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Texas Tech basketball finishes 2024-25 with top-10 national ranking

Despite the disappointing way the season ended, the 2024-25 Texas Tech basketball season was a rousing success as the Red Raiders finished with a top-10 ranking.
ByMatthew Conner|
Mar 29, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Chance McMillian (0) runs downcourt during the first half against the Florida Gators during the West Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Chance McMillian (0) runs downcourt during the first half against the Florida Gators during the West Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Sure, everyone who loves Texas Tech basketball hoped that it would be the Red Raiders, not Florida, that cut down the nets in San Antonio. Of course, that didn't happen as it was the Gators that got the glory in Monday night's National Championship Game.

Still, when one takes a step back and looks at the 2024-25 season as a whole, it is easy to see how successful head coach Grant McCasland's second campaign in Lubbock was. We were reminded of that fact on Tuesday when the Red Raiders checked in at No. 8 in the final Associated Press Poll.

Finishing in the top 10 has been rare for this program. In fact, this is just the third time in the 100 years of the program that the Red Raiders have finished a season in the top 10. In 2018, Tech ended up at No. 6 after also reaching the Elite Eight, and in 2019, the Red Raiders were second in the final poll after playing in the National Championship Game.

To end up as a top-eight team this year is rather remarkable. After all, Tech was predicted to finish seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll. What's more, the Red Raiders had no preseason All-Big 12 players, meaning that McCasland and his staff were able to coax the maximum they could out of this roster.

It took a while for Tech to even break into the top 25 this season, though. The Red Raiders didn't crack the A.P. poll until week 13 of the season when they checked in at No. 22.

By week 16 (February 17), the Red Raiders were in the top 10, and they would stay there for the final six polls of the season.

Of course, Florida sits at No. 1 in the last poll. The Gators captured their third National Title on Monday by beating Houston, which comes in at No. 2 in the final standings. Then, Duke, Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, and Michigan State all slot in ahead of Tech in that order.

Other Big 12 teams to finish in the poll include BYU (No. 13), Arizona (No. 15), and Iowa State (No. 17). Additionally, Kansas received five votes in the final poll.

This was the eight season in a row that Tech has spent at least one week in the A.P. poll. That's a new high-water mark for the program. It is proof that this is the golden age of Texas Tech basketball. Now, the goal is to see the Red Raiders sit atop the final standings. Hopefully, that happens very soon.

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