Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders finish season at No. 8 nationally
April 08, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – Texas Tech's historic basketball season has resulted in a program record of six straight weeks in the Top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 and USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. The Red Raiders ended at No. 8 in both rankings, their highest slotting in the season that began with them unranked and culminates with nine straight weeks in the polls. Along with the national polls, Tech finished at No. 7 in the NCAA NET and No. 9 on the Kenpom ratings.
The Red Raiders (28-9) advanced to the program's third Elite 8 after finishing second in the Big 12 standings with a 15-5 conference record. Tech earned a trip the Elite 8 with a comeback win over Arkansas in the Sweet 16 after wins over Drake and UNC Wilmington in the opening two rounds of the tournament. The team's 28 victories were the third most ever in 100 years of play and it established new program records with 371 made 3-pointers and by winning eight road games in Big 12 play. Tech averaged 80.9 points per game for the sixth highest scoring season in program history and are now 51-20 in two seasons under head coach Grant McCasland.
Florida (36-4) is ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 after winning the 2025 NCAA Championship and is followed by Houston (35-5), Duke (35-4), Auburn (32-6) and Tennessee (30-8) in the top 5. Along with Tech and Houston, the Big 12 is represented by No. 13 BYU (26-10), No. 15 Arizona (24-13) and No. 17 Iowa State (25-10) in the final rankings of the season.
JT Toppin led Tech with 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 19 double-doubles during the season, earning multiple all-America honors and being named the Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team. Darrion Williams secured All-Big 12 First Team honors in a season where he averaged 15.1 points and 5.5 rebounds while Chance McMillian secured All-Big 12 Second Team after averaging 14.2 points per game and finishing with 71 3-pointers made (43.3 percent). Christian Anderson matched McMillian for the team lead with 71 3-pointers and finished his freshman season averaging 10.6 points per game and being named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. Elijah Hawkins established a new Texas Tech single-season record with 226 assists and led the Big 12 in total assists, 6.5 assists per game and with a 3.28 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Red Raiders finished the season leading the Big 12 with a 1.70 assist-to-turnover ratio which was the seventh best nationally. The team was second in the conference and 23rd nationally with 10.0 3-pointers made per game and with a plus-12.4 scoring margin. Tech ranked third in the Big 12 by shooting 36.7 percent on 3-point attempts, at 76.0 percent from the free-throw line, scoring 80.9 points per game and with a 54.7 effective field goal percentage.
RANKINGS
• Texas Tech has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for a program record eight straight seasons
• After going most of the season unranked, Tech was ranked nine straight weeks and in the Top 10 for six straight weeks to finish the season
• Tech entered the AP Top 10 for the first time at No. 9 and was at No. 10 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (Feb. 17)
• The Red Raiders were at No. 12 (Feb. 10) in the AP Top 25 and USA TODAY Coaches poll along with being at No. 9 in the NCAA NET and Kenpom
• Tech was at No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 12 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll on Monday, February 3 for its highest ranking under McCasland
• Tech entered the AP Top 25 for the first time during the season on January 27 at No. 22 in the AP Top 25 and was at No. 19 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll… The team was also at No. 11 in Kenpom.com and in the NCAA NET
•  Tech moved from unranked to No. 24 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll (Nov. 18)... A loss to Saint Joseph's bumped Tech from the USA TODAY Coaches Poll… The Red Raiders started the 2024-25 season unranked in the preseason polls after being at No. 22 in both national polls going into the NCAA Tournament last season… The Red Raiders were at No. 25 in the final 2023-24 USA TODAY Coaches Poll and received votes in the final AP Poll
• Texas Tech was picked 7th in the Big 12 Preseason Poll and did not have a player selected in the 2024 preseason awards
• Last season, Tech was at No. 15 (Jan. 29) for its highest ranking of the season… The No. 15 national ranking was the highest since the program was No. 12 in the AP Top 25 at the end of the 2022 season… Tech was as high as No. 9 in 2022
• Tech's highest AP ranking in program history came at No. 6 in February of 2018 (16th Week Poll)… 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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