4. Texas Tech Red Raiders – 12/20, Madison Square Garden
The Texas Tech Red Raiders will also meet Duke at Cameron North this season. Texas Tech returns their best player, JT Toppin, from a very good team last season. Toppin the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and is a matchup nightmare. He is mostly limited to the paint in terms of scoring but can occasionally extend the defense. He is quick, bouncy, can handle the ball, and has an elite second jump.
Texas Tech also has Christian Anderson who is poised for an explosive sophomore jump. He is a quick guard that can flat out shoot it. Anderson also has a knack to make huge shots in clutch moments.
The Red Raiders are ranked number 10 in the preseason poll. They are also likely to contend with Houston to win the Big 12. The big matchup with Duke will be Toppin vs Cameron Boozer. This is an electric positional battle of two lottery picks with a ton of talent. Duke has more talent but Texas Tech has a great roster. The better superstar may be the deciding factor in this one.
