No. 3 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Why they will advanceJT 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.
Did you know?
Toppin is not related to Obi Toppin, the former University of Dayton forward who didn't get his opportunity to make waves in the NCAA tournament when the 2020 edition was canceled because of Covid-19. JT Toppin does have three siblings, but they're all younger. -- David Smale
By the numbers
Eye test rank: 7
Résumé rating: 11
NCAA seed list: 9
Joey Brackets says ...
The Red Raiders are a threat to advance out of their region, though I'm stopping just short of predicting it. They were picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll but surprised everyone by finishing second. They're no longer a surprise, and head coach Grant McCasland has them ready to play, which they will do until Florida ends their excellent season in the Elite Eight.
Final field rank: 6
