16. Texas Tech (6-2)
While the Red Raiders came into this new season with heightened expectations, it’s understandable to temper those feelings after what we’ve seen in the opening weeks. Texas Tech came up just short in their first big challenge at Illinois, but the 30-point loss against Purdue in the Bahamas continues to sting this team. However, Big 12 play is just a few weeks away and there will be opportunities for redemption for Grant McCasland and company.
For now, it was a relatively easy week for Texas Tech but let’s not act like it was the smoothest ride, as the Red Raiders survived 76-72 in a challenge against Wyoming. While not the team’s best performance, it was another great effort from JT Toppin with 27 points and 9 rebounds that led the charge. LeJuan Watts excelled with 19 points off the bench as the Red Raiders grabbed their sixth win.
Regardless of a change of perspective on what this team can accomplish, Texas Tech can ride high with Toppin’s leadership, it just will take more reliability from the rest of this roster. Close challenges to MWC schools isn’t exactly what McCasland envisioned but they’ll need to turn things around quickly. The next week brings a pair of SEC opponents in LSU and Arkansas and this team really needs to make a good impression.