Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders move to No. 11 in national polls
February 14, 2022 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech is ranked for the 10th straight week in the Associated Press Men's Basketball Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll, coming in at No. 11 after splitting a pair of Big 12 games last week.
The Red Raiders (19-6, 8-4 Big 12) dropped back two spots from being at No. 9 last week with a 70-55 loss at Oklahoma last Wednesday before earning an 82-69 win over TCU last Saturday. Tech will now host No. 7 Baylor at 8 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to Austin for a game against No. 20 Texas on Saturday in a pair of ranked matchups this week.
Along with the polls, TTU is at No. 12 in the NCAA NET Ranking and No. 13 in Kenpom.com. The Red Raiders are currently third in the Kenpom.com defensive efficiency rating behind only San Diego State LSU. Tech's defense has limited 21 of 25 opponents under 70 and 10 teams under 60 points this season after the win over the Horned Frogs. The Red Raiders are currently 10th nationally and leading the Big 12 by holding opponents to 38.1 percent shooting and are 13th nationally with their 25 opponents this season only averaging 60.5 points per game. Tech forced TCU to commit 20 turnovers and are now 23rd in the country by forcing 16.25 turnovers per game coming into this week.
Gonzaga (21-1) returned to the top-ranked team in the nation, followed by No. 2 Auburn (23-2), No. 3 Arizona (22-2), No. 4 Kentucky (21-4) and Purdue (22-4). The Big 12 is represented this week by No. 6 Kansas (20-4), No. 7 Baylor (21-4), Tech and No. 20 Texas (18-7). The Red Raiders are 5-3 in ranked-vs-ranked matchups this season coming into the games against BU and UT. The Red Raiders dropped a game against No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 18 in Phoenix and also at Providence. The Friars were unranked at the time but has since elevated to No. 8 in the nation with a 21-2 record.
Tech is 15-0 at home entering this week, matched only by Kentucky and Gonzaga with 15-0 home records. The Red Raiders are the only Big 12 team without a loss at home this season.
The Red Raiders have now entered the top-10 of the rankings in four of the past five seasons and dd it this year by working their way up from beginning as an unranked team. Tech was not ranked for the first five weeks of the season before entering at No. 25 on December 13 following a win over Tennessee in the Jimmy V Classic. TTU spent four straight weeks at No. 25 before moving to No. 19, No. 18, No. 13, No. 14 and No. 9 in the national poll. Tech's highest AP ranking in program history came at No. 6 in February of 2018 (16th Week Poll) and the program spent one week at No. 7 last season before dipping back. The 2018-19 team was No. 8 in the final week of the regular season and No. 7 throughout the postseason that led to the 2019 National Championship Final.
Tech is now 12-10 in the regular season as a top-10 team after the win over TCU and 22-13 when adding postseason games in program history. The Red Raiders are one win away from the program's 16th season of 20 or more wins.
NATIONAL RANKING TRACKER
Associated Press   Â
Oct. 18: Not Ranked
Nov. 15: Not Ranked
Nov. 22: Not Ranked
Nov. 29: Not Ranked
Dec. 6: Not Ranked
Dec. 13: No. 25
Dec. 20: No. 25
Dec. 27: No. 25
Jan. 3: No. 25
Jan. 10: No. 19
Jan. 17: No. 18
Jan. 24: No. 13
Jan. 31: No. 14
Feb. 7: No. 9
Feb. 14: No. 11
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The Red Raiders (19-6, 8-4 Big 12) dropped back two spots from being at No. 9 last week with a 70-55 loss at Oklahoma last Wednesday before earning an 82-69 win over TCU last Saturday. Tech will now host No. 7 Baylor at 8 p.m. on Wednesday before traveling to Austin for a game against No. 20 Texas on Saturday in a pair of ranked matchups this week.
Along with the polls, TTU is at No. 12 in the NCAA NET Ranking and No. 13 in Kenpom.com. The Red Raiders are currently third in the Kenpom.com defensive efficiency rating behind only San Diego State LSU. Tech's defense has limited 21 of 25 opponents under 70 and 10 teams under 60 points this season after the win over the Horned Frogs. The Red Raiders are currently 10th nationally and leading the Big 12 by holding opponents to 38.1 percent shooting and are 13th nationally with their 25 opponents this season only averaging 60.5 points per game. Tech forced TCU to commit 20 turnovers and are now 23rd in the country by forcing 16.25 turnovers per game coming into this week.
Gonzaga (21-1) returned to the top-ranked team in the nation, followed by No. 2 Auburn (23-2), No. 3 Arizona (22-2), No. 4 Kentucky (21-4) and Purdue (22-4). The Big 12 is represented this week by No. 6 Kansas (20-4), No. 7 Baylor (21-4), Tech and No. 20 Texas (18-7). The Red Raiders are 5-3 in ranked-vs-ranked matchups this season coming into the games against BU and UT. The Red Raiders dropped a game against No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 18 in Phoenix and also at Providence. The Friars were unranked at the time but has since elevated to No. 8 in the nation with a 21-2 record.
Tech is 15-0 at home entering this week, matched only by Kentucky and Gonzaga with 15-0 home records. The Red Raiders are the only Big 12 team without a loss at home this season.
The Red Raiders have now entered the top-10 of the rankings in four of the past five seasons and dd it this year by working their way up from beginning as an unranked team. Tech was not ranked for the first five weeks of the season before entering at No. 25 on December 13 following a win over Tennessee in the Jimmy V Classic. TTU spent four straight weeks at No. 25 before moving to No. 19, No. 18, No. 13, No. 14 and No. 9 in the national poll. Tech's highest AP ranking in program history came at No. 6 in February of 2018 (16th Week Poll) and the program spent one week at No. 7 last season before dipping back. The 2018-19 team was No. 8 in the final week of the regular season and No. 7 throughout the postseason that led to the 2019 National Championship Final.
Tech is now 12-10 in the regular season as a top-10 team after the win over TCU and 22-13 when adding postseason games in program history. The Red Raiders are one win away from the program's 16th season of 20 or more wins.
NATIONAL RANKING TRACKER
Associated Press   Â
Oct. 18: Not Ranked
Nov. 15: Not Ranked
Nov. 22: Not Ranked
Nov. 29: Not Ranked
Dec. 6: Not Ranked
Dec. 13: No. 25
Dec. 20: No. 25
Dec. 27: No. 25
Jan. 3: No. 25
Jan. 10: No. 19
Jan. 17: No. 18
Jan. 24: No. 13
Jan. 31: No. 14
Feb. 7: No. 9
Feb. 14: No. 11
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— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 14, 2022
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