On Saturday afternoon in Lubbock, Texas, two Big 12 teams clashed in a game that quickly became a blowout.
Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders welcomed Darian DeVries and the West Virginia Mountaineers to United Supermarkets Arena for the 16th game of the Big 12 regular season. Both teams threw punches in the first half, but it was apparent that West Virginia was outclassed and outmatched. Texas Tech kicked on the burners in the second half to earn a 22-point win.
With that, here are the top three takeaways from Texas Tech’s 73-51 win over the Mountaineers.
Elite Basketball
We’ve seen enough basketball to confirm that not only is Grant McCasland legit, but he is one of the best coaches in the country. In 2024-25, his team has taken a massive step forward, competing on both ends of the court.
They took care of business comfortably against the Mountaineers, with four different players reaching double digits and nearly everyone on the court scoring. Star forward JT Toppin and freshman phenom Christian Anderson combined for 43 of the team’s 73 points, followed by Kevin Overton, Elijah Hawkins, and Darrion Williams with 28 combined.
Too Small
For West Virginia, Big 12 Player of the Year candidate Javon Small had an uncharacteristically bad game. His game usually thrives on efficient scoring, constant effort, and sound pace in transition, but the Red Raiders found a way to keep him in check, only surrendering 10 points, five assists, and two rebounds.
He connected on just 3 of 14 shots from the field and 1-6 from three-point range. He contributed to a brutal scoring day for West Virginia, a group that shot 32.8% from the field, 22.2% from three, and 63.6% from the free throw line.
Future Stock?
Texas Tech is solidified as a tournament lock in 2025 and should be one of the top overall seeds in the bracket. Their resume is incredibly impressive, losing just four games in conference play and holding wins over multiple Top 25 teams.
For West Virginia, the team has been the opposite of consistent, putting together statement wins followed by clunky losses. They improved their stock in the latest bracketology update from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi with a win over Cincinnati but likely will fall again due to the blowout loss.
Lunardi currently has the group listed in the last four byes category. With four games left, anything can change, which puts the Mountaineers in an interesting spot.
