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Bracketology Losers: Indiana, Texas, and Texas Tech struggle on Champ Week

By Tristan Freeman

BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 14: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers walks down the court after a turnover in the 66-51 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Assembly Hall on January 14, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, IN - JANUARY 14: Romeo Langford #0 of the Indiana Hoosiers walks down the court after a turnover in the 66-51 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Assembly Hall on January 14, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 14: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders coaches from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Sprint Center on March 14, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MARCH 14: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders coaches from the bench during the quarterfinal game of the Big 12 Basketball Tournament against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Sprint Center on March 14, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

Texas Tech Red Raiders

There weren’t many teams hotter than Texas Tech coming into Championship Week, having won their last nine games. Seven of them were in dominant fashion, with a 12+ point margin of victory. They were climbing up the seed lines all the way to a two seed. In fact, had the Red Raiders won the Big 12 Tournament, a case would’ve been made that they should be on the top line.

Unfortunately for them, those hopes came crashing down in the quarterfinal matchup to West Virginia, the 10-seed in the tournament. The Mountaineers have looked much better recently but it still became the first loss worse than Quad-2 for the Red Raiders. Had this defeat not happen for the team and they got a couple more Quad-1 wins in the tournament, they would’ve been in great position for that two seed.

Now comes the issue of whether Texas Tech remains on the three-line and get to avoid a one seed in the Sweet Sixteen. Their resume isn’t as good as Kansas, Houston or even Florida State. But they could benefit from Purdue and LSU losing early in their conference tournaments. However, Auburn (who’s in the SEC title game on Sunday), may climb to a three seed themselves if they had won.

Texas Tech is one of the best teams in the country and a true Final Four contender. But that loss to West Virginia may have put them in a tough position seed-wise and it could’ve been avoiding had they just simply won that game. That one slip up could prove costly in the future in the NCAA Tournament.

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