Texas Tech vs. Texas: 2018-19 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Cody Gerena
In the last week of Big 12 play, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are tied for the lead in conference play and are nearing closer to their first Big 12 title. Looking to play spoiler to their conference championship dreams are the Texas Longhorns.
TV Schedule: Monday, March 4, 9:00 pm on ESPN
Arena: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas
March is here, and now the tournaments are near, conference and national, but something is different this time in the Big 12, something that has happened for the past 14 years. What’s different you may ask? Well, for starters the Big 12 is being led by the #11 Texas Tech Red Raiders 24-5 (12-4) and a nationally ranked team from Kansas. The thing is, is that it’s not the usual Kansas team leading the pack it is the #16 Kansas State Wildcats 22-7 (12-4) leading the conference, not the #15 Kansas Jayhawks 22-7 (11-5). For the first time in 14 years, the Big 12 can be won by a team other than the Jayhawks, and Texas Tech is the best hope for that to happen.
After one of, if not their best season in program history, the Red Raiders are looking to improve on what they have done by winning their first Big 12 title and do even better than the Elite Eight appearance they got to last season. Recently, Texas Tech has been on a roll, winning seven straight games including ones such as a 91-62 stomping against a #12 Kansas, and more recently an 81-66 away win against a desperate TCU team on the bubble.
Texas Tech will be looking to obtain a 2-seed as right now they are projected as a 4-seed in the latest FanSided Bracketology and a 3-seed in the latest ESPN’s Bracketology with Joe Lunardi, so winning the Big 12 will help them a lot in their efforts to achieve higher-seeding. With only two games left before the conference tournament, every game is now must-win for the Red Raiders.
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From no-doubt bid in NCAA tournament and potential conference champion we move onto Texas Tech’s first test standing in a mid-table team who is on the right side of the bubble but will be looking to fight to get off the bubble for good, their in-state adversary Texas Longhorns 16-13 (8-8). Texas is looking at a 9-seed according to both the FanSided and ESPN Bracketologies. In addition, according to Teamrankings.com, the Longhorns will need to win at least two games to practically guarantee themselves an at-large bid. With games against the Red Raiders and TCU left before the tournament starts, they may need to get at least one of those wins before their it’s too late. Texas is coming off of a big 86-69 win against Iowa State who was competing for the conference championship just a week ago.
Leading the Red Raider offense will be sophomore guard Jarrett Culver who leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists with 17.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. He started most of the games they played on last year’s Elite Eight season. Also, there will be sophomore guard Davide Moretti, whose second in points with 11.3 per game and third in assists with 2.6 per game. The Red Raiders will also have senior transfer forward Tariq Owens who is second on the team in rebounds per game with 5.5 and is coming off of a double-double at TCU.
The Longhorns also have good players at their disposal. Senior guard Kerwin Roach Jr. will not be leading the team with his 15 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists as he is out due to an indefinite suspension. Looking to pick up the pieces will be sophomore guard Jase Fabres, who has led the team in points since the suspension, including a 26-point performance in their recent win against Iowa State. Senior forward Dylan Osetkowski will be there and leading the team with 7.6 rebounds per game and now first in points per game with 10.3. Freshman forward Jaxson Hayes will also be there being second on the team in points and rebounds per game with 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.
It should be brought up that Texas Tech won the first meeting 68-62 while as the number 8 team in the nation. Could Texas use this close loss and tournament-odds to motivate themselves for the big win will be the big question leading into the game for the Longhorn side.
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In the end, this game could be close but due to the suspension of their best player which they have gone 1-2 since combined with Texas Tech’s recent momentum will prove to be too much for the Longhorns as they will lose by double digits. This will leave Texas on the bubble and Texas Tech just one win away from achieving what they’ve never accomplished.