Red Raiders Face Akron in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 16, Texas Tech Red Raiders grabbed the 5th seed in the Midwest region for the 2026 NCAA tournament. They opened against the 12 seeded Akron Zips on Friday. A win there sends them to face either 4th seeded Alabama or 13th seeded Hofstra. Akron heads in on fire with the 28-5 record. They won the Mac title in their conference by 17-1. The Zips notched 10 straight league victories and sit just 1 win shy of a school record at 26 triumphs this year. Texas Tech enters shaky on a 3-game skid after their big 12 quarterfinal exit. They lost key player JT Toppen and showed offensive woes lately. Many see them as a prime first round upsay candidate against the surging Zips. Coach Grant Macaslin called Akron a tough matchup that is 1-19 of their last 20. He noted the mix of tournament vets and newbies on his squad, but loves the excitement. Hof Anderson stressed adjusting on the fly with peak intensity each game.

1:00A big 12 teams made the field including Tech, so the conference stays strong. Tournaments reset everything though. Passform fades fast when the lights hit brightest.