Administrative
Don’t forget that Texas Tech is holding a virtual event at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Texas Tech’s fundraising priorities regarding the Red Raider Club and Matador Club. It will be broadcast on X, Facebook YouTube, and TexasTech+.
On the Diamond
NiJaree Canady was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Week! Congrats!
Canady was brilliant in the circle, throwing two complete games and allowing no earned runs will striking out 18 batters and walking just two including an 11-strikeout performance in game three against the Bears to clinch the programs first Big 12 sweep since 2019.
On the Court
JT Toppin was named the AP All-America Second Team yesterday! Congrats!
The AP All-America First Team includes Cooper Flagg (Duke), Johni Broome (Auburn), Braden Smith (Purdue), Mark Sears (Alabama) and Walter Clayton (Florida). Toppin is joined on the AP All-America Second Team by Kam Jones (Marquette), John Tonje (Wisconsin), PJ Haggerty (Memphis) and RJ Luis (St. John’s). The AP All-America Third Team consists of Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), Eric Dixon (Villanova), LJ Cryer (Houston) and Hunter Dickinson (Kansas).
He is the fifth AP All-America in Texas Tech’s program history, following Jason Sasser (1996), Andre Emmett (2004), Keenan Evans (2018) and Jarrett Culver (2019).
SB Nation’s Rickey O’Donnell: March Madness’ 50 best players, ranked for 2025 men’s NCAA tournament
12. JT Toppin, C, Texas Tech
Toppin parlayed his breakout freshman season at New Mexico into a starring role for Texas Tech this year, where he’s proven his game translates against much better competition. The long and bouncy 6’9 big man is swatting shots, aggressively attacking the glass, and providing consistent scoring punch for the Red Raiders. It’s rare to find a big man who can get off the floor so effortlessly as a leaper, and it’s made Toppin a terror on putbacks and as a roaming rim protector. Any team in the country would love to have his mix of size, energy, and bounce, and it’s helped make Texas Tech a No. 3 seed entering the field of 68.
The Ringer’s Steven Ruiz: The 2025 NCAA Men’s Tournament Bracket Breakdown
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi ($): Joe Lunardi’s ultimate guide to men’s March Madness 2025
Why they will advance
JT Toppin leads a star-studded lineup. Only a sophomore, he is the only player in the Big 12’s top three teams in both scoring (18.1 PPG) and rebounding (9.3 RPG) and had 14 double-doubles during the regular season. Toppin is also the first Big 12 player to win Player and Newcomer of the Year in the same season.
Why they won’t advance
It’s hard to find a weakness for the Red Raiders. They finished in the top-3 in multiple offensive categories in the Big 12 regular season, including points, field goal percentage, 3-point field goal percentage and free-throw percentage. It might be nitpicky, but Tech was only seventh in the conference in rebounding, though it was fifth in rebounding margin.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony & Jeremy Woo($): 2025 NBA draft: Top 50 prospects to watch in March Madness
On the Gridiron
CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah has one question for every Big 12 team.