LUBBOCK, TX – No. 9-ranked Texas Tech enters the 2025 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship on a three-game winning streak and as the No. 2 seed for the third time in program history. The Red Raiders (24-7, 15-5 Big 12) secured a historic regular season, recording their most Big 12 total and road wins (8-2), capped by a dominant 28-point victory at Arizona State in the finale.
As a top-four seed in the expanded 16-team Big 12, Texas Tech earned a double-bye and will open the tournament in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Thursday against Arizona State, Kansas State or Baylor at the T-Mobile Center. Head coach Grant McCasland’s team is seeking its first Big 12 tournament title after reaching the semifinals last season in his first year at the helm.
Forward JT Toppin headlines the Red Raiders’ postseason accolades, earning Big 12 Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team, and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team honors. He becomes the first player in conference history to win both player and newcomer of the year in the same season and joins Jarrett Culver (2019) as Texas Tech’s only Big 12 Player of the Year winners. Darrion Williams was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team, Chance McMillian secured All-Big 12 Second Team honors, and Christian Anderson earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Freshman Team.
Picked seventh in the preseason poll, the Red Raiders exceeded expectations and matched their highest seed in the Big 12 tournament, previously achieved in 2018 and 2019. Texas Tech has reached the championship game twice, in 2005 and 2022, but is still searching for its first conference tournament title. The Big 12 Championship final is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday.
“This team embraces the bond that makes college basketball great,” McCasland said. “There’s a lot of pressure on them, whether it’s living up to potential or creating opportunities for themselves, but they really enjoy being around each other every day.”
Texas Tech has remained in the Associated Press Top 10 for four consecutive weeks, tying the program’s longest streak (2017-18). The Red Raiders also rank No. 7 in the NCAA NET and KenPom metrics. Tech is competing in its 28th Big 12 Championship with a 17-27 all-time record in the tournament. Last season, the Red Raiders, as the fourth seed, defeated BYU in the quarterfinals before falling to Houston in the semifinals. Texas Tech is poised for its 21st NCAA Tournament appearance, with notable recent runs to the 2018 Elite Eight, 2019 NCAA Championship Final, and 2022 Sweet 16.
Tech enters the postseason leading the Big 12 with a 1.65 assist-to-turnover ratio while ranking second in three-point shooting (37.8%) and scoring margin (14.3 points per game). The Red Raiders average 81.1 points per game, shooting 47.4% from the field and 77.4% from the free-throw line. Their defense has held 10 opponents under 60 points, allowing just 66.8 points per game.
Toppin leads Texas Tech with 18.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and recorded his 14th double-double of the season with 25 points and 11 rebounds at Arizona State. McMillian (14.7 ppg), Williams (14.3 ppg), and Anderson (10.7 ppg) round out the team’s double-figure scorers. Anderson tied a career-high with 21 points at ASU, marking his third 20-plus point performance of his freshman season. Toppin has scored 20 or more in 13 games, the most by a Red Raider since Culver in 2019. His 18.1 points per game are the highest for the program since Culver’s 18.5 average in 2018-19.
Texas Tech set a program record for most total and Big 12 three-pointers made in a season, averaging 10.1 per game. The Red Raiders made 10 or more three-pointers in a school-record 19 games, including three straight, heading into the tournament. Tech has also displayed impressive ball control, committing a program- and conference-record-tying two turnovers in its regular-season finale at Arizona State.
The Red Raiders have been dominant at home, finishing 15-3 with an 18.8-point average margin of victory. They have also excelled on the road, recording an 8-2 Big 12 record, the most road wins in program history.
McCasland joins Bob Knight as the only Texas Tech coaches to win 20-plus games in each of their first two seasons. Now in his 11th season as an NCAA head coach, McCasland has recorded 20 or more wins in 10 seasons, with the lone exception being a COVID-shortened 18-win year in 2020-21.
The Red Raiders will open Big 12 tournament play Thursday at 6 p.m. against their yet-to-be-determined opponent. The game will be broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2, with Roxy Bernstein, King McClure, and Sean Farnham on the call. Texas Tech Sports Network will also provide radio coverage with Geoff Haxton and Chris Level.
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