Where Does Texas Tech Men's Basketball Sit in Preseason Poll and Honors?

The 2025-2026 Big 12 Conference preseason poll and honors where announced on Thursday. Texas Tech was picked to finish third as a team while JT Toppin, Christian Anderson and LeJaun Watts all received individual recognition.
Where is Texas Tech in the Preseason Coaches Poll?
The Red Raiders were selected to finish third by the Big 12 coaches, not receiving any first place votes. Houston was picked to win the conference with 14 of the 16 first place votes going their way while BYU and Arizona each picked up one each. Of note, coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Texas Tech was recently ranked No. 10 in the preseason AP Poll, sitting behind Houston (No. 2) and BYU (No.8.)
“We can’t really think about that stuff,” Texas Tech guard Donovan Atwell told media on Thursday. “Got to just play hard, play how we need to play. Those records really don’t mean anything until we step on that court and throw the ball up. We just need to focus on what we need to focus on to come out strong.”
JT Toppin Back-to-Back Big 12 Player of the Year?
The reigning Big 12 player of the year, JT Toppin, decided to pass on pursuing pro opportunities this past offseason and return to Texas Tech for another season. As a sophomore he averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his debut season for the Red Raiders last year. It was no surprise to see him picked to replicate that success in his junior season as he was named the 2025-2026 Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year on Thursday.
Already Making A Name: LeJaun Watts All-Big 12 Newcomer of the Year?
LeJaun Watts was one of the biggest names in the transfer portal last offsason and the Red Raiders made him a high priority when they got him to Lubbock early in the process. Tech’s conference peers took notice as Watts earned Preseason Newcomer of the Year honors.
“It’s a blessing,” Watts told media right after the news had broken of his selection. “I haven’t actually officially saw it yet, but it’s a blessing. I try to stay away from that though. Obviously, the goal is to win, and if I do that, we’re going to get everything we want.”
The versatile 6-6 forward averaged 13.7 points 6.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals for Washington State as a sophomore last season.
All-Big 12 Team Selections: Double Trouble
Texas Tech has one of the most talented backcourt-frontcourt returning tandems in the country in JT Toppin and Christian Anderson. They were unsurprisingly selected to the Preseason All-Big 12 team, only 10 players were selected for this honor. Houston led the way with three players on the team, while BYU and Texas Tech each had two.
Toppin averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks last season as a sophomore for the Red Raiders while Anderson broke onto the scene averaging 10.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 38% shooting from three. The now sophomore really showed his potential this past summer when he helped Germany win a Silver Medal at the 2025 FIBA U-19 World Cup averaging 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game.
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