Texas Tech to Face Iowa State in Big 12 Tournament
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Texas Tech men's basketball is set to face Iowa State as their first opponent in the Big 12 Tournament Thursday.
The contest will begin at 11:30 a.m. CT on ESPN.
The quarterfinals matchup is set to be a thriller, given Tech defeated the then-No. 4 Cyclones 82-73 at the end of February. The victory was telling for the Red Raiders, who went on a 3-0 win streak after losing junior forward JT Toppin to a season-ending injury.
Tech climbed six spots in the Top 25 AP poll after their monumental win over Iowa State last month, which put the team at No. 10 because of their performance.
The Red Raiders' win over the Cyclones proved the team was capable of making the right adjustments without Toppin.
As sophomore guard Christian Anderson said, Tech is still a good team without their All-American big man.
"I feel like we're a good team with and without JT," Anderson said in February. "When you lose a player of that caliber, it's common nature to say the team isn't going to be as good. But I think with the coaching staff and the group of guys we have, we've been taught to have an edge on our shoulder and just keep pushing.
"I think we're still a top team, even with him out."
However, the question remains: Can Texas Tech be a great team without Toppin?
In the final five games of the regular season, the Red Raiders went 3-2 without the forward. Tech is coming off two back to back losses to unranked teams, TCU and BYU.
The squad has shown flashes of brilliance when making the right adjustments to accomodate the absence of Toppin. Rebounding and physicality will be crucial for the more guard-centric Red Raiders.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones are reeling off a 91-42 beatdown over Arizona State Wednesday, which is the largest margin of victory in Big 12 Tournament history.
Although the Cyclones have already had to play a game in the Big 12 Tournament, Iowa State's blowout win over the Sun Devils should keep most of their starters fresh for Thursday's matchup against Tech.
How Did Texas Tech Fare in the Big 12 Tournament Last Season?
Last season, Tech lost to Arizona in the semifinals, earning them the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders fell to the eventual March Madness champions, the Florida Gators, in the Elite Eight.
Now, the Red Raiders will begin their Big 12 Tournament run in the quarterfinals against Iowa State.
Anderson and senior guard Donovan Atwell will have to continue their dazzling performances this month as the Red Raiders hope to go far in the NCAA Tournament without Toppin, who was in the running for Big 12 Player of the Year.
Let's hope the Red Raiders are not one and done as the postseason begins for the team Thursday.
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Valentina Martinez is an On SI writer. She has in depth knowledge of the college sports community and has covered professional sports extensively. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and covered Sun Devil Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball, Women's Volleyball and Softball.