Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball head coach Grant McCasland celebrates with his team after their 82073 win over Iowa State in a Big-12 Conference men’s basketball showdown at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on February 28, 2026. TCU is gradually increasing its status as an at-large NCAA tournament team.
The Horned Frogs were ranked no. 10 Texas Tech can head to and make a statement against the Red Raiders on Tuesday in Big 12 Conference action in Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders (22-7, 12-4 Big 12) have been on a roll since reigning Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin went down with a season-ending ACL tear in a 72-67 loss at Arizona State on Feb. 17.
Texas Tech has won three straight and is up 82-73 at then-No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday, handing the Cyclones their first home loss of the season. The Red Raiders had the biggest boost in the March 2 Associated Press poll, moving up six spots to No. 10.
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said Josiah Moseley, Luke Bamgboye and Marial Akuentok are all finally healthy and have stepped into the void created by Toppin’s absence.
“I felt we had a great team,” McCasland said. “Getting those guys together was the biggest part. We lost JT, but we didn’t lose the fight. We got three guys with good size and depth at that position for this time of the year. People are now seeing what this team could have been if we had put it all together and added JT into the mix.”
TCU (19-10, 9-7), which also has won three in a row, continues to separate itself from other bubble teams in the race for an NCAA Tournament berth. The Horned Frogs finished February with a 6-2 record, the highlight being a 62-55 win over then-No. 5 Iowa, February 10.
TCU could use another signature win later in the season.
In their most recent game, the Horned Frogs defeated a struggling Kansas State team 77-68 on the road. Xavier Edmonds paced TCU with 15 points and 13 rebounds, Tanner Toolson added 14 points off the bench and David Punch contributed 13 points.
Although the Horned Frogs had to fight hard for the win against the Wildcats, who are tied for last place in the Big 12, TCU coach Jamie Dixon pointed to the quality competition in the league, which provides a stern test for every team.
“This is what I noticed,” Dixon said. “We play in the best league in the country. We don’t only give (wins) to the best teams, even if they’re not in the NCAA tournament. We’ve had some tough times, but I think we’ve improved.”
Against Iowa State, Donovan Atwell led Texas Tech with 18 points. The senior guard connected on 6 of 10 3-point attempts. He ranks tied for second in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (3.8) and has a 46.2% conversion rate from behind the arc.
“Guards win. If you have good guard play in space, they are the hardest to defend,” McCasland said. “(We can) put pressure on the rim, be a threat from the 3-point line, and be a threat in space.”
–Field level media
