By now you know that the Texas Tech basketball team has been placed as the No. 3 seed in the West Region of this year’s NCAA Tournament. And you also know that Tech opens its tournament run on Friday at 12:45 central against No. 14 seed Montana State.
Being a No. 3 seed was exactly where almost all of the so-called bracket experts had Tech pegged prior to Selection Sunday so there was little drama for those of us in scarlet and black when the official field was revealed. However, there was a bit of disappointment.
Red Raider fans had been dreaming of seeing the Red Raiders open the tournament in Forth Worth. But being a No. 3 seed does not carry with it enough weight to garner geographical consideration from the selection committee. Instead, Tech will have to travel to San Diego for the tournament’s first weekend.
Meanwhile, Kansas and Baylor are the two Big 12 teams that were rewarded with trips to Cowtown this week. One has to wonder if that would have changed if Tech would have found a way to beat Kansas in the Big 12 Tournament title game.
Yet another disappointment is that Tech was not placed in the South Region. Had that happened, the Red Raiders could have found themselves in San Antonio for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Certainly, that scenario would have given Mark Adams’ team a huge home-court advantage.
But instead, the Red Raiders are headed out west. Should they survive the opening weekend, they will then travel to San Francisco to play for a trip to the Final Four.
Of course, many fans have been quick to point out that back in 2019, when Texas Tech made its run to the National Championship Game, the Red Raiders were also a No. 3 seed in the West Region playing their Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games in Anaheim, California.
Hopefully, another storybook March like that one is in store in 2022. But to get back to that lofty place won’t be easy. So let’s take a closer look at the Red Raiders NCAA Tournament Draw. And we begin by taking a look at what could be a tough second-round matchup.