Arkansas vs Texas Tech: 2018-19 College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Arkansas and Texas Tech meet in the Big 12-SEC Challenge. Can the Razorbacks pull off the upset or will the Red Raiders end their three-game skid?

TV schedule: Saturday, January 26, 6:00 pm ET. ESPN2

Arena: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas

Albeit in a loaded SEC, Arkansas (11-7) is struggling in conference play. A home win against Missouri broke a rough 4-game losing streak against some of the conference’s contenders, and at 2-4 the Razorbacks will likely be on the outside when March Madness approaches. It wasn’t the toughest non-conference schedule, but the Razorbacks have beaten who they were expected to beat for most of the season, though a trip to Lubbock will certainly be their toughest test.

Sophomore forward Daniel Gafford (16.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg) is the player to watch for the Razorbacks. He’s been the team’s leading rebounder in nearly every game and has had some really solid efforts, scoring 32 against LSU a few weeks ago. The offensive force to watch is freshman guard Isaiah Joe (14.9 ppg), who’s also the team’s best 3-point shooter and leads the team in steals. Sophomore guard Mason Jones (13.9 ppg) put up 30 points against Florida, and this is a young team with talent all around.

The Razorbacks sit at 63rd in KenPom and have been okay offensively on the year (100th in offensive efficiency). They aren’t elite in anything, but the team is 30th in the nation in free throw shooting and 45th in forcing turnovers on defense. They will absolutely need to both win the turnover battle and make their free throws to win this tough road game.

Across the court, a home date with Arkansas may be the perfect remedy for Texas Tech (15-4) to ease their struggles. This team won 15 of their first 16 games but has now dropped their last three games, including a rough 58-45 loss at Kansas State on Tuesday. Losing at home to Iowa State was tough, but this team can still overcome them and Kansas to win the Big 12 if they can turn things around.

Sophomore guard Jarrett Culver (18.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.9 apg) leads the Red Raiders in many categories and is definitely the player for the Razorbacks to focus on. Culver’s led the team in scoring in nearly every game, but he’s not the only Red Raider who can bring it offensively. Guards Matt Mooney (10.2 ppg) and Davide Moretti (9.8 ppg) have had some great games, but Culver is the big star for this great Big 12 team.

The Red Raiders’ defense is unstoppable, ranking #1 in the nation in defensive efficiency. Their recent losses have dropped them to #15 in KenPom and their offense (141st in offensive efficiency) has been severely lacking at times. They’ll win this game on the defensive side of the ball, ranking in the top ten in defensive field goal percentage and turnover percentage.

These are two programs with very different ceilings, but a very similar floor if neither can turn things around quickly. The Razorbacks did get that solid win against Missouri but most of their SEC play has been a struggle. The Red Raiders should turn things around and grab a high seed in the NCAA Tournament, but dropping this game against Arkansas would be devastating, especially after three straight Big 12 losses.

For the Razorbacks, it’s going to take some hot shooting early to keep themselves in this game against the top-ranked Red Raider defense. As previously mentioned, making their free throws and forcing turnovers is a necessity. For the Red Raiders, finding early offense will be very important. Their defense is top-notch and they will almost certainly contain the Razorbacks, but someone other than Culver needs to step up.

The Red Raiders are definite favorites and I expect them to hold serve at home, but this is a great chance for Arkansas to make a statement before returning to conference play. Expect Texas Tech’s losing streak to end.

Prediction: Texas Tech 71, Arkansas 59