No. 16 Texas Tech Faces Surging No. 4 Iowa State in Big 12 Clash

Red Raiders look to pull off upset on the road without injured star JT Toppin

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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No. 16 Texas Tech travels to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday to take on No. 4 Iowa State in a key Big 12 matchup. The Red Raiders will be without star forward JT Toppin, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this month. Iowa State has been dominant at home, winning 48 of its last 50 games at Hilton Coliseum. The winner will remain in contention for a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and gain valuable conference tournament seeding.

Why it matters

This game has major implications in the Big 12 title race, with both teams tied for second place in the conference standings. The winner will position itself for a potential No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, which comes with a valuable double-bye. Iowa State's home-court advantage at Hilton Coliseum has been nearly unbreakable, while Texas Tech must find a way to win without its best player in Toppin.

The details

Texas Tech has won two straight games since Toppin's injury, but the Red Raiders will need a big performance from All-American guard Christian Anderson to pull off the upset on the road. Iowa State has won eight of its last 10 games and is undefeated at home this season. The Cyclones are led by a balanced scoring attack and stifling defense that has made Hilton Coliseum one of the toughest road environments in college basketball.

  • Iowa State's last home loss came on March 4, 2025 against BYU.
  • Texas Tech's JT Toppin suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this month against Arizona State.

The players

JT Toppin

A potential National Player of the Year candidate for Texas Tech before suffering a season-ending ACL injury.

Christian Anderson

The All-American guard for Texas Tech who must step up in Toppin's absence.

Iowa State

The No. 4 team in the country that has been nearly unbeatable at home, going 48-2 over the past three seasons at Hilton Coliseum.

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What’s next

The winner of this game will remain in contention for a share of the Big 12 regular-season title and gain valuable conference tournament seeding. Both teams have challenging schedules to close the regular season, with Iowa State facing Arizona and Arizona State, while Texas Tech takes on TCU and BYU.

The takeaway

This matchup between two of the Big 12's top teams will have a major impact on the conference title race and NCAA Tournament seeding. Iowa State's dominant home-court advantage makes them the favorite, but Texas Tech's gritty style could allow them to pull off the upset if they can find a way to win without their injured star JT Toppin.