No. 16 Texas Tech meets No. 4 Iowa State in Ames with first-place implications, as Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell fuel a Big 12 title push.
Texas Tech basketball walks into Hilton Coliseum on Saturday with momentum, confidence - and a chance to make another national statement.
No. 16 Texas Tech (21-7, 11-4 Big 12) faces No. 4 Iowa State (24-4, 11-4) in a 3 p.m. CT showdown that could reshape the Big 12 race.
The Red Raiders already own three top-10 wins this season and are chasing a fourth against a Cyclones team that hasn’t lost at home (15-0).
The matchup screams contrast and fireworks. Both teams lead the Big 12 by shooting 39.2 percent from 3-point range. Texas Tech is 319-for-813 from deep, while Iowa State has hit 250-of-537.
Christian Anderson is at the center of Tech’s surge.
The junior guard is averaging 19.6 points and 7.7 assists per game - first in the Big 12 and third nationally in assists. He’s also tied the program’s single-season 3-point record with 94 makes and is shooting 43.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Anderson enters Saturday with 208 assists, the third-most in school history, and eight double-doubles this season.
Donovan Atwell has been just as lethal. He’s second nationally with 3.71 made threes per game and ranks fourth in the country by shooting 45.6 percent from deep. His 104 3-pointers tie Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic for the conference lead.
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally with 11.4 made 3s per game and a 56.1 effective field goal percentage. The Red Raiders are also averaging 82.0 points while holding opponents to 72.2.
All of this comes without All-American JT Toppin, who remains sidelined with a season-ending injury. Toppin still leads the Big 12 with 16 double-doubles and 10.8 rebounds per game, underscoring how impressive Tech’s resilience has been.
Grant McCasland will coach his 100th game at Texas Tech on Saturday, carrying a 72-27 record in Lubbock. But Hilton Coliseum hasn’t been friendly. Tech is 6-16 all-time in Ames and hasn’t won there since 2021.
Iowa State counters with a balanced attack led by Joshua Jefferson (16.6 PPG) and Momcilovic (17.4 PPG), who leads the nation by shooting 50.7 percent from 3.
It’s ranked vs. ranked. It’s first-place implications. And it might feel like March a week early.