Texas Tech had every reason to lose to Duke.
The Red Raiders were short-handed due to injuries. JT Toppin, their only player with any true height to go against star freshman Cameron Boozer, was in serious foul trouble and two others fouled out.
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Oh, and Duke led by 17 points in the second half.
But doubt Texas Tech at your own risk.
Somehow, someway the Red Raiders pulled off the massive upset of the Blue Devils, then ranked No. 3 nationally, on Dec. 20.
And massive might be an understatement.
Call it an early Christmas gift, one of those meaningful presents you never see coming but always cherish.
Texas Tech had yet to earn a marquee win this season, falling to Illinois, Purdue and Arkansas. This shows the Red Raiders’ potential, especially when healthy.
The upset is why Texas Tech is now in the top five of this week’s Big 12 power rankings.
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More: Both Texas Tech basketball teams ranked together for first time since 2005
1. Arizona
Last week: 1
This week: vs. South Dakota State (Monday)
What to know: Tobe Awaka already has five games with double-digit rebounds — off the bench. He’s averaging a career-best and Big 12-leading 10.6 rebounds, nearly three boards above his previous best.
Last week: 2
This week: vs. Houston Christian (Monday)
What to know: Iowa State’s defense is elite. If that wasn’t enough, the Cyclones have the best 3-point shooter in the country. Milan Momcilovic leads the nation with a 55.2% shooting percentage from deep.
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3. Houston
Last week: 3
This week: vs. Middle Tennessee (Monday)
What to know: The Cougars’ offense is coming around, a problem for the rest of the league with conference play looming. True freshman Kingston Flemings is a big reason. He’s scored 15 or more points three of the four games since the Players Era.
4. BYU
Last week: 4
This week: No games scheduled
What to know: Just imagine how good the Cougars could be if they could figure out a way to start faster. First halves have been a struggle but nothing they haven’t been able to overcome.
5. Texas Tech
Last week: 6
This week: vs. Winthrop (Sunday)
What to know: Nolan Groves had rarely played this season but played 13 minutes against Duke, going 0 for 2 with an airball. But the 6-foot-5 freshman was able to play huge minutes against Boozer, the kind of play that can spark a team.
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6. Kansas
Last week: 5
This week: No games scheduled
What to know: So much of the Jayhawks’ success in the Big 12 likely hinges on the health of Darryn Peterson, who missed nine non-conference games with injury issues. Will he return? If so, when?
7. UCF
Last week: 9
This week: No games scheduled
What to know: UCF entered its Dec. 23 matchup at FAU with nine straight wins, outscoring opponents by 18.2 points in that span. The Knights just hit a program-best 19 3s in a win over Florida Gulf Coast. There is no hotter team in the league.
8. Baylor
Last week: 8
This week: vs. Arlington Baptist (Monday)
What to know: The Bears are on a scoring tear, posting 111 or more points in back-to-back games. It’s only the second time a Big 12 team has done that.
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9. Oklahoma State
Last week: 7
This week: vs. Bethune Cookman (Monday)
What to know: The Cowboys have one big request from Santa: better health. Big man Parsa Fallah has a back injury that was a major factor in a loss to rival Oklahoma. Poor defense was also an issue, something to watch in Big 12 play.
More: Oklahoma State basketball holds off Cal State Fullerton in tight win
10. TCU
Last week: 10
This week: vs. Jackson State (Monday)
What to know: The Horned Frogs found an unlikely hero in RJ Jones, a Kansas State transfer, in a sloppy win over Florida A&M. He scored a career-high 14 points and made a trio of 3-pointers.
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11. Colorado
Last week: 11
This week: vs. Northern Colorado (Sunday)
What to know: The high-scoring Buffs might have a problem: a zone defense. It can kill the best offenses. Stanford deployed it to give Colorado its second loss in four games, raising more questions after such a strong start.
12. Arizona State
Last week: 12
This week: No games scheduled
What to know: The Sun Devils’ finish to non-conference play was disappointing. They had built a solid resume, but back-to-back losses to UCLA and Oregon State, which had not beaten a power-conference team, hurt.
13. West Virginia
Last week: 13
This week: No games scheduled
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What to know: The Mountaineers have no Quad 1 or Quad 2 wins yet, but they do have Honor Huff, who leads the nation with 53 3-pointers. He can be a problem in league play.
14. Kansas State
Last week: 15
This week: vs. Louisiana-Monroe (Sunday)
What to know: Is there a better point guard tandem than PJ Haggerty and David Castillo in the league? When those two are on, the Wildcats are dangerous. But so far they haven’t had quite enough help.
Last week: 14
This week: vs. Lipscomb (Monday)
What to know: The Bearcats have the most losses in the conference and no Quad 1 wins. But they do have Jizzle James back after he left the team for personal reasons. He is a difference maker for a team that hasn’t put it together.
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16. Utah
Last week: 16
This week: at Washington (Monday)
What to know: The Utes have issues closing games. They finally did it against Eastern Washington, a positive sign.
Jacob Unruh is the deputy sports editor for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jacob? He can be reached at junruh@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jacobunruh. Support Jacob’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 basketball power rankings: How much does Texas Tech climb?
