Texas Tech returns home to face Kansas State as Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell lead the Red Raiders without injured star JT Toppin.
No. 13 Texas Tech is back in Lubbock this weekend, but the storyline surrounding the Red Raiders has shifted dramatically.
After an emotional overtime win at then-No. 1 Arizona and a tough loss at Arizona State, Tech (19-7, 9-4 Big 12) begins a two-game homestand Saturday against Kansas State, and it will do so without All-American forward JT Toppin.
The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year suffered a season-ending ACL tear earlier this week, leaving a massive void in the lineup.
Toppin was averaging 21.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, making him the only player in the nation posting over 20 points while averaging a double-double.
His 16 double-doubles led the conference. Replacing that production won’t be easy.
The offensive burden now shifts even more to Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell. Anderson leads the Big 12 with 7.6 assists per game while also scoring 19.0 points per contest.
He has been lethal from beyond the arc, knocking down 88 3-pointers at a 44 percent clip. Atwell, meanwhile, matched the program’s single-season record with 94 made threes - equaling Cory Carr’s 1996-97 mark - and ranks among the national leaders with 3.62 made triples per game.
As a team, Texas Tech averages 81.4 points and leads the Big 12 with 11.4 made 3-pointers per game. The Red Raiders have hit double-digit 3s in 20 of 26 games and are shooting 38.9 percent from deep.
They’ve been especially tough at United Supermarkets Arena, posting a 12-1 home record.
Kansas State (11-15, 2-11 Big 12) enters with momentum after snapping a losing streak behind a 34-point explosion from PJ Haggerty, who averages 23.7 points per game. Nate Johnson adds 12.0 points and 4.6 assists while ranking among the league leaders in steals.
The all-time series is deadlocked at 26-26, though Tech has won three straight. A victory would give Grant McCasland his third consecutive 20-win season to start his tenure - rare air in program history.
With five regular-season games left, every possession matters. And now, the Red Raiders must prove they can thrive without their star.