Texas Tech vs. Oklahoma: College basketball preview, prediction, TV schedule
Two of the Big 12’s surprise teams will fight for conference supremacy this week. Who will come out on top: Texas Tech or Oklahoma?
Before the season began, the Big 12 promised to be one of the more compelling conferences in college basketball. While Kansas was still Kansas, the rest of the conference appeared ready to go to battle in a competitive, if somewhat ugly, fashion.
Texas Tech and Oklahoma both looked like teams that would finish in the bottom half of the conference. Plenty has changed in four months, though. The Sooners found an all-time legend in Trae Young. The Red Raiders found all-time talent, chemistry, and an excellent coach. Both teams positioned themselves as Big 12 title contenders as well as NCAA Tournament threats.
The programs are showing their true colors as the season winds to a close, though. Oklahoma collapsed in Big 12 play, losing five of their last six conference games. Texas Tech has held firm, standing a game ahead of Kansas in the race for the conference title.
That gives the Red Raiders a decided advantage in Tuesday’s game. So does their status as the home team for the contest.
Oklahoma hosted the Red Raiders earlier in the season, though, and did so successfully. The Sooners prevailed 75-65 at home, despite just five first-half points from Young. The key to the win was turnovers; Texas Tech committed 15 while Oklahoma committed just ten.
Unfortunately, that game was an aberration for the Sooners. The Red Raiders commit 12.84 turnovers per game, which is not great by any stretch of the imagination. But no team in the conference is worse at holding on to the ball than Oklahoma, averaging 13.92 turnovers per game; Young alone averages 5.3, 1.2 more than the second-worst offender in the country.
Texas Tech is at home, has shown an ability to contain Trae Young, and is so close to breaking the Jayhawks’ conference title streak that they can taste it. Oklahoma will pose a challenge, but they won’t usher in a defeat.
Prediction: Texas Tech 78, Oklahoma 71