Texas Tech University Athletics
Tech picked 8th in Big 12 Preseason Poll
October 13, 2023 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech has been slotted eighth out of 14 in the 2023-24 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll which was announced on Friday and reflects the votes of the league's head coaches. The Red Raiders have finished in the top-3 of the final conference standings in four of the past six seasons but are coming off finishing ninth last year. Grant McCasland is entering his first season as the program's head coach and will have five returners and nine newcomers on his roster.
"We are pursuing winning every day," McCasland said. "This team has grown to appreciate that process. You can tell that we are connected and together right now. Ultimately games are won and lost in how you win in the margins. We feel like embracing physicality and defense is going to be what separates this team. If we can make those improvements in a short amount of time, I think that will give us the best chance to win in the way we want to."
This season marks the first for the Conference to compete with 14 teams. The Jayhawks were the top pick on 12 ballots and totaled 168 points. New Conference member Houston received the other two first-place votes and compiled 153 points. Texas (third), Baylor (fourth) and TCU (fifth) rounded out the top five. The remaining spots were Kansas State (sixth), Iowa State (seventh), Texas Tech (eighth), West Virginia (ninth), Oklahoma State (10th), Cincinnati (11th), Oklahoma (12th), BYU (13th) and UCF (14th).
Tech has been in the top-5 of the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll each of the past five seasons after three straight seasons at seventh – including in 2018-19 when the program won the Big 12 regular-season championship and advanced to the 2019 NCAA Final Four. The Red Raiders were picked fifth last season and fourth in 2022 when they advanced to the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16. The eighth-place slotting is the lowest since the 2015-16 season when that Tech team was picked 10th.
The Big 12 announced its preseason awards on Thursday with Tech not having a player on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team or the honorable mention list. Hunter Dickinson from Kansas was named the Big 12 Preseason Player and Newcomer of the Year. Dickinson, who transferred from Michigan, is the first player in conference history to be selected by the coaches for both preseason honors. Baylor's Ja'Kobe Walter was picked as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and the Preseason All-Big 12 Team was made up of Dajuan Harris (Kansas), L.J. Cryer (Houston), Emanuel Miller (TCU), and Max Abmas (Texas). This is the first season since the 2016-17 season that Tech has not had a player named to at least the honorable mention list.
The Red Raider returners are led by Pop Isaacs who averaged 11.5 points in 24 starts as a freshman. He's joined by Lamar Washington, Robert Jennings, D'Maurian Williams and Kerwin Walton who all played roles last season. McCasland went to the transfer portal to build a team with winning experience, bringing in Chance McMillian (Grand Canyon), Darrion Williams (Nevada), Joe Toussaint (West Virginia), Warren Washington (Arizona State), and Devan Cambridge (Arizona State). All transfers played on teams that were in the NCAA Tournament last season. The roster also includes KyeRon Lindsay who played eight games at Georgia last season before transferring to Tech at mid-term, freshmen Eemeli Yalaho and Drew Steffe and sophomore walk-on Jack Francis.
"Our team has a lot of competitiveness and grit," Walton said. "A lot to prove. We have a chip on our shoulder that is going to help us stay together and push each other to be competitive in everything we do. We see ourselves as underdogs. I think that will play a big part in how we approach this season and make a name for ourselves." Head coaches and student-athletes from each team will appear at the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tipoff, presented by Old Trapper in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, October 18. Interviews with Kris Budden, Fran Fraschilla and Hannah Wing will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CT. A feed of head coaches' press conferences will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 9:10 - 10:50 a.m. CT and 1:30-3:25 p.m. CT. The regular season will start on Monday, November 6 with a full slate of non-conference games.
Big 12 Preseason Poll
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"We are pursuing winning every day," McCasland said. "This team has grown to appreciate that process. You can tell that we are connected and together right now. Ultimately games are won and lost in how you win in the margins. We feel like embracing physicality and defense is going to be what separates this team. If we can make those improvements in a short amount of time, I think that will give us the best chance to win in the way we want to."
This season marks the first for the Conference to compete with 14 teams. The Jayhawks were the top pick on 12 ballots and totaled 168 points. New Conference member Houston received the other two first-place votes and compiled 153 points. Texas (third), Baylor (fourth) and TCU (fifth) rounded out the top five. The remaining spots were Kansas State (sixth), Iowa State (seventh), Texas Tech (eighth), West Virginia (ninth), Oklahoma State (10th), Cincinnati (11th), Oklahoma (12th), BYU (13th) and UCF (14th).
Tech has been in the top-5 of the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll each of the past five seasons after three straight seasons at seventh – including in 2018-19 when the program won the Big 12 regular-season championship and advanced to the 2019 NCAA Final Four. The Red Raiders were picked fifth last season and fourth in 2022 when they advanced to the 2022 NCAA Sweet 16. The eighth-place slotting is the lowest since the 2015-16 season when that Tech team was picked 10th.
The Big 12 announced its preseason awards on Thursday with Tech not having a player on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team or the honorable mention list. Hunter Dickinson from Kansas was named the Big 12 Preseason Player and Newcomer of the Year. Dickinson, who transferred from Michigan, is the first player in conference history to be selected by the coaches for both preseason honors. Baylor's Ja'Kobe Walter was picked as the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year and the Preseason All-Big 12 Team was made up of Dajuan Harris (Kansas), L.J. Cryer (Houston), Emanuel Miller (TCU), and Max Abmas (Texas). This is the first season since the 2016-17 season that Tech has not had a player named to at least the honorable mention list.
The Red Raider returners are led by Pop Isaacs who averaged 11.5 points in 24 starts as a freshman. He's joined by Lamar Washington, Robert Jennings, D'Maurian Williams and Kerwin Walton who all played roles last season. McCasland went to the transfer portal to build a team with winning experience, bringing in Chance McMillian (Grand Canyon), Darrion Williams (Nevada), Joe Toussaint (West Virginia), Warren Washington (Arizona State), and Devan Cambridge (Arizona State). All transfers played on teams that were in the NCAA Tournament last season. The roster also includes KyeRon Lindsay who played eight games at Georgia last season before transferring to Tech at mid-term, freshmen Eemeli Yalaho and Drew Steffe and sophomore walk-on Jack Francis.
"Our team has a lot of competitiveness and grit," Walton said. "A lot to prove. We have a chip on our shoulder that is going to help us stay together and push each other to be competitive in everything we do. We see ourselves as underdogs. I think that will play a big part in how we approach this season and make a name for ourselves." Head coaches and student-athletes from each team will appear at the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tipoff, presented by Old Trapper in Kansas City, Missouri on Wednesday, October 18. Interviews with Kris Budden, Fran Fraschilla and Hannah Wing will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CT. A feed of head coaches' press conferences will be available on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ from 9:10 - 10:50 a.m. CT and 1:30-3:25 p.m. CT. The regular season will start on Monday, November 6 with a full slate of non-conference games.
Big 12 Preseason Poll
| Kansas (12), 168 |
| Houston (2), 153 |
| Texas, 143 |
| Baylor, 137 |
| TCU, 113 |
| Kansas State, 106 |
| Iowa State, 95 |
| Texas Tech 80 |
| West Virginia, 70 |
| Oklahoma State, 57 |
| Cincinnati, 55 |
| Oklahoma, 54 |
| BYU, 29 |
| UCF, 14 |
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