Without JT Toppin, Texas Tech sliding into 5 vs. 12 match with Akron

Texas Tech does not enter the NCAA Tournament at its best.

The Red Raiders were building quite a resume with four wins over top-11 opponents -- including Duke and Arizona -- before losing JT Toppin to a torn ACL on Feb. 17. They held things together for a time without Toppin, who was named an AP first-team All-American on Tuesday, but they haven't been the same of late.

Texas Tech (22-10), the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, brings a three-game losing streak into Friday afternoon's...