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Texas Tech basketball falls two spots in this week’s polls

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 08: Brandone Francis #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots the ball over Christian James #0 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of the game on January 8, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 66-59. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 08: Brandone Francis #1 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders shoots the ball over Christian James #0 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of the game on January 8, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 66-59. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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After going 1-1 last week, the Texas Tech basketball team fell two spots in both national polls Monday.

Apparently college basketball voters find a road loss to Kansas State more impactful than a home win over Arkansas.  That’s what the Texas Tech basketball team learned Monday when the Red Raiders dropped two spots in both national polls after falling to the Wildcats last Tuesday and beating the Razorbacks on Saturday.

Tech is currently No. 16 in the Associated Press top 25 and No. 15 in the Coaches Poll.  The top four spots in both polls remained unchanged with Tennessee, Duke, Virginia and Gonzaga sitting at 1-4 respectively.  Michigan rounds out the top 5 in both polls after moving up one place in the Coaches Poll.

The Big 12’s highest-ranked team, Kansas, fell two spots in both polls after a loss at Kentucky on Saturday.  The Jayhawks are No. 11 in the A.P. poll and No. 12 in the Coaches.

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The only other Big 12 team in the top 25 is Iowa State.  The Cyclones jumped four spots in the A.P. and five spots in the Coaches to sit at No. 20 in each poll after an impressive road win at Ole Miss in the Big 12 / SEC Challenge.  Kansas State, TCU, Oklahoma and Baylor all received votes in at least one of the polls this week.

It is interesting too see how the voters viewed Texas Tech’s 1-1 showing last week.  On one hand, it is understandable how the ugly loss to Kansas State and the closer than expected win over Arkansas would lead some to penalize the Red Raiders.  But prior to Saturday’s loss at Texas A&M, the Wildcats were one of the hottest teams in the country having won 5-consecutive games so losing in Manhattan is nothing to be ashamed of.

But what likely hurt the Red Raiders was not that they lost at Bramlage Coliseum, but rather how they lost.  Any time a team puts just 45 points on the board, that number is going to stick out like a  facial wart and is easily identified by anyone that only looks at weekly scores (and do not think that every voter takes time to dig past the scoreboard for each game).

More importantly than the polls, though, is the NCAA NET Rankings.  Tech comes in at No.18 in this metric, which replaces the old RPI system and is the ranking the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee uses when seeding the field of 68.

Next. Three things to know about the TCU basketball team. dark

Of course, Tech has an opportunity to move back up the national polls and the NET Rankings this week.  With tonight’s home game versus TCU and Saturday’s road tilt at Kansas, Tech could pick up two huge wins that would not only help them jump back up in the rankings but also put them squarely in the fight for a Big 12 title.

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