NCAA basketball: Three sleeper picks to win the National Championship

1. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The case can be made that this is the best team the Red Raiders have ever fielded. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best team in the country, though.

While fans keep looking towards Kansas or even West Virginia to represent the Big 12 at the end of the season, however, it would be foolish to look past Texas Tech. They’re one of the most efficient defensive teams in the country, on par with the Virginias of the world.

They trail the Jayhawks by half a game in the Big 12 standings, but Texas Tech will have the opportunity to make up the difference in a major home tilt against Kansas on Saturday.

Keenan Evans is arguably the best player in the conference (sorry, Trae Young), but he did leave Texas Tech’s last game with a toe injury, receiving a day-to-day prognosis. He’s averaging 18.2 points per game; no other Red Raider is averaging even 11 points per game.

Chris Beard has proven himself to be an elite coach during his brief time in Lubbock. If Evans’ injury lingers, he’ll figure out how to keep the ship afloat. It may lose some National Championship luster, though.

Should Evans stick to the day-to-day timeline, Texas Tech is going to be a legitimate threat to stay standing at the end of the season.