Sports Illustrated’s Men’s College Basketball Preseason Top 25: No. 7 Texas Tech

Through Oct. 31, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason assemblage hoops Top 25 pinch overviews of each team. Here are nan afloat rankings truthful far.

Texas Tech knowledgeable each sides of March Madness successful nan span of less than 72 hours a twelvemonth ago. Its rally from 13 points down pinch nether 5 minutes to play against Arkansas successful nan Sweet 16 was epic, only to spot a nine-point lead pinch nether 3 minutes to play evaporate against Florida pinch a spot successful nan Final Four connected nan line. 

The bitter ending doesn’t alteration nan truth that 2025 was a immense measurement backmost to superior nationalist contention for Texas Tech successful Grant McCasland’s 2nd year. McCasland is among nan sport’s sharpest roster builders and is further boosted by 1 of nan astir fierce philanthropist bases successful nan country. Tech mislaid a mates of cardinal pieces to nan portal, but retained nan 2 players it desperately wanted to support successful JT Toppin and Christian Anderson earlier retooling nicely astir them. Toppin, nan defending Big 12 Player of nan Year, is an absolute double-double instrumentality and 1 of nan astir productive players successful nan sport. He’s a safe stake for All-American honors and gives this Tech squad a very precocious floor. Anderson is simply a move combo defender who’ll play nan constituent this twelvemonth aft spending astir of his clip disconnected nan shot arsenic a freshman. He starred successful nan FIBA U19 World Cup this summertime pinch Germany and seems poised for a large leap. 

PG: Christian Anderson
SG: Tyeree Bryan
SF: LeJuan Watts
PF: JT Toppin
C: Luke Bamgboye
Key reserves: G Jaylen Petty, G Donovan Atwell, F Josiah Moseley

Key Additions 

Darrion Williams has a chance to beryllium 1 of nan champion players successful nan state arsenic a elder aft transferring to NC State, but Washington State transportation LeJuan Watts is arsenic adjacent a replacement arsenic you could find successful nan portal. Like Williams, Watts is simply a bowling shot of a guardant who likes to dribble into post-ups and punish mismatches. He’s besides a tin passer who’ll apt return connected immoderate playmaking duties astatine times.

Washington State transportation LeJuan Watts is arsenic adjacent a replacement for Darrion Williams arsenic you could find successful nan portal. / James Snook-Imagn Images

Texas Tech’s defense was bully but not awesome successful 2024–25, successful portion owed to lacking rim protection. Luke Bamgboye is present to alteration that. The VCU transportation posted nan second-highest artifact complaint successful nan state arsenic a freshman and tin beryllium an absolute game-changer astatine that extremity of nan level pinch his length, leaping expertise and timing.

Around high-usage stars for illustration Toppin, Anderson and Watts, you request shooting. Tyeree Bryan and Donovan Atwell bring that successful droves. Bryan made 66 threes astatine astir 43% past season; Atwell deed 96 astatine a 40% clip. 

And don’t slumber connected freshman Jaylen Petty, nan Washington Gatorade Player of nan Year who’s a axenic bucket-getter. A Red Raiders root tells Sports Illustrated Petty could person a “Christian Anderson–type” freshman year.

The clearest spread connected this roster is 1 much proven ballhandler. Tech went down nan roadworthy pinch a number of options connected this front, namely Australian defender Ben Henshall, but couldn’t get 1 complete nan decorativeness statement earlier yet adding Petty precocious successful nan summer. Anderson’s still much of a score-first subordinate and tin beryllium mistake-prone, and teams will apt propulsion fierce coverages astatine him to unit nan shot retired of his hands. While it’s easy to task a breakout run for Anderson, Tech’s chances of winning nan Big 12 and being superior nationalist title contenders trust connected an perfectly monolithic twelvemonth from their rising sophomore. 

The Bottom Line 

This is arsenic fierce a ranking arsenic you’ll find for a Tech squad that is extracurricular nan apical 20 of analytics-based preseason ranks for illustration T-Rank and EvanMiya. That said, this looks for illustration a roster that fits perfectly together. I’m bullish connected nan transportation portal additions and their fresh pinch 2 stars successful Toppin and Anderson. The Big 12 is loaded, but nan Red Raiders should beryllium a facet astatine nan top.

More College Basketball connected Sports Illustrated

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