Texas Tech Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Red Raiders

By Brian Rauf | Sep 24, 2018

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts against the Villanova Wildcats during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

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LUBBOCK, TX – FEBRUARY 13: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders talks with Jarrett Culver #23 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners on February 13, 2018 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma 88-78. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

Season outlook

Two things are working in favor of another great year for the Red Raiders – the Big 12, while still strong, is not as strong as it was last year, and Chris Beard is one of the most underrated coaches in the entire country.

For all the new pieces, this team doesn’t lack talent. Beard will have them playing hard and playing together sooner rather than later. They should be even better defensively as well with more length and quickness than last year’s team, and they now have an elite rim protector in Owens.

Yet the biggest factor that will determine just how high this team’s ceiling is will be if they can find a new go-to guy. Evans did so much for the Red Raiders and was the difference in them simply being a good team and an Elite Eight team last year. Culver is the only player who averaged double figures at the Power 6 level a year ago so I’d expect him to step into that role, but a number of other players (Mooney, Moore) could as well.

Next. Predicting all 32 conference champs for 2018-19. dark

Look for Texas Tech to top 20 wins for the second consecutive season (which would mark the first time they would accomplish that feat since 2003-04 and 2004-05) and finish in the top four in the Big 12. That would put them in the NCAA Tournament again, where they could potentially win a game or two.

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