Cause for Concern? Red Raiders' Woes Continue, Drop to 0-6 in Big 12 Play
When the initial preseason AP Top 25 was released in October, the Texas Tech Red Raiders checked in at No. 25, joining four other schools in the preseason rankings.
It wasn't hard to see why they were ranked, either, as they were fresh off a 27-10 season that ended in a five-point loss in the Sweet 16 to the Duke Blue Devils. In their first season under coach Mark Adams, the Red Raiders didn't miss a beat.
Fast forward to this season though, and it is a seemingly entirely different story. After an 81-74 loss to the No. 21 Baylor Bears on Tuesday night, the Red Raiders record dropped to 10-8, including an uninspiring 0-6 in conference play.
So, the question becomes, is it time to panic in Lubbock?
In non-conference play the Red Raiders went 10-2 and outscored opponents 81.6-62.3, including three straight 100-point games to end non-conference play. However, in conference play they have been outscored 74.5-65, a complete 180 in scoring output.
Their 0-6 start in Big 12 play is the worst in school history, and matches the total number of conference games they lost all last season. The Red Raiders could turn things around, and likely won't finish winless in conference play, but the Big 12 won't get magically easier.
They still have two matchups with Kansas State, plus one more with Baylor, Iowa State, TCU and Texas. Simply put, the Big 12 is especially tough this year and it might not be their year.
However, that doesn't mean panic. Down years happen, especially in a conference as hard as the Big 12. All they can do now, though, is look to finish strong in conference and look to get back to March Madness.
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.