Texas Tech Red Raiders
Big 12 (19-12, 9-9)
It took some time, but Coach Tubby Smith has turned a corner at Texas Tech. This may not be a team that is going to seriously compete for a Big 12 title any time soon, but the Red Raiders are a threat to beat anybody on any given day. Texas Tech took care of business in an easy nonconference schedule and they looked like they were in big trouble losing seven of eight in a stretch that accounted for most of the month of January. But Coach Smith kept his team together and after that they were able to pick up enough decent wins to reach the postseason.
Big Wins: 1/2 Texas (82-74), 2/13 at Baylor (84-66), 2/17 Oklahoma (65-63)
Bad Losses: 1/12 at Kansas State (70-83), 1/16 Baylor (60-63), 1/30 at Arkansas (68-75)
Coach: Tubby Smith
Why They Can Surprise:
Texas Tech is extremely balanced offensively and has seven players who average between 8.7 and 11.1 points per game. That does mean they lack a go-to-scorer and a superstar, but more importantly it can make them very difficult to defend. Devaughntah Williams and Toddrick Gotcher are the two who have been the most consistent this season. Gotcher leads the team with 11.1 points per game, while Williams adds 10.6 points. Keenan Evans rounds out the backcourt and dishes out 2.8 assist per game. The frontcourt gives the Red Raiders plenty of options. Aaron Ross can stretch out the defense with his shooting ability, while Zach Smith is the team’s top rebounder and shot blocker. Justin Gray is an experienced small forward who can fill in for the guards, especially when the team needs some more toughness on the floor. Norense Odiase missed quite a bit of time this year with a foot injury, but at 270 pounds, he is a force to be reckoned with in the paint.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Texas Tech is not great at anything, but they are not that bad at any specific aspect of the game either. The problem is they simply are not as talented as the heavy hitters in the Big 12. Perhaps the biggest concern and the thing that stops Texas Tech from beating better teams on a slightly more regular basis is their three-point shooting. Last year Williams was a great three-point shooter. This year that has not been the case. He went from connecting on 39.1 percent of his three-point attempts in 2014-2015, to hitting just 29.5 percent in 2015-2016. Gotcher helps with the outside shooting, but Texas Tech needs Williams to get hot from long range if this team is going to make a postseason run.
Probable Starters:
Keenan Evans, Sophomore, Guard, 8.8 ppg, 2.8 apg
Toddrick Gotcher, Senior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 2.3 apg, 3.6 rpg
Devaughntah Williams, Senior, Guard, 10.6 ppg, 1.6 apg
Aaron Ross, Junior, Forward, 10.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg
Zach Smith, Sophomore, Forward, 10.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.5 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Justin Gray, Sophomore, Forward, 8.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg
Norense Odiase, Sophomore, Center, 8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.7 (184th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.9 (128, 7)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.9 (130, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.7 (129, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.8 (291, 8)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.7 (167, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.8 (27, 1)
Rebound Margin: 0.4 (183, 6)
Assists Per Game: 13.0 (202, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.0 (102, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2010 NIT First Round win over Seton Hall
2010 NIT Second Round win over Jacksonville
2010 NIT Quarterfinal loss to Mississippi
2007 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Boston College
2005 NCAA Round of 64 win over UCLA
2005 NCAA Round of 32 win over Gonzaga
2005 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to West Virginia
2004 NCAA Round of 64 win over Charlotte
2004 NCAA Round of 32 loss to St. Joseph's
2003 NIT First round win over Nevada
2003 NIT Second round win over San Diego State
2003 NIT Quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech
2003 NIT Semifinal loss to St. John's
*all team stats through 3/6
