This top-ranked Big 12 battle features explosive offenses, dominant duos, and a sold-out arena. Expect intense hoops.
If you’re looking for a reason to clear your Saturday night plans, this is it.
No. 15 Texas Tech welcomes No. 11 BYU to United Supermarkets Arena. The building is sold out, ESPN cameras will be rolling, and the matchup feels every bit like March in January.
It’s also the first of two meetings between the Red Raiders and Cougars this season, with the rematch looming as the regular-season finale. No pressure.
Texas Tech enters riding a perfect 9-0 record at home after an 88-74 win over Utah. BYU arrives hotter than a West Texas asphalt parking lot in August, winners of 13 straight.
At the center of it all is the most dangerous duo in the country.
JT Toppin and Christian Anderson didn’t just beat Utah; they put on a clinic. Toppin posted 31 points and 13 rebounds, adding career highs in assists and three-pointers while casually tossing in five blocks for good measure. Anderson countered with 26 points and 12 assists, knocking down six threes and making the game feel like a pickup run where one team forgot to draft a point guard.
Toppin leads the Big 12 in rebounding and sits among the national leaders in scoring and offensive boards. Anderson paces the league in assists and has quietly turned Tech’s offense into one of the most efficient machines in the conference.
The Red Raiders average 83.4 points per game, hit over 11 threes a night, and protect the ball better than just about anyone in the Big 12.
BYU, however, isn’t coming to Lubbock for a photo op.
The Cougars score 87.5 points per game and bring their own firepower, led by freshman sensation AJ Dybantsa. He’s averaging 23.1 points per game and hasn’t dipped below 20 in ten straight outings.
Richie Saunders, fresh off Big 12 Player of the Week honors, adds nearly 20 per night and shoots close to 40 percent from deep, while Robert Wright keeps things humming with scoring and playmaking.
Grant McCasland’s mantra—“Toughest Team Wins”—will be put to the test against a BYU squad that thrives on pace, pressure, and confidence.
Tech has won four straight in the series and is unbeaten against the Cougars as Big 12 opponents, but streaks have a funny way of meeting their match in games like this.
Expect noise, expect runs, expect moments where both fan bases think their hearts might give out. This one won’t decide the Big 12, but it will absolutely tell us who’s built to survive it.
WHAT: No. 11 BYU (16-1, 4-0 Big 12) at No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders (13-4, 3-1 Big 12)
WHEN: Saturday | Jan. 17, 2026 | 7 p.m. CT
WHERE: United Supermarkets Arena | Lubbock, TX | Capacity 15,000
TV: ESPN | Dave Flemming and Fran Fraschilla
RADIO: Double-T 97.3 FM | Geoff Haxton and Chris Level