24. Texas Tech (3-0)
This Texas Tech program has a lot of potential, returning to last season’s NCAA Tournament before putting together another talented roster for this year. We’re still several weeks away from seeing how this version of the Red Raiders fits into a tough Big 12, but it’s hard not to be impressed with the early returns. There’s legitimate talent across this lineup and they’ve been showing it off, even if against weak opposition.
After two relatively easy games in the first week of the season, Texas Tech put together their most complete game in a 96-49 shellacking of Wyoming back on Wednesday night. Both the offensive and defense were outstanding, severely limiting the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. Former MWC star JT Toppin had 24 points and 12 rebounds against a former league rival, Chance McMillian added 16 points, and the Red Raiders shot 64% from the field.
The bottom line is that we don’t see Texas Tech playing significant opposition so it’s hard to say just how elite this team can be. Their entire nonconference slate isn’t very impressive and it may take a few more weeks for the Red Raiders to gain national attention. Regardless, we like what we see all over the court, with the Red Raiders getting a chance next week at the Legends Classic to showcase themselves.