Texas Tech moves up to the top 3 in the conference and among the top 5 across power rankings! Grant McCasland has been riding high with his trio of Chance McMillian, JT Toppin and Darrion Williams and is on his way to making a serious Final Four contender. Starting the season out of AP Top 25, could McCasland’s squad be the tournament’s biggest surprise?
The Red Raiders improved their record to 18-4 after comfortably taking down the Baylor Bears at home with a 73-59 victory. Just before that, they’d walk away the victor against no.6 Houston Cougars, delivering their only loss of the conference so far. As they ride among the big names now, Rob Dauster couldn’t help but highlight the competition that surrounds them, which they have successfully navigated.
On the recent episode of The Field of 68: After Dark, Dauster brought up the force Texas Tech has been. John Fanta had a short, quick assertion. “Texas Tech can make the final four,” he says. “Yeah. They can. They are that good. They are a top 10 team since December 1st on KenPom.”
The team currently ranks 8th in the ratings and only 2nd after any other Big 12 in the top 10. They are on a seven-game winning streak—the longest in the conference this season, including an 82-81 win over the Cougars. That came despite the ejections of JT Toppin and coach Grant McCasland by the first half, making for one of the most impressive wins by any team. Chance McMillian, who is having his best season yet, stepped up to add 23 points, while Elijah Hawkins followed with 17.
The puzzles just fit according to Fanta, and for Dauster, they have gone from a borderline top 25 to a serious threat. “The fact that we are looking up here… we’re talking about Texas Tech as potentially being the best in a conference that has Kansas, the pre-season No.1 team, it has Iowa state, who’s been top five basically the entire season, and who has Houston who again, has been basically top ten the entire season, that is the thing that surprises me.”
Up 22 spots on ESPN’s power rankings since last week, we know the trajectory that impresses the analysts. So Dauster isn’t holding back with his predictions. 67 other teams to make the March Madness better watch out. “There’s like final four kind of an upside here. That’s where I’m a little bit surprised,” he adds.
Since Grant joined the program, Texas Tech has looked like a completely different team. A man of strong faith, McCasland was named the 19th head coach in 2023 and made an immediate impact. In his first season, he led the Red Raiders to the 2024 NCAA Tournament with a 23-11 record and a No. 22 national ranking. This season, the team has only built on that success, emerging as one of the most formidable contenders.
The Red Raiders will match up against No.20 Arizona Wildcats on Saturday, which promises a power-pack showdown between the two teams on McKale Center.
Red-Hot Arizona and Texas Tech set for Saturday showdown
Two red-hot teams are set to clash on Saturday when the Arizona Wildcats (16-6, 10-1 Big 12) host the Texas Tech Red Raiders (18-4, 9-2 Big 12). The Wildcats are riding a five-game win streak and will look to keep it going, while the Red Raiders, on a seven-game streak themselves, will be looking to extend their impressive form.
For Arizona, Caleb Love leads the Wildcats with an impressive 16.3 points per game, adding 3.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds to his stat line. Meanwhile, Jaden Bradley has been key in facilitating, averaging 3.7 assists per game, along with 3.5 rebounds and 11.7 points. Both players have been crucial to Arizona’s success this season.
On the Texas Tech side, Chance McMillian has been a standout for the Red Raiders, leading the team with 15.5 points per game, while also contributing 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He’s been incredibly efficient, shooting 53.2% from the field and 45.5% from three, averaging 2.5 triples per game. On the other side, JT Toppin has been a dominant force on the boards, leading the team with 8.4 rebounds per game, along with 15 points, 1.1 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.1 blocks. His all-around play has been key to Texas Tech’s success.
With standout performances from key players on both sides, this game is shaping up to be an exciting battle with major implications as March Madness nears. Texas Tech’s rise has quickly become one of the season’s most captivating stories, and with momentum on their side, the Red Raiders are poised for a deep tournament run.
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