21. Texas Tech (23-10)
Suffice to say Grant McCasland’s first season at Texas Tech has been a success. It got off to a great start at 14-2 before struggles came against this tough Big 12. Despite a tough stretch throughout February, the Red Raiders ended the regular season on a positive note, even beating Baylor in their final game last weekend. They’ll be dancing yet again, but what exactly can we expect from this squad.
Earning the coveted double bye in the Big Ten Tournament as the 4-seed, Texas Tech took care of business in the quarterfinals, downing BYU 81-67 for their second win of the season over the Cougars. Pop Isaacs led the charge with 22 points while Chance McMillian added 17 points and 8 rebounds. The semifinal was far less kind, as Texas Tech lost 82-59 thanks to a strong second half effort from top-seed Houston. McMillian had 15 points this time around in another loss to those Cougars.
Texas Tech secured their place in the NCAA Tournament with their play this season in perhaps the nation’s most competitive conference. A mid-February blowout of Kansas might have been the point when we realized the Red Raiders’ potential. There’s no shame in a big loss to Houston; the Cougars have done that to a lot of teams this season, but it’ll be important to see what kind of defensive pressure this team uses in the Tournament.