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Texas Tech basketball drops in polls after 0-2 week

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 16: Marial Shayok #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones grabs the rebound away from Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the game on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 16: Marial Shayok #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones grabs the rebound away from Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the game on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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The Texas Tech basketball team dropped to No. 14 in the Associated Press and No. 13 in the Coaches’ Poll Monday after dropping both games last week.

For the first time since entering the top 25 back in week four of the season, the Texas Tech basketball team saw its ranking take a significant hit in the latest national polls.  After dropping games to unranked foes Iowa State and Baylor last week, the Red Raiders sit at No. 14 in the Associated Press Poll (down six spots) and No. 13 in the Coaches’ Poll (down four spots).

The drop is similar to what the Red Raiders experienced last season when Tech fell six spots in the rankings after back-to-back losses at Baylor and Oklahoma State.  Of course, those defeats could be chalked up to the fact that Tech was without star point guard Keenan Evans who broke his toe early in the game in Waco.

This year’s back-to-back defeats are not as easy to explain.  Despite being completely healthy, Tech played two of its worst games of the season last week as the offense continued to struggle outside of Jarrett Culver and the Big 12’s best defense seemed to digress allowing the Bears to be the first team to score at least 70 points against the Red Raiders this season.

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But though the Red Raiders fell in the polls, their NCAA NET Ranking remained unchanged at No. 11.  This ranking, which replaces the old RPI system, is more important than the polls because it is the only ranking metric the NCAA Tournament selection committee will consider when seeding the field of 68 in March.

As for the rest of the Big 12, Kansas fell two spots in both polls checking in at No. 9 in the A.P. poll and No. 10 in the Coaches’ poll.   The Jayhawks remain tied with Texas Tech and Kansas State for first place in the conference following Saturday’s loss to a West Virginia team that entered the game winless in Big 12 play.

Interestingly enough, despite winning four-straight games, the Wildcats are not ranked in either poll.  They received the third-most votes of any team not in the A.P. Poll and the second most of any team not in the Coaches’ Poll.

The only other Big 12 team in the rankings this week is Iowa State which is at No. 24 in the A.P. and No. 25 in the Coaches’ Poll.  Oklahoma dropped from both polls but is still receiving votes as is TCU.

Overall, Tennessee sits atop both polls after a wild week in the top 10.  In each poll, only one top-10 team (Michigan State in the A.P. and Duke in the Coaches’ Poll) remains ranked in the same spot as last week.  Duke is at No. 2 in both polls and Virginia is at No. 3 after both went 1-1 last week.   Gonzaga checks in at No. 4 in each poll followed by Michigan in the A.P. poll and Michigan State in the Coaches’ poll.

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As for the Red Raiders, they will have an opportunity to climb back up the rankings this week but it will not be easy.  Tuesday, they are in Manhattan to take on Kansas State with first place in the conference on the line.  They then return to Lubbock for a meeting with Arkansas in the Big 12 / SEC Challenge on Saturday.

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