Unbeaten at home and ranked No. 13, Texas Tech faces surging No. 11 Kansas, aiming to extend a historic AP poll streak.
Momentum and history are colliding in Lubbock.
Texas Tech Red Raiders checked in at No. 13 in this week’s Associated Press Men’s Basketball Top 25, extending a program-record streak to 22 consecutive appearances in the poll.
The ranking arrives just hours before a marquee Big 12 showdown, as Tech hosts the Kansas Jayhawks at United Supermarkets Arena.
At 16-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play, the Red Raiders have turned their home floor into one of the toughest environments in the country.
Tech enters the night a perfect 11-0 at home, a number that looms large with Kansas - also 16-5 and 6-2 - rolling into Lubbock fresh off a five-game winning streak.
Nationally, Texas Tech’s resume continues to stack up across every major metric. Along with its No. 13 AP ranking, Tech is also No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, No. 19 in the NCAA NET rankings, and No. 20 in KenPom. That consistency speaks to a team that’s been battle-tested, even with a few bumps along the way.
The Red Raiders saw a five-game winning streak snapped last weekend with a road loss at UCF, but the response prior to that setback was telling.
One week earlier, Tech knocked off then-No. 6 Houston, 90-86, inside United Supermarkets Arena - a win that marked the program’s second victory over a top-10 opponent this season.
Overall, Tech is 3-4 against ranked teams, a reflection of both its ambitious schedule and its ability to compete with the nation’s best.
Kansas, currently ranked No. 11, climbed three spots after dispatching BYU last Saturday. The Jayhawks’ visit only adds to the Big 12’s national footprint, with Iowa State, Houston, and BYU also appearing in this week’s Top 25.
The bigger picture, though, is what this ranking run represents for Texas Tech. After spending much of the 2024-25 season unranked, the Red Raiders surged late, eventually finishing No. 8 in the final AP poll following an Elite Eight run.
That momentum carried into this year, when Tech earned the highest preseason ranking in program history at No. 10 - and never let go of its place in the national conversation.
Now, with 22 straight weeks beside its name in the AP Top 25, Texas Tech has turned consistency into an identity.
Tonight’s matchup against Kansas is another opportunity to defend home court, strengthen its tournament resume, and add yet another chapter to a streak that continues to define this era of Red Raider basketball.