Texas vs. Texas Tech: 2019-20 college basketball preview, TV schedule
Two of Texas’ Big 12 teams jockey for their NCAA Tournament lives when the Texas Longhorns host the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
TV Schedule: Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 4:00 PM ET, ESPN2
Location: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
Deep in the heart of Texas, things are not going swimmingly for either the Texas Longhorns or Texas Tech Red Raiders this season.
There are four Big 12 teams who call the state of Texas home. Two of them are likely to miss the NCAA Tournament (Texas, TCU) and one of them is struggling more than anticipated (Texas Tech). Meanwhile, the Baylor Bears are the No. 1 team in the country, seemingly sucking the life out of their state brethren like a leech.
The Red Raiders keep on squandering opportunities to ensure a return trip to the Big Dance after last year’s run to the title game. Just last week, they had one of the best teams, the Kansas Jayhawks, on the ropes on the road, but ultimately lost by three points. That win would’ve shored up their resume in a major way.
Texas Tech is still likely an NCAA Tournament team, but things are getting dicey for the Red Raiders, who were included in the “Some Perspiration” category during
. They’ve won every game against a Q2 or lower opponent, but just twice against Q1 opponents – beating who you should but not who you can is a recipe for a quick exit in March.
Texas, on the other hand, is in much dire straits, as they need to “Double the Deodorant,” according to that same Bubble Watch. Shaka Smart’s job security is tenuous, at best, as the Longhorns appear poised to miss out on the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.
Over their past four games, however, Texas has shown some signs of life. They’ve won against Iowa State and at TCU, both by close margins. They’ve also lost to LSU and at Kansas, the former by a single basket and the latter by 11 points. Not excellent results, but enough to keep the Longhorns afloat.
Their lack of a bad loss is also keeping their NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but securing some good wins would help at this point more. Opportunities abound for the Longhorns, who face both the Red Raiders and Baylor this week and have future dates with West Virginia and Texas Tech once more. It’s time for Texas to put up or shut up.
A key to look out for is how many points Texas Tech can put on the board. When they score at least 61 points, they are 14-3 this season. Texas’ defense doesn’t get discussed nearly enough, but they are actually surrendering a tenth of a point fewer points allowed than Texas Tech this season. If they can hold the Red Raiders down offensively, the Longhorns will have a shot of pulling off the victory at home.
Next. Big 12 power rankings. dark
If Texas doesn’t secure the win, they may be kissing their postseason hopes – and the tenure of Shaka Smart – goodbye.
Prediction: Texas Tech 68, Texas 61