Red-Hot No. 13 Texas Tech Men's Basketball Returns Home to Face Kansas State
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The Big 12 race is tightening, and No. 13 Texas Tech is right in the middle of it. With only five regular-season games remaining, the Red Raiders are back where they’ve been at their best this season. It's none other than inside the United Supermarkets Arena. On Saturday at 1:30 p.m., Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball will hosts Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball.
Texas Tech Red Raiders Will Have a Life Without JT Toppin
Texas Tech enters at 19-7 overall and 9-4 in Big 12 play after splitting a tough Arizona road trip. The Red Raiders stunned then-No. 1 Arizona 78-75 in overtime before falling 72-67 at Arizona State. Now they return home with something bigger on the line than just another conference win.
Back at our place on Saturday #PackTheUSA
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 18, 2026
🎟️: https://t.co/P1iI0RR7nR pic.twitter.com/AZIHUdSbUC
A victory would give Texas Tech its 20th win of the season, marking the program’s 19th 20-win campaign in 101 years. It would also be the first time since 2003-04 through 2006-07 that the program has posted three straight 20-win seasons. Even more significantly, Grant McCasland would join Bob Knight as the only coaches in program history. Especially to begin their Texas Tech tenure with three consecutive 20-win seasons.
The storyline changed dramatically in Tempe on Tuesday night. It is because JT Toppin suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee
Toppin is the 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year and Consensus Second Team All-American. He has averaged 21.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. He was the only player nationally averaging over 20 points and a double-double. He led the conference with 16 double-doubles and earned Big 12 Player of the Week honors four times.
He and teammate Christian Anderson were the only teammates on the Wooden Award Late-Season Watch List. And both were on the Naismith National Player of the Year Watch List.
Now the responsibility shifts squarely onto Anderson. The dynamic guard leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally with 7.6 assists per game. He is also averaging 19.0 points and shooting 44.0 percent from three, knocking down 88 of 200 attempts. His 3.52 made three-pointers per game rank ninth nationally.
If there’s one clear trait defining the McCasland era, it’s elite perimeter shooting. Texas Tech leads the Big 12 with 11.4 made three-pointers per game and ranks second in the conference at 38.9 percent from deep. The Red Raiders also boast a 55.5 effective field goal percentage.
They are scoring 81.4 points per game while allowing 72.3, and their ball movement stands out with a 1.49 assist-to-turnover ratio. Tech averages 16.0 assists per game and commits just 10.7 turnovers.
Through 26 games, the Red Raiders are 296-for-760 from beyond the arc. That total already represents the second-most made threes in a season in program history. They have hit 10 or more threes in 20 of 26 games. That also includes a school record 17 against Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Lindenwood.
Red Raiders Chasing History Can Be Dangerous for the Wildcats
Junior Donovan Atwell continues to rewrite the record book. At Arizona State, he matched Cory Carr’s 1996-97 single-season school record with his 94th three-pointer. Atwell is shooting 44.8 percent from deep, converting 94 of 210 attempts. He ranks third nationally with 3.62 made threes per game and sixth nationally in percentage.
LeJuan Watts adds 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, while Jaylen Petty contributes 8.9 points per contest.
Kansas State enters at 11-15 overall and 2-11 in conference play, but the Wildcats just snapped a six-game losing streak with a 90-74 home win over Baylor. They are 1-7 on the road this season, but their offense can explode.
Texas Tech sits No. 13 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and the USA TODAY Coaches Poll, marking a program-record 24 straight AP appearances. The Red Raiders are No. 17 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 18 in KenPom.
They are 12-1 at home this season. The Big 12 remains stacked with No. 6 Iowa State, No. 8 Kansas and No. 23 BYU still looming on the schedule. Tech travels to Iowa State on Feb. 28 and closes the regular season at BYU on March 7.
Saturday marks the 53rd meeting between Texas Tech and Kansas State. The all-time series is tied 26-26. Under McCasland, Tech is 2-0 against the Wildcats. The Red Raiders are 17-7 at home versus Kansas State, including a 61-57 win in Manhattan on Jan. 14, 2025.
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Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.