Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders slide back to No. 12 nationally
February 28, 2022 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will wrap up Big 12 play this week as the No. 12-ranked team in the nation according to the Associated Press Men's Basketball Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll that were released on Monday.
The No. 12 Red Raiders (22-7, 11-5 Big 12) were at No. 9 last week before a three-point loss at TCU snapped a four-game winning streak and moved them three spots back in the poll. Tech hosts Kansas State at 8 p.m. tonight in its home finale at the United Supermarkets Arena. TTU is currently 17-0 at home this season which is matched only by No. 7 Kentucky. Overall, Tech is on a 20-game home winning streak that dates back to last season which is second nationally only behind No. 1 Gonzaga which has a 67-game home winning streak. The Bulldogs finished their regular season with a 16-0 home record and will carry that 67-game streak into next season.
Gonzaga (24-3) remained at No. 1 in the polls despite a road loss at Saint Mary's last Saturday, while No. 2 Arizona (25-3), No. 3 Baylor (24-5), No. 4 Duke (25-4) and No. 5 Auburn (25-4) round out the top-5. Tech swept Baylor in the regular season. The Big 12 is also represented by No. 6 Kansas (23-5) and No. 21 Texas (21-8) in this week's AP poll.
Tech is 7-3 against ranked opponents at the time of play this season and is 6-3 against currently top-25 opponents with two wins over Baylor and Texas on its resume. The Red Raiders also earned a win over No. 13 Tennessee but took losses to Gonzaga and Providence in non-conference play.
Along with the polls, TTU is at No. 10 in the NCAA NET Rankings and at No. 9 in Kenpom.com. Tech leads the Big 12 and is 13th nationally by limiting opponents to only 38.6 percent shooting and is 13th in the country by holding opponents to a 60.7 scoring average. The team is also 13th in the nation with a 12.4 scoring margin advantage over opponents through 29 games, is 19th by forcing 16.2 turnovers per game and third in the Big 12 with 37.6 rebounds per game. Tech has outscored its opponent in all 29 games coming into the matchup against the Wildcats.
The Red Raiders have entered the top-10 of the rankings in four of the past five seasons and did 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. The Red Raiders have been No. 9 twice and fallen back after both times. 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.
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The No. 12 Red Raiders (22-7, 11-5 Big 12) were at No. 9 last week before a three-point loss at TCU snapped a four-game winning streak and moved them three spots back in the poll. Tech hosts Kansas State at 8 p.m. tonight in its home finale at the United Supermarkets Arena. TTU is currently 17-0 at home this season which is matched only by No. 7 Kentucky. Overall, Tech is on a 20-game home winning streak that dates back to last season which is second nationally only behind No. 1 Gonzaga which has a 67-game home winning streak. The Bulldogs finished their regular season with a 16-0 home record and will carry that 67-game streak into next season.
Gonzaga (24-3) remained at No. 1 in the polls despite a road loss at Saint Mary's last Saturday, while No. 2 Arizona (25-3), No. 3 Baylor (24-5), No. 4 Duke (25-4) and No. 5 Auburn (25-4) round out the top-5. Tech swept Baylor in the regular season. The Big 12 is also represented by No. 6 Kansas (23-5) and No. 21 Texas (21-8) in this week's AP poll.
Tech is 7-3 against ranked opponents at the time of play this season and is 6-3 against currently top-25 opponents with two wins over Baylor and Texas on its resume. The Red Raiders also earned a win over No. 13 Tennessee but took losses to Gonzaga and Providence in non-conference play.
Along with the polls, TTU is at No. 10 in the NCAA NET Rankings and at No. 9 in Kenpom.com. Tech leads the Big 12 and is 13th nationally by limiting opponents to only 38.6 percent shooting and is 13th in the country by holding opponents to a 60.7 scoring average. The team is also 13th in the nation with a 12.4 scoring margin advantage over opponents through 29 games, is 19th by forcing 16.2 turnovers per game and third in the Big 12 with 37.6 rebounds per game. Tech has outscored its opponent in all 29 games coming into the matchup against the Wildcats.
The Red Raiders have entered the top-10 of the rankings in four of the past five seasons and did 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. The Red Raiders have been No. 9 twice and fallen back after both times. 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.
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