Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson Jr Wins Third Big 12 Player of the Week
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The national college basketball spotlight is officially shining bright over West Texas. As of March 4, 2026, the Texas Tech Red Raiders have surged to No. 10 in the AP Poll. And at the center of it all is sophomore point guard Christian Anderson Jr, who simply refuses to cool off.
Texas Tech’s Big 12 Player of the Week Performance to Remember
This week, the Big 12 Conference made it official. Anderson captured his third Big 12 Player of the Week honor of the season. He further cemented his status as the league’s most dangerous playmaker.
Taking his game to the next level 🔥
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) March 2, 2026
For the third time this season, @chrisanders2024 earns Big 12 Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/1CLiCf8H8O
His three weekly honors are the second-most in the conference this season. It was trailed only by teammate JT Toppin, who earned four before a season-ending injury. With Toppin sidelined, Anderson hasn’t just stepped up. He has taken over.
The sophomore has transformed from rising star to national centerpiece. He earned late-season watch list recognition for both the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith National Player of the Year. The latest Big 12 Player of the Week honor was no fluke. Anderson powered Texas Tech to a 2-0 week while averaging 22.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds.
At home against Cincinnati, Anderson recorded his eighth double-double of the season. He poured in 31 points, grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds, and dished out seven assists.
He followed that up with a composed road outing against then-No. 4 Iowa State. He also finished with 14 points, seven assists, and three rebounds in an 82-73 win that boosted Texas Tech’s postseason résumé in a major way.
Anderson and teammate Donovan Atwell earned spots on the Big 12 Starting Five for their efforts against Cincinnati and Iowa State. For Anderson, it marked his fifth Big 12 Starting Five selection of the season.
While the weekly awards grab headlines, the numbers tell an even bigger story. Anderson is in the middle of one of the most efficient shooting seasons Texas Tech has ever seen. He now has 96 made three-pointers this season. Both Anderson and Atwell have surpassed the previous single-season program record of 94, set by Cory Carr during the 1996-97 campaign.
Nationally, Anderson ranks ninth with 3.43 made threes per game and 12th in three-point percentage at 43.2 percent. For his career, Anderson is 167-of-409 from beyond the arc, good for 40.8 percent. Yet scoring is only half the equation. Anderson leads the Big 12 and ranks third nationally with 7.7 assists per game. He also sits fifth in the conference with 19.4 points per contest.
His 7.7 assists per game pace would establish a new Texas Tech single-season record. He has posted eight double-figure assist games, including a career-high 13 in a home win over Oklahoma State Cowboys. Through 63 career games, Anderson has totaled 914 points and 292 assists. The trajectory is steep and still climbing.
From Freshman Spark to National Star
As a freshman during the 2024-25 season, he averaged 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across 35 games, starting seven of them, including the final five. He earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team honors after knocking down 71 three-pointers.
His breakout moment came in the Sweet 16 against the Arkansas Razorbacks, where he scored 22 points, hit three three-pointers, and went 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. He closed his freshman campaign with 372 points, 105 rebounds, 77 assists, and 41 steals.
Internationally, Anderson has long displayed poise beyond his years. Representing Germany, he earned All-Star Five honors at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland, averaging 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds. In the final against the USA, he recorded 18 points, nine assists, four steals, and five rebounds as Germany captured its first-ever silver medal at the event.
He also led Germany to a championship at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in 2024, averaging 20.3 points and earning All-Star Five recognition. Earlier still, he was named MVP of the FIBA U16 European Championship Division B after guiding Germany to the title.
Before Lubbock, Anderson starred at The Lovett School, finishing with 2,038 career points and setting a Georgia state record with 861 points in one season. He later transferred to Oak Hill Academy, where he averaged 19.1 points and 4.6 assists and earned McDonald’s All-American nominee honors.
Originally signed by Michigan Wolverines, Anderson ultimately chose Texas Tech on May 21, 2024. That decision has reshaped the Big 12 race.
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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.