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Texas Tech Basketball: Preview of the matchup with Texas-Rio Grande Valley

By Daniel Benjamin

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images /
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NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 20: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils and Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders chase a loose ball during the first half of the game at the Ameritas Insurance Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 20: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils and Matt Mooney #13 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders chase a loose ball during the first half of the game at the Ameritas Insurance Classic at Madison Square Garden on December 20, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

Key Matchup: Matt Mooney vs. Javon Levi

While Culver is unquestionably the best player in the game, Mooney is the key to the Red Raiders success. Meanwhile, the Vaqueros are a well-balanced team, although Levi is the engine that drives the train.

Mooney: The 6-foot-3 senior is an excellent shooter who is also a solid distributor and rebounder. He is the second most important player on the team. Mooney, who has scored in double-figures in six of 11 appearances, is averaging 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 dimes while shooting 46.8 percent from the field as well as 46.4 percent from beyond the arc. However, he has had trouble turning the ball over as he commits three turnovers a game.

Where Mooney really stands out is on the defensive end. Mooney ranks first the NCAA and Big 12 in defensive ranking. He is also first in the conference in steals (2.2), steal percentage (4.5 percent), defensive win shares and defensive box plus/minus. Mooney has recorded at least one steal in 10 of 11 games.

Levi: The 5-foot-10 sophomore is super quick and possesses active hands on defense. He has upped his game this year as he has nearly doubled his shot attempts and is attempting almost nearly two-and-a-half as many free throws compared to his freshman campaign. Levi has also more than doubled his scoring average from four points to 9.8 points and improved his shooting percentage nearly 10 percentage points from 32.8 percent to 42.2 percent. He has scored in double-figures on seven occasions this year.

Levi has also shown improvement as a distributor and ball-handler. He is second in the WAC in both assists (5.4) and assists percentage (34.3 percent). Like Mooney, Levi has thrived on the defensive end. He is fifth in the conference in defensive rating while leading the league in steals with 2.4 a contest.

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