Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Team of the Week: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Baylor v Texas Tech

LUBBOCK, TX - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders encourages his players during the game against the Baylor Bears on December 29, 2017 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Baylor 77-53. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)

Getty Images

There are too many options to choose from this week, as I had seven teams on my list that could legitimately be considered the best team of the past week.

But I’m going to go with Texas Tech here.

The Red Raiders did something that I cannot remember seeing happen before: They went into Allen Fieldhouse and not only beat Kansas, they whipped up on them. Texas Tech scored the first five points of the game and jumped out to a 23-7 lead before the Jayhawks woke up. They went on to win 75-63 in a game that never actually felt like it was in doubt.

Tech followed that performance up by smacking around Kansas State in Lubbock, but it was that game at Kansas that really changed everyone’s opinion on them. They went from being a good team that had a shot to ... maybe being the best team in the Big 12?

THEY WERE GOOD, TOO


  • COLORADO: If the Buffaloes were actually going to find a way to get into the NCAA tournament this season, they had to do what they did this weekend: Sweep the Arizona schools at home. They still have an uphill battle in front of them, but with four games left against the Los Angeles schools and a trip to the Arizona schools still on the schedule, there’s a puncher’s chance.
  • NOTRE DAME: Playing without Bonzie Colson, the Irish mollywhopped an N.C. State team that turned around and beat Duke on Saturday. Then on Saturday, without Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell, the Fighting Irish beat Syracuse at Syracuse. I thought you were supposed to get worse when you lose your two best players?
  • VIRGINIA: OK, I’ll admit it: I missed badly on Virginia this year. I figured that all of the youth on the roster and the lack of what appeared to be dynamic back court defenders would be enough to keep the Wahoos from competing atop the ACC. They look like they’re primed to win the league’s regular season title this year.
  • WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers are the only team in the country to solve the Trae Young conundrum, as they held Oklahoma’s dynamic freshman point guard to ... 29 points? Trust me, it’s true.
  • AUBURN: The Tigers are for real this year, and it’s time to start looking at them as one of the better teams in the SEC. They won at Tennessee and smacked around Arkansas this week.