Texas Tech all-time round-by-round record in the NCAA Tournament
Sweet 16 |
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Overall Record: 2-3 |
1996 was Texas Tech's first trip to the Sweet 16 under the modern format of the Tournament. That year, the Red Raiders ran into No. 2 seed Georgetown and its star guard Allen Iverson.
In a 98-90 loss, the Red Raiders fought valiantly but just couldn't keep pace with Iverson. The future NBA star would score 32 points thanks in large part to shooting 11-18 at the free-throw line.
Free throws were a story of that entire game, in fact. Georgetown was awarded a whopping 46 attempts at the line to just 35 for the Red Raiders. Their 33-23 edge in free throws made proved to be the difference in the game.
In 2005, the No. 6 seeded Red Raiders were slight favorites against No. 7 seeded West Virginia in the Sweet 16. However, a huge day from WVU forward Kevin Pittsnogle ended Tech's run.
The 6-foot-11 stretch forward scored 22 points and grabbed eight boards to lead WVU to a 65-60 win in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Tech was doomed by the fact that forward Martin Zeno and guard Jarrius Jackson combined for only 11 points (with just two from Zeno) on 4-14 shooting between them.
The program finally picked up a Sweet 16 win in 2018 by taking down No. 2-seeded Purdue 78-65. That night, the Red Raiders took advantage of a Boilermaker squad that was without 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas who missed the game with a broken wrist.
Keenan Evans had 16 points to lead the team and forward Zach Smith added 14 off of the bench. It was the second time in three years that Beard had knocked Purdue out of the tournament after he and No. 12 seed Arkansas-Little Rock took down 5th-seeded Purdue in the first round two years earlier.
In 2019, Tech was able to dominate Michigan in the Sweet 16. In the 63-44 win, Jarrett Culver went for 22 points to account for over a third of his team's offense.
Tech's most recent Sweet 16 came in 2022. That year, the No. 3-seeded Red Raiders fell to No. 2 Duke 78-73. Despite jumping out to an early 12-4 lead, Tech could not fend off the more offensively talented Blue Devils.