Texas Tech is right back into a tie for the second highest spot in the Big 12 after taking care of business on the road against the likes of the Iowa State Cyclones. And, well, it really wasn’t that long since Texas Tech was tied for second in the Big 12 standings.
The Red Raiders started the day with the No. 2 spot being really jammed up. Texas Tech happened to share that with the aforementioned Cyclones, the Houston Cougars, and then also the Kansas Jayhawks. After beating Iowa State, that effectively knocks the Cyclones down a bit and keeps them separate from that group.
So yeah, while some other games that have happened this weekend haven’t been very impactful on the Big 12 championship picture or what the seeding might look like in the NCAA tournament later down the line, this nine-point win for Texas Tech over the No. 4 ranked team in the country will shuffle things around in the conference and a bit nationally.
Big 12 men’s basketball standings: Texas Tech jumps into tie for second alongside the Houston Cougars after beating Iowa State
The Red Raiders, with their win, altered the top end of the Big 12 standings just a bit. And Texas Tech now holds a tie for second right alongside the Houston Cougars (a team that Texas Tech has both beaten and lost to this season).
- Arizona Wildcats – 26-2 overall, 13-2 Big 12
- Houston Cougars – 24-5 overall, 12-4 Big 12
- Texas Tech Red Raiders – 22-7 overall, 12-4 Big 12
- Kansas Jayhawks – 21-7 overall, 11-4 Big 12
- Iowa State Cyclones – 24-5 overall, 11-5 Big 12
- UCF Knights – 20-7 overall, 8-6 Big 12
- BYU Cougars – 20-8 overall, 8-7 Big 12
- TCU Horned Frogs – 18-10 overall, 8-7 Big 12
- Cincinnati Bearcats – 16-13 overall, 8-8 Big 12
- West Virginia Mountaineers – 16-12 overall, 7-8 Big 12
- Colorado Buffaloes – 16-13 overall, 6-10 Big 12
- Arizona State Sun Devils- 15-14 overall, 6-10 Big 12
- Oklahoma State Cowboys – 17-12 overall, 5-11 Big 12
- Baylor Bears – 14-14 overall, 4-11 Big 12
- Kansas State Wildcats – 11-17 overall, 2-13 Big 12
- Utah Utes – 10-19 overall, 2-14 Big 12
The Red Raiders don’t have full control over their own destiny in terms of being able to win the Big 12, that’s just not possible at this point. But, Texas Tech can still finish with a really desirable place in the Big 12 standings, enter the Big 12 tournament with an enviable seed, and then head into the NCAA Tournament in a great spot…