Texas Tech vs. Arkansas Pine-Bluff: 2018-19 College Basketball game preview, TV schedule
Texas Tech has one of the best defenses in the country once again this season. It’ll be tested against one of the best scorers in the country.
TV schedule: Wednesday, December 5, 7:30 p.m. ET. Check Local Listings
Arena: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas
After losing both leading scorer Keenan Evans and NBA first-round draft pick Zhaire Smith from last season’s Elite Eight team, there were feelings that Texas Tech Basketball would take a step back in the Big 12. They were still projected to be an NCAA Tournament team but was also left off the preseason top-25 rankings.
That turned out to be a mistake, with the Red Raiders starting out 7-0 and everyone having them as a consensus top-15 program at the moment. They’re led offensively by sophomore Jarrett Culver, averaging nearly 20 ppg. But it’s been the team’s collective defensive effort that has propelled the unbeaten start. Texas Tech is third in the country in points allowed with 53.3 ppg, and are actually better than even Virginia in efficiency, ranked at No. 1.
Few teams nationally has the offense that can overwhelm the Red Raiders. But there’s a possibility that an individual could put up some points on their own. That’s likely to be the case with Tech’s next opponent in Arkansas Pine-Bluff (2-5). The Golden Lions have won two of their last three games after an 0-4 start, including a 115-107 triple-overtime win over newly D-I program Cal Baptist.
The start of that game and every other one for Arkansas Pine-Bluff is Martaveous McKnight, who dropped 40 points in the win. He’s averaging 25 ppg on the season in his senior year, proving that his SWAC Player of the Year effort last wasn’t a fluke. McKnight is the primary offensive weapon, taking over 20 shots a night, but does get to the free throw line (at least eight attempts per game).
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If the Golden Lions want any chance to keep this close, senior guard Charles Jackson will have to have a huge game. He’s the team’s second-leading scorer at 10.6 ppg and did have 27 off the bench in the 3-OT win. He’ll have to provide assistance for McKnight, otherwise Texas Tech runs away with this one.