10. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last Week: No. 16
Defense. Defense. Defense. Despite fairly low expectations heading into this season, Texas Tech has ridden superb defensive play to an undefeated 8-0 record and a top-10 ranking. In short, head coach Chris Beard is showing his chops as a defensive mind early this season and his team is performing tremendously well. Statistically, TT ranks in the top-5 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, def. effective FG%, def. turnover rate, and def. block rate. That is…elite.
Oh, and their offense is nothing to scoff at, either. With star sophomore Jarrett Culver (18.3 points) leading the way, the Red Raiders have plenty of weapons on that end of the floor. As a team, Texas Tech is shooting 49.5% from the field (25th nationally) and 37.4% from three (68th nationally). The Red Raiders’ steady offensive contributions both inside and out make them nearly impossible to match up with.
With this combination of defense and offense, it is easy to see why many (myself included) are high on Texas Tech at this point. If there is one concern regarding the team, it is that they are shooting just 68.5% from the free throw line. This will need to improve if they want to consistently win close games. They have also played the 12th easiest schedule in the nation so they are yet to truly be tested and their statistics have been slightly inflated by lack of major competition.