Takeaways from the 2024-25 Texas Tech basketball conference schedule

Thursday, the Texas Tech basketball program released its 2024-25 Big 12 conference schedule. Of course, by virtue of the league they are in, the Red Raiders will have one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

One difference this year is that there are 20 conference games, two more than was customary in years prior. That only adds to the difficulty of the season for all Big 12 teams as it means two fewer games against non-conference cupcakes.

So let's go inside the conference slate for head coach Grant McCasland's team. And we'll begin by looking at the toughest stretch of the season.

Texas Tech's toughest stretch comes early

Big 12 play opens for the Red Raiders on Tuesday, December 31 when UCF comes to Lubbock. Then, Tech has a road trip to Utah which begins the toughest stretch of the season.

On Saturday, January 4, Tech plays at Utah, a sneaky-tough road test for the first conference away game. However, after that, a brutal stretch of games arrives starting with a road contest at BYU on Tuesday, January 7.

Then, Tech returns home to face Iowa State on Saturday, January 11 before traveling to Kansas State (where the Red Raiders never seem to play well) on Tuesday, January 14.

Life gets no easier when Tech returns home on Saturday, January 18 to host Arizona in one of the marquee games of the season at United Supermarkets Arena. Then, this six-game gauntlet wraps up with a trip to Cincinnati on Tuesday, January 21.

From January 4 to January 21, Tech will face three teams in the way-too-early ESPN top 25 (Iowa State, Arizona, and Cincinnati) while also having to play Kansas State, which, like the Red Raiders is listed as one of the next five teams in ESPN's early ranking.

Additionally, BYU has one of the toughest home-court advantages in college basketball. That will make the two-game trip through Utah a bear for the Red Raiders. Overall, the first three weeks of the conference season will test the Red Raiders in a major way right out of the gates.

February starts with a three-game gauntlet for Texas Tech

After the opening three weeks, Tech should have a chance to pick up a pair of wins at home with Oklahoma State coming to Lubbock on Sunday, January 26 and TCU coming to town the following Wednesday, the 29th.

However, the Red Raiders then open February with a brutal three-game stretch that sees them play at Houston on Saturday, February 1 before hosting Baylor on Tuesday, February 4, and then traveling to Arizona on Saturday, February 8. Each of those three opponents is currently ranked in the top 10 of the ESPN early top 25.

Of course, if the Red Raiders are going to be conference contenders, then they will have to win games like these. What's more, they'll have to steal a few road games from top-quality teams.

Taking out Arizona or Houston in their own arenas would be a huge sign to the rest of the nation that McCasland has a team ready to contend not only in its own league but also in March. Thus, this three-game stretch, though it will be tough, will also present some opportunities for the Red Raiders to make a name for themselves.

Texas Tech will have only two home games while students are on winter break

With Big 12 play starting earlier than we've become used to given the two extra conference games, it was worth wondering how many games the Red Raiders would play before the students return to campus.

Make no mistake, the reason that United Supermarkets Arena is one of the nation's toughest venues to play in is because of the massive and passionate Red Raider student section. So when the students are on winter break, it makes Tech's home atmosphere far less intimidating.

This year, Tech will play only two games before the first day of classes for the spring semester arrives on January 15. Those will come against UCF and an Iowa State team that is at No. 7 in the ESPN early top 25.

Though Tech would love to have the full student body for the Iowa State game (that contest takes place the day before the dorms on campus open for move-in), it is better that the students will be on hand in full force for games against Houston, Arizona, and Baylor, the three marquee home games of the season.

On the other hand, Tech doesn't catch a break when going to Provo, Utah. That's because they play the Cougars the night before spring classes begin at BYU meaning the Red Raiders will get the full Marriott Center experience, which is one of the best atmospheres in college basketball.

Texas Tech faces Houston vs. Kansas back-to-back late in the regular season

Every team wants to get on a roll heading into March. That will be tough for the Red Raiders this year, though.

On February 24, the Red Raiders host Houston in the final game of the month. Then, they open March with a road trip to Kansas (where Tech has won only once in program history) on the first.

This set of back-to-back games could be against two top-5 teams when these contests are played. Thus, the Red Raiders will have to be peaking at the end of February if they want to ride a wave of momentum into March.

It is important to know that Tech's game with Houston on the 24th of February is a Monday night contest. But Tech has an advantage by playing at home the Saturday before (against West Virginia) meaning they won't have to travel on short rest.

Then, the Red Raiders have a couple of extra days to recover and prepare for the road trip to Kansas. Still, this will be a key two-game sequence in the Big 12 schedule for McCasland and his squad.

Texas Tech has two winnable games to close out regular season

Normally, a home game with Colorado and a road trip to Arizona State wouldn't be worth discussing. Each of those teams will likely be picked to finish near the bottom of the conference standings.

However, it is worth noting that those are the final two games of the regular season for Tech. Colorado comes to Lubbock on Wednesday, March 5 and the Red Raiders go to Arizona State on Saturday, March 8.

If Tech can capture those two wins, then the Red Raiders could head into the Big 12 Tournament with some positive momentum. That would be ideal, though momentum is no guarantee of success in the postseason.

One other schedule note worth knowing is that the Big 12 is not giving teams an open week during conference play this year as it has for as long as most fans can remember. That's so that the 20-game conference schedule can still be fit into the regular-season window.

Thus, the Red Raiders will have one brutal slog through the conference from December 31 to March 8 with no breaks. What's more, six teams in the conference are in ESPN's early top 25 with five of those being top-10 teams.

Still, the Red Raiders showed last year that they could exceed expectations under McCasland's guidance, despite being decimated by injuries. They will look to do that again this year but with a deeper and more talented roster. That's why it should be another fun year of Red Raider hoops on the South Plains.