Texas Tech University Athletics
Six Red Raiders earn Big 12 Academic honors
April 30, 2026 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – Six student-athletes from the Texas Tech men's basketball team earned 2025 Big 12 Academic All-Big 12 Winter Team with Christian Anderson, Donovan Atwell, Tyeree Bryan, Jack Francis, JT Toppin and LeJuan Watts being recognized with the honor.
To qualify for the Big 12 Academic Team, student-athletes must maintain a 3.20 GPA or higher, either cumulative or over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 20% of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen are not eligible, while transfers in their first year of academic residence are eligible. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
Along with earning Big 12 Academic All-Big 12, Toppin and Anderson were both selected All-Big 12 First Team this season while Atwell was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection. Toppin, who maintained a 4.0 GPA as a Communication Studies major, was also named a CSC Academic All-America to go along with being a Consensus All-America Second Team for the second straight season. Francis earned his third Big 12 Academic Team selection and is set to graduate this semester with a degree in General Business. Atwell, who transferred to Tech to finish his collegiate career, will graduate this semester with a degree in Applied Person Finance.
Texas Tech advanced to its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament under head coach Grant McCasland and a 23-11 overall record. Through three seasons under McCasland, the Red Raiders are 74-31 after a season where the team earned a program record four wins over Top 10 teams. Tech was ranked throughout the 2025-26 season for the first time in program history – ranking as high as No. 10 and finishing the season at No. 21 in the AP Top 25.
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