Texas Tech vs. Louisville: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Neil Adler
Two premier programs heading in different directions will duel on Tuesday night in the Big Apple, as Texas Tech clashes with Louisville.
TV schedule: Tuesday, December 10, 7:00 pm ET. ESPN.
Arena: Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Louisville, the No. 1 squad in the country, will put its perfect record on the line this Tuesday evening at Madison Square Garden when the Cardinals meet up with Texas Tech. So far in the 2019-20 campaign, Louisville (9-0) is unblemished, while the Red Raiders (5-3) have dropped three in a row, albeit in several closely fought contests.
This enticing encounter in New York City is part of the 2019 Jimmy V Classic, a beautiful event in its 25th year that raises funds and awareness for cancer research in memory of the late Jim Valvano, who guided N.C. State on a magical journey to the NCAA title in 1983. The other participants in this stanza’s Jimmy V Classic are Connecticut and Indiana.
For the Cardinals, it’s proven smooth sailing to date in 2019-20, with Louisville notching triumphs against foes including Miami, Pittsburgh and then-No. 4 Michigan in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Cardinals are a legitimate Final Four contender, and I expect Louisville to remain at or near the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference throughout the regular term.
Junior forward and All-American candidate Jordan Nwora is competing at an elite level, pacing the Cardinals with 21.6 points as well as 7.3 boards per affair, while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 84.6 percent from the charity stripe, and 46.0 percent from beyond the arc. He’s an absolute stud.
Texas Tech, conversely, has hit a bit of a rough patch. The Red Raiders, a crew that advanced to the national-championship tilt this past April, don’t have a particularly strong resume at this juncture, with no high-quality conquests and consecutive setbacks to Iowa, Creighton and DePaul, although the latter pair did extend to overtime.
Texas Tech efficiently balances its offensive production, with five guys tallying double-figures in scoring. As a unit, the Red Raiders average 79.0 points a game and give up 65.1 points. On the flip side, Louisville secures 77.1 points every 40 minutes and allows an impressive 57.6 points.
The Cardinals are a better-shooting group, at 49.6 percent from the field, 73.1 percent from the free-throw line, and 39.1 percent from deep. Texas Tech connects on 46.0 percent of its field-goal attempts, along with 76.2 percent from the charity stripe and 34.8 percent from 3-point land.
In other statistical categories, the Red Raiders own edges in assists, blocks and steals. Louisville has the advantage in turnovers committed. Rebounding is identical.
Next. Key storylines for Louisville vs Texas Tech. dark
This duo of teams will suit up on Tuesday for the inaugural instance in the history of each school. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index says that the Cardinals possess a 65.3 percent chance to prevail. Louisville is simply too talented for Texas Tech, especially after the Red Raiders witnessed a ton of scoring depart following 2018-19. Texas Tech should have the ability to hang around, but the Cardinals will march on to 10-0.