{"id":273229,"date":"2026-04-30T17:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/273229\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T17:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T17:35:10","slug":"six-red-raiders-earn-big-12-academic-honors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/273229\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Red Raiders earn Big 12 Academic honors"},"content":{"rendered":"

LUBBOCK \u2013 Six student-athletes from the Texas Tech men’s basketball team earned 2025 Big 12 Academic All-Big 12 Winter Team with Christian Anderson<\/a>, Donovan Atwell<\/a>, Tyeree Bryan<\/a>, Jack Francis<\/a>, JT Toppin<\/a> and LeJuan Watts<\/a> being recognized with the honor. <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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. <\/p>\n

Texas Tech advanced to its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament under head coach Grant McCasland<\/a>\u00a0and 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 \u2013 ranking as high as No. 10 and finishing the season at No. 21 in the AP Top 25. <\/p>\n

Follow the Red Raiders:\u00a0Keep up with Texas Tech men’s basketball news at\u00a0TexasTech.com<\/a>\u00a0and at the team’s social media on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0X<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n