Texas Tech Basketball: Red Raiders show Final 4 potential in loss to Duke

Texas Tech Basketball gave Duke a tough test in Madison Square Garden. But even in defeat, the Red Raiders have displayed the same traits as last season’s team.

Even though Texas Tech Basketball were ranked No. 12 in the country and unbeaten to this point, there were plenty of questions about how good this team really was. And some of that was valid, with the Red Raiders playing one of the easiest schedules in the country to get to 10-0. Even the team’s No. 1 ranked efficient defense was put into doubt.

So what better opponent to put that to the test than the Duke Blue Devils? Considered one of, if not the best offense in college basketball averaging over 93 ppg. It looked that way early on, with the favorites getting off to an 8-0 start. That was the best offensively that Duke would look all game, with the Red Raiders clamping down from that point on.

The Blue Devils couldn’t get anything going from long distance, missing their first 14 three-point attempt and not allowing the first one to go in until 29 minutes in They finished the game at 3/20. And when Texas Tech wasn’t turning the ball over, Duke struggled badly to score in the halfcourt, doing so just four times in the first 20 minutes. And for a team who dropped over 100 points in the last game against Princeton, the elite offense crossed the 50-point mark with just seven minutes to go. They even held the Blue Devils’ leading scorer RJ Barrett to 16 points on 7/22 shooting.

Even though Texas Tech was able to foul out Zion Williamson, their offense wasn’t able to make enough buckets to match Duke, who had just enough to squeak by with a 69-58 final score, nine points lower than the next lowest point total.

If there was any questions about the Red Raiders and their top-notch defense, this game against Duke should end it. This is also the same team that allowed just 52 points total to Nevada and won’t allow mid-major teams to even reach 50.

Is Texas Tech as good as last season? That can’t be answered but there are clear similarities. Jarrett Culver (25 points in the loss) has established himself as one of the best players in the country, and the role players have shown that they are capable of helping this team make another deep run in the Big Dance. There are things to work on (like the 24 turnovers) but the Red Raiders are for real. And Kansas Jayhawk fans should be very worried, as Texas Tech is the clear top threat to their consecutive regular season title reign.