Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Texas Tech had a very tough last week. Will they be able to rebound against Oklahoma State?

TV schedule: Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7:00 p.m. ET. ESPNews

Arena: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas

Sometimes teams lose players that mean a lot more than a stat sheet can provide. In the case of Texas Tech 15-4 (4-3), losing senior Zach Smith was a very tough blow. He’s been dealing with injuries all year, but a foot problem could keep him out for the rest of his Red Raiders’ career. His numbers weren’t great, but his leadership and just plain quality depth provided Chris Beard someone to rely on.

Now it’s up to the role players to step up and help Keenan Evans, who for the first time all season failed to reach double figures in scoring. They also need to learn how to win on the road, losing at Texas and Iowa State last week. This is still a top five defensive unit, but the offensive weaknesses were glaring.

Oklahoma State 13-6 (3-4) hopes to take advantage of those weaknesses to get another upset over a ranked team, after shocking Trae Young and Oklahoma on Saturday. Jeffrey Carroll didn’t shoot the ball well but still finished with team-highs of 23 points and 13 rebounds.

What was shocking was the defensive turnaround the Cowboys had. They gave up 109 in the first game, but allowed just 81 points in the last game while playing five extra minutes. Oklahoma State has the ability to play as well as they did on Saturday, but also could lay an egg and lose by 20 points to Baylor.

After struggling last week, Evans for Texas Tech is looking for a bounce-back game, returning to a friendly environment in Lubbock.

Next: Where is Texas Tech and Oklahoma State in this week's Big 12 rankings?

The Cowboys inched closer to the bubble after the last win but aren’t there yet. The Red Raiders are a loss away from being at .500 in league play, showing how unforgiving this conference is. But they do have a road win over Kansas, so staying within striking range of the Jayhawks is important. I think they’ll do that in this game, with a convincing win.

Prediction: Texas Tech 82 – Oklahoma State 69