Texas Tech basketball safely in NCAA Tournament in most "Bracketology" projections

Winning ten of its last eleven games and sitting atop the Big 12 conference standings, life is good for the Texas Tech basketball program these days. Making matters even more enjoyable, Tech currently has worked its way off the NCAA Tournament bubble and sits somewhat comfortably in the latest round of "Bracketology" projections.

Texas Tech is in a good, but not great spot in most bracket projections

For much of the season, Texas Tech was on the outside looking in when it came to the "Bracketology" projections. Now, though, after big wins over Texas, Kansas State, and BYU, Grant McCasland's team is in a good spot. However, Tech will want to continue to improve its seeding.

ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi has Texas Tech in his current bracket as a No. 8 seed in the East region where Tech would face No. 9 seed Boise State. The Broncos are currently 14-5 overall and in first place in the Mountain West, one of the toughest mid-major leagues in the nation.

Of course, it would be wise for Tech to try to avoid being a No. 8 or No. 9 seed because that scenario would have the Red Raiders facing off with a No. 1 seed in the second round. Lunardi sees Tech having to tangle with defending National Champion UCONN should the Red Raiders beat Boise.

Meanwhile, Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com has Tech in a much better position. What's more, his current bracket has the Red Raiders in a dream first-round matchup.

Seeded as a No. 6 seed according to Palm, Tech would take on No. 11 seed Texas A&M in the first round. What a fascinating matchup that would be.

Of course, those two teams met in a preseason scrimmage earlier this year, one that Tech won 89-84 in Denton, Texas. Certainly, a rematch in the NCAA Tournament would be one of the most enticing matchups of the first round and might be the most anticipated Texas Tech basketball game since the Final Four run of 2019.

Patrick Stevens of the Washington Post also has Tech as a No. 6 seed in his bracket. However, he matches Tech up with No. 11 seed Northwestern. In his bracket, the winner of that game would likely have to tangle with No. 3 seed Kentucky.

Over at FoxSports.com, Tech checks in as a No. 8 seed as well. In that bracket, the Red Raiders would do battle with South Carolina out of the SEC before a possible matchup with UCONN.

While it is great to see the Red Raiders safely in virtually every tournament projection, there is still work to be done for McCasland's team. That's because if any of these projections come to fruition, Tech won't be favored to make it past the second round.

The good news is that Tech is in the best conference in America and that means there will be plenty of extra chances for Quad-1 wins between now and Selection Sunday. For instance, games against Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, and Iowa State will all be Quad-1 opportunities and those are on top of what Tech might encounter in the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.

So keep an eye on the latest "Bracketology" projections as they are released because Texas Tech has played its way into the field as of right now. Of course, this team still has every opportunity to climb even higher if it can continue its winning ways.