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Texas Tech will look to surpass its first-round stint in the 2024 NCAA Tournament this season. Second-year coach Grant McCasland hopes to help the Red Raiders improve on their 23-11 record last season and secure another bid in next year's tournament.
McCasland has assembled a solid roster to compete with its rivals in the expanded Big 12. Here's a deeper look into Texas Tech's 2024–25 campaign, from its biggest games to the players that fans should watch out for.
Texas Tech's biggest games in the 2024-25 season
Texas Tech's non-conference schedule will feature two tournaments — the Legends Classic and the Big East-Big 12 Battle. The Red Raiders will travel to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to take part in the Legends Classic along with Saint Joseph's, Syracuse and Texas.
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Texas Tech is scheduled to face Saint Joseph's in the Legends Classic semifinals on November 21.
The winner will advance to meet the victor of the Syracuse-Texas game in the final on November 22 and the losers will play in a consolation game. The Red Raiders are 0-2 all-time against the Hawks.
Texas Tech will also play DePaul on December 4 as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle and visit Texas A&M four days later.
The following month, the Red Raiders will begin its 20-game regular season with their fellow conference members. They are set to play home-and-away games against Arizona, Arizona State, Houston, Oklahoma State and TCU.
Then, Texas Tech plays host to Baylor, UCF, Colorado, Iowa State and West Virginia. The Red Raiders will then visit the playing courts of BYU, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kansas State and Utah during the season.
Top Texas Tech players to watch out for in the 2024–25 season
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland has assembled a solid 13-man roster composed of six holdovers from last season, four transfers and three high school recruits. Here are the three players from the Red Raiders that every college basketball fan should keep an eye on in the upcoming season.
#1. Darrion Williams
Incoming junior Darrion Williams is coming off a good season with Texas Tech, where he was the team's third-best top scorer, with averages of 11.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
The 6-6 forward had the second-most double-doubles in the Big 12 Conference last year and shot 49.4% from the field, including 45.8% from the 3-point line and 87.5% from the foul line.
He's expected to play the small forward position for the Red Raiders and form a forward combo with 6-foot-9 power forward J.T. Toppin.
#2. J.T. Toppin
J.T. Toppin played great in his only season with New Mexico, averaging 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest. The 6-9 Toppin was a force down low, shooting 62.3% from the field and grabbing 3.7 offensive rebounds per game.
The Dallas, Texas-born star can dominate the paint as he can grab offensive boards at will and score on a follow-up when needed.
#3. Devan Cambridge
Devan Cambridge looks to bounce back from a knee injury that forced him out of action in the 2023–24 season. Before falling into misfortune in his last game against Omaha, the six-foot-six forward tallied 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 26.0 minutes.
He would likely play alongside Darrion Williams in small-ball packages or could platoon on the wing for Texas Tech this upcoming season.
Texas Tech's predictions for the 2024–25 season
Texas Tech remains a force to be reckoned with despite the departure of top scorers Pop Isaacs and Joe Toussaint. They still have Darrion Williams, Chance McMillan and Devan Cambridge.
The trio will join forces with double-double machine J.T. Toppin to help the Red Raiders make the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Texas Tech is capable of winning around 20–23 games this coming season which would be enough for the team to claim a berth to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Will Texas Tech claim their second-straight NCAA Tournament bid? Let us know your views in the comments section.
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