Texas Tech should not be written off as Final Four contender after JT Toppin injury

The Red Raiders still have enough pieces to be considered as a March Madness threat

Feb 21, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland gives instructions to Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Jaylen Petty (11) in the second half of the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at United Supermarkets Arena. / Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

It feels like the college basketball world is done with Texas Tech after the season-ending ACL injury to JT Toppin but that’s extremely unfair to the rest of team.

Can the Red Raiders still win a National Championship? Probably not, but they have enough talent and coaching to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Since Toppin went down, Texas Tech has won two games convincingly against Kansas State and Cincinnati. Granted, neither is the strongest team the league has to offer but it was a soft landing spot for the team to get everything figured out.

A major reason why the Red Raiders should still have hope for its season is Christian Anderson, who has been simply remarkable since Toppin’s injury. Against the Bearcats on Tuesday night, he went for 31 points, 11 rebound, and seven assists which was on the heels of a 21-point showing in a win over the Wildcats with five rebounds and ten assists.

In the two games he’s shooting 59.3-percent from the field and 42.8-percent from 3-point range.

Texas Tech is also getting boost from Donovan Atwell, one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, who is 10-for-18 from distance in the last two games.

With it known that JT Toppin is not coming back this season, it makes it easier for Grant McCasland to adjust on the fly by making Anderson the focal point of its offense and getting others to compliment his playing style.

The Red Raiders were slotted as a 4-seed, No. 13 overall, in the South Region during the NCAA’s Top 16 preview show, which feels low for a team with the resume that includes wins over Duke, Houston, and Arizona.

But things are going to get real for Texas Tech and they will have the ability to prove they can still be a contender in its new form with its final three games against No. 4 Iowa State, TCU, and No. 19 BYU.

It feels foolish to out this team out now, but pick against the Red Raiders at your own peril.