Christian Anderson didn’t just pass through Texas Tech basketball. He turned his two seasons in Lubbock into a highlight reel loud enough to follow him into the NBA Draft.
Christian Anderson didn’t just pass through Lubbock, he turned his two seasons with the Texas Tech Red Raiders into a highlight reel loud enough to follow him into the NBA Draft.
Anderson is expected to become the Red Raiders’ first first-round NBA Draft pick since 2019, and it’s not hard to understand why.
He left Texas Tech as an All-American, the program’s single-season assists leader and one of the most electric guards the Red Raiders have had in years. He wasn’t just productive. He was dangerous.
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal ranked Anderson's best moments with the Red Raiders, and there are plenty to choose from.
The best part of Anderson’s Texas Tech career was that his biggest games didn’t all look the same.
Sometimes he buried teams from deep. Sometimes he ran the offense like a veteran. Sometimes he guarded the other team’s best scorer and made life miserable.
His first home start gave fans a preview of the full package. With Chance McMillian out against West Virginia, Anderson stepped in and dropped 21 points while shooting 5-of-8 from 3-point range.
He added four assists and four rebounds, but the nastiest part was on defense. Anderson helped hold Javon Small to just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Then came March.
After struggling early in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Anderson found himself when Texas Tech needed him most.
Against Arkansas in the Sweet 16, the Red Raiders were staring at a 16-point hole. Anderson answered with 22 points, including a huge late 3-pointer, helping Texas Tech force overtime and survive.
Against Baylor, he looked like someone playing a different sport. Texas Tech tied a Big 12 record with 14 first-half 3-pointers, and Anderson was right in the middle of the fireworks.
He hit 8-of-10 from deep and finished with 26 points in a game that felt over before Baylor could blink.
His 2025-26 opener showed he could be the guy. With JT Toppin and LeJuan Watts drawing major attention, Anderson ran the show against Lindenwood and nearly posted a triple-double ... 34 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and only one turnover.
But the Duke game at Madison Square Garden is the one that will live forever.
Texas Tech trailed by 17 in the second half. Toppin and Watts were battling foul trouble. Duke had Cameron Boozer. Then Anderson detonated.
Over the final 16:31, he directly accounted for 30 of Texas Tech’s final 41 points with scoring and playmaking.
That wasn’t just a great game. That was an NBA audition under the brightest lights.
Join Our Roundtable Community For Free!
Share your takes, connect with our Roundtable writers, and talk sports with fellow fans. Download the free Roundtable App today and stay closer to the conversation.
