6. Texas Tech (8-2)
Texas Tech was one of the Big 12’s big surprises last season, as Grant McCasland’s first season at the helm saw the Red Raiders return to the NCAA Tournament. Recent history has been a bit choppy in Lubbock, though McCasland is hoping to restore some semblance of order and has the Red Raiders looking pretty solid thus far into the season.
Chance McMillian, a former Grand Canyon guard who’s having the best season of his career, highlights a roster full of impressive talent, putting up more than 16 points a game. Amidst a talented frontcourt, JT Toppin is averaging a double-double, while Federiko Federiko has done solid work at the center, although both have been injured recently. Junior forward Darrion Williams has also taken another big step forward and is one of the best free throw shooters in the nation.
Unfortunately, the Red Raiders have played a pretty weak nonconference schedule and it’s hard to really know what we can expect this season. They lost a tough one against Saint Joseph’s back in mid-November and also lost a thriller to Texas A&M a few weeks ago. Aside from that, it’s been a lot of expected home wins, most notably beating DePaul and Wyoming while also owning a neutral-site win against Syracuse; not exactly a championship resume.
Ignoring the opposition, Texas Tech is a great offensive team that makes their shots while ranking Top 25 in the nation in free throw percentage, 3-point percentage, and assists. The first question is if they can continue that strong, dynamic play against much better defenses in the Big 12. The second question is if Toppin can get back into form and on the court before those games begin in a few weeks.