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Key Takeaways:
- No. 15 Texas Tech returns to its home court after a narrow road victory at Colorado, looking to build momentum in the Big 12 conference.
- The Red Raiders face a desperate Utah team that has yet to win in conference play, but has shown improvement in recent games.
- Texas Tech’s coach Grant McCasland emphasizes the need to learn from the team’s close call against Colorado and improve in areas such as transition defense and foul avoidance.
- The Utes’ backcourt duo of Terrence Brown and Don McHenry pose a significant threat, averaging 21.6 and 18.6 points per game, respectively.
- Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell will look to counter with their own strong performances, while JT Toppin will aim to dominate in the paint.
Introduction to the Matchup
Fresh off a major road scare, No. 15 Texas Tech returns to its home court aiming for a strong start to a stretch that will provide multiple tests for an evolving team. The Red Raiders arrive with some momentum, though shaky at best, after a two-point road victory at Colorado in a game that nearly slipped away after they built a 24-point second-half lead. As Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland noted, "You’d always rather win and learn than lose and learn and we need to make sure we pay attention to what went wrong." McCasland’s team will look to build on this narrow victory and address areas of concern, such as their struggle to defend in transition and their inability to guard without fouling.
The Opponent: Utah
The Red Raiders will face a desperate Utah team that has navigated a tough start to conference play without a win, but has made steady progress, culminating in a competitive loss at home on Saturday to then-No. 9 BYU. Utah’s first-year coach Alex Jensen acknowledged the challenges his team has faced, stating, "It’s hard to give up 89 points and win, right? And if you look at all the good teams in college that win, (they) are the teams that defend and rebound." The Utes will look to improve their defense, which has surrendered 90.3 points per game in league play, against a Texas Tech team that averages 83.1 points per game.
The Backcourt Battle
The Utes’ backcourt duo of Terrence Brown and Don McHenry pose a significant threat, averaging 21.6 and 18.6 points per game, respectively. Brown leads Utah with 21.6 points and 4.1 assists per game, while McHenry is providing 18.6 ppg and shoots 41.2% from 3-point territory. McCasland recognized the danger posed by this tandem, stating, "Utah has got some really dynamic pieces at the guard spots… Any time you have guys averaging close to 20 and over 20 points a game at the guard spots, that just goes to show you they can take a game over." The Red Raiders will respond with their own duo of Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell, who will look to counter with their own strong performances.
The Paint Advantage
Texas Tech expects to have a significant advantage in the paint with JT Toppin, who is established as one of the top post players in the country. Toppin averages 20.6 points and a Big 12-best 11 rebounds per game, and will look to dominate against a Utah team that has struggled to defend the paint. Anderson, who ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 19.3 ppg and leads the league with 115 assists, will look to feed Toppin and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Atwell, Texas Tech’s top outside threat with 53 made 3-pointers, will also look to stretch the defense and create space for Toppin to operate.
The Road Ahead
The Red Raiders will look to build on their narrow victory over Colorado and address areas of concern, such as their transition defense and foul avoidance. McCasland emphasized the need to learn from the team’s close call, stating, "Our struggle to defend in transition and our inability to guard without fouling really hurt our team. We’ve got to do a better job in those areas." With a strong performance against Utah, Texas Tech can build momentum and set themselves up for success in the challenging Big 12 conference. As the Red Raiders look to navigate this stretch of games, they will need to stay focused and adapt to the challenges posed by their opponents, starting with the desperate Utes.
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/no-15-texas-tech-returns-home-to-face-desperate-utah/