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March Madness 2019: Buy or Sell Texas Tech, LSU, Purdue and Houston?

By TJ Miller

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 19: Matt Haarms #32 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates after the 48-46 win over the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall on February 19, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 19: Matt Haarms #32 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates after the 48-46 win over the Indiana Hoosiers at Assembly Hall on February 19, 2019 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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LUBBOCK, TX – JANUARY 28: Jarrett Culver #23 and Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrate during the second half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs on January 28, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated TCU 84-65. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX – JANUARY 28: Jarrett Culver #23 and Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrate during the second half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs on January 28, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Texas Tech defeated TCU 84-65. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /

BUY: Texas Tech (West)

What a job Chris Beard has done the last couple of seasons at Texas Tech. Beard took the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight last season in just his second year in Lubbock. This season he has his team in a great position to at least match that result.

Whereas LSU plays more of an up and down style, Texas Tech prefers to slow down the game and wear down opponents with relentless half-court defense. Arguably the best defense in the nation, this season Texas Tech has held opponents to just a 36.8 FG%. If teams do manage to drive the ball into the paint, rim protector Tariq Owens is waiting as he has averaged 2.4 blocks per game this season.

Offensively, the Red Raiders may not have quite the same talent as last season at the guard position. However, Jarrett Culver has turned into an absolutely amazing player. The Big 12 player of the year uses his 6-5 long frame to get to the rim with regularity, and the sophomore is averaging 18.5 points per game. He’s also been Texas Tech’s leading scorer in 24 of 32 games this season.

Davide Moretti and Matt Mooney are quality three-point shooters which benefits Culver due to opponents being resistant to help off these two sharpshooters. Players like Brandone Francis Deshawn Corprew don’t put up big point totals most games but fit in well to the tough-nosed style Coach Beard wants from a team.

If you want to nitpick Texas Tech you have to look hard. A 14-4 conference finish was good enough to share the Big 12 title with K State and shatter KU’s mighty streak. The non-conference slate was on the lighter side, but an 11 point loss to Duke can surely be forgiven, no? The closest thing to a bad loss would be the most recent Big 12 Tournament game vs. West Virginia which saw Texas Tech surrender over 70 points for only the fifth time all year.

The road to the Final Four isn’t an easy one in the West. Buffalo, Nevada, Michigan, Florida State, and Gonzaga are all potential teams Texas Tech could face. With that said, if Texas Tech can just get to the 2nd weekend, the Red Raiders will be in a good position to make another Elite Eight appearance and perhaps make even a deeper run.

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