15 in the poll last season, is on a four-game winning streak and is 6-1 in the month of January going into a home matchup against TCU which is set for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at United Supermarkets Arena before playing at No. 6 Houston on Saturday.
Auburn (18-1) is the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the AP Top 25 followed by Duke (17-2), Iowa State (17-2), Alabama (17-3) and Florida (18-2) to round out the top-5. The Big 12 is currently represented by four teams, No. 3 Iowa State, No. 6 Houston, No. 11 Kansas (14-5) and the Red Raiders. Arizona, Baylor and West Virginia are each receiving votes.
Tech is currently second in the Big 12 by shooting 49.1 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from 3-point range, 76.9 percent at the free-throw line, with a 56.8 effective field goal percentage, a 1.59 assist-to-turnover ratio, and with 9.3 3-pointers made per game. The Red Raiders are scoring 81.9 points per game which ranks third in the conference while their 17.1 assists per game comes in fourth. Following a 64-54 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, Tech has now beat 11 opponents by double-figure margins this season to take its margin of victory through 19 games to 16.9.
Three Red Raiders are currently scoring in double figures with JT Topping leading the way with 16.3 points per game while Chance McMillian is averaging 14.9 and Darrion Williams is at 14.7. Toppin is currently third in the Big 12 with 8.5 rebounds per game and is fourth in scoring. McMillian, who led Tech with 14 points in the win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, leads the conference by shooting 47.4 percent (45-for-95) from 3-point range and is ninth with 2.37 3s per game and his 45 total makes from beyond the arc. Elijah Hawkins tops the Big 12 stat rankings with 6.1 assists per game and is third with a 3.15 assist-to-turnover ratio after five assists against the Cowboys.
The Red Raiders have started Big 12 play with a 4-0 road record for the first time in program history and are currently 10-2 on their home court following wins over Arizona and OSU in their last two games in Lubbock.
RANKINGS
• Tech is No. 22 in the AP Top 25, No. 19 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and is at No. 11 in Kenpom.com and in the NCAA NET rankings after its wins over Cincinnati and Oklahoma State
• Tech moved from unranked to No. 24 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (Nov. 18)… A loss to Saint Joseph’s bumped Tech from the USA TODAY Coaches Poll… The Red Raiders started the 2024-25 season unranked in the preseason polls after being at No. 22 in both national polls going into the NCAA Tournament last season… The Red Raiders were at No. 25 in the final 2023-24 USA TODAY Coaches Poll and received votes in the final AP Poll
• Texas Tech was picked 7th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and did not have a player selected in the 2024 preseason awards
• Last season, Tech was at No. 15 (Jan. 29) for its highest ranking of the season; Tech came into the 2023-24 season unranked in the AP Preseason Poll and remained unranked in the Nov. 13, Nov. 20, Nov. 27, Dec. 4, Dec. 11, Dec. 18, Dec. 25, Jan. 1, and Jan. 8 polls; The team received votes for the first time last season with 62 in the January 8 poll after the win over the Longhorns in Austin to begin conference play
• The No. 15 national ranking was the highest since the program was No. 12 in the AP Top 25 at the end of the 2022 season
• Tech’s highest AP ranking in program history came at No. 6 in February of 2018 (16th Week Poll)… The 2018-19 team was No. 8 in the final week of the regular season and No. 7 throughout the postseason that led to the 2019 National Championship Final
Follow the Red Raiders: Keep up with Texas Tech men’s basketball news at TexasTech.com and at the team’s social media on Instagram, X and Facebook.
