Texas Tech’s soccer season in the Big 12 Tournament ended the hard way Wednesday night, but the Red Raiders still have more football, basketball and recruiting news piling up around Raiderland.
The soccer team was knocked out in Mansfield, Texas, by Baylor in a 2-1 overtime loss in the Big 12 semifinal. Texas Tech struck first when senior forward Taylor Zdrojewski scored early in the opening half, giving the Red Raiders a 1-0 edge and marking her 14th goal of the season.
Tech held the ball well for much of that first half, but couldn’t build on the lead. Baylor answered with the equalizer in the 61st minute, then finished the comeback four minutes into the second overtime period.
The Red Raiders’ tournament run is over, but their season is not. Texas Tech is a lock for an at-large NCAA Tournament birth and will learn its seeding and path on Monday.
On the women’s basketball side, the Lady Raiders are back home tonight for a 6 p.m. matchup with Auburn, with a chance to move to 3-0 on the young season. Auburn arrives unbeaten as well at 3-0, with wins over Alabama State, Southern Miss, and Furman.
It’s only the third all-time meeting between the programs, and the series is tied 1-1. The game will be shown on ESPN+.
Texas Tech also added three more pieces to its 2027 recruiting class this week. The newcomers are Jada Jackson, a 6-foot-2 forward from nearby Frienship High School; Jemini Mitchell, a 6-foot-2 wing from the Houston area; and Jasmine Travis, a 6-foot-5 center from Cibolo, Texas. Jackson is rated the No. 22 player in America by ESPN, Mitchell is No. 28 overall by ESPN, and Travis is rated the No. 16 player in Texas by Premier Basketball.
There’s recognition coming in football, too. Running back J’Koby Williams was named a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the most versatile player in college football.
It’s the second straight year Williams has reached finalist status, and he’s one of seven players still in the running. He’s averaging 8.0 yards per carry, which ranks second in the NCAA, and his 154.3 all-purpose yards per game rank fifth nationally.
And after knocking off No. 3 Illinois, the Texas Tech men’s basketball team turns to Stonehill on Saturday with a chance to move to 4-0.
A win would also extend the program’s non-conference home winning streak to 50 games. Stonehill, based in Easton, Massachusetts, is 1-2 after beating Curry College and then dropping games to Fordham and Columbia by 20 points apiece.
In Other News...
TCU Just Added A Big Man Texas Tech Fans Should Notice
TCUs frontcourt got a notable late boost this week with the official signing of center Robbie Avila, a transfer from Saint Louis who arrives with an extra year of NCAA eligibility. For Texas Tech fans keeping an eye on the Big 12 landscape, it is the kind of move that can matter down the line, especially when a rival program adds a big man who is known for bringing more than just size to the floor.
Avilas arrival comes at a useful time for the Horned Frogs after junior center Luke Bamgboye was injured, leaving some uncertainty up front. TCU is clearly looking for versatility in that group, and Avila gives it another option as the roster takes shape. The timing of his move also adds a little extra intrigue, since his path to Fort Worth was shaped in part by Saint Louis being denied permission to add a 16th player to its roster. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Big 12 Playoff Push
The Big 12s playoff conversation has picked up a different kind of heat lately, and Texas Tech is right in the middle of it. On a recent discussion, Josh Pate and Joel Klatt pointed to Utah, BYU and the Red Raiders as teams that could give the league a legitimate path into the College Football Playoff, a notable shift for a conference that has spent plenty of time trying to prove it belongs in the national picture.
What makes the discussion even more interesting from a Texas Tech perspective is the broader change in how the league is being viewed. Pate and Klatt suggested the Big 12 may have a stronger playoff resume than the Big Ten this season, and they even floated the possibility of the conference landing three bids. For a league that has often been fighting for respect, that kind of scenario would mark a real turning point. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces A Big 12 Test That Could Shift Everything
A quick glance at the schedule shows why Texas Techs early-season buzz has not gone away. The No. 16 Red Raiders are 3-0 after knocking off No. 3 Illinois, and they now turn to a matchup with Stonehill, a 1-2 team that is still in the middle of its own Division I transition before moving to the Metro Conference in 2027. It is the kind of game that can look routine on paper, but for a Tech team trying to build on a statement win, it is another chance to keep the momentum rolling.
Stonehill brings a different kind of urgency, even if the spotlight is clearly on the Red Raiders. The Skyhawks are still settling into the next level, and games like this offer a measuring stick against a ranked opponent that has already shown it can handle pressure. For Texas Tech, the task is simple enough: avoid a letdown, stay sharp and keep stacking results as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]