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NCAA Basketball: UNC’s title hopes, to-do list for bubble teams and more weekly takeaways

By Brian Rauf

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a play against the Duke Blue Devils during their game at Dean Smith Center on March 09, 2019 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – FEBRUARY 27: The crowd reacts after Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders makes a three point basket during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on February 27, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma State 84-80 in overtime. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX – FEBRUARY 27: The crowd reacts after Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders makes a three point basket during the second half of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on February 27, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated Oklahoma State 84-80 in overtime. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

5) Texas Tech‘s Final Four potential

Speaking of great defenses, Texas Tech has the nation’s best defense, according to KenPom.

The Red Raiders have been fantastic over the last month and enter the Big 12 Tournament on a nine-game win streak. That has likely pushed them to being a No. 3 seed and are now one of the favorites to make a Final Four run.

For starters, they have that defense, which suffocates everyone they play. Now, though, their offense has come along to complement it.

Texas Tech went 2-4 in a six game stretch at the end of January and didn’t look good doing it. They lost three of those four games by double digits and were averaging just 64.4 points in their first 10 games of 2019. Since that last loss, which came to Kansas on Feb. 2, the Red Raiders are averaging 79.7 points per game.

Jarrett Culver has obviously played a huge role in that the rest of the roster has raised their level of play on that end of the court. Head coach Chris Beard has them playing faster and more freely on that end of the court, and they’re shooting more three-pointers. That has opened up their attack and the results speak for themselves.

We mentioned that there is no clear frontrunner early. Texas Tech has an identity and is playing at an extremely high level on both ends of the floor, which bodes extremely well in terms of their chances of making the Final Four.

Will they make it there? I think that may depend on whether they get a No. 2 or No. 3 seed and who else is put in their region. That said, I do think the Red Raiders will at least repeat last year’s Elite Eight run.

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