Arkansas vs Texas Tech: 2021 NCAA Tournament preview, TV, predictions
By Matt Melton
When: 6:10 pm ET, Sunday, March 21 on TNT
Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
After both teams used strong second-half’s to pull away from their Round of 64 opponents, the Razorbacks and Red Raiders meet in the Round of 32 of the 2021 NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.
The 3-seed Arkansas Razorbacks used a strong second half to pull away from Colgate 85-68 on Friday afternoon to advance to the Round of 32. This was an impressive showing from the Razorbacks defense in particular, as the Hogs finished the first half on a 17-0 run to give Arkansas a 3 point lead going into halftime.
As mentioned previously, Arkansas did not play their best in the first half of Friday’s game. The Razorbacks only took a 3-point lead into halftime against the Raiders but outscored Colgate by 14 points in the second half to pull away. Arkansas shot 44.6% from the field as a team while having five players score in double-figures.
The Razorbacks were led by forward Justin Smith who added 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals, all of which were game-highs. Arkansas had a rough start and will need to play a full 40 minutes to beat a very good Texas Tech team.
6-seed Texas Tech defeated Utah State 65-53 in the Round of 64 to advance past the First Round for the third consecutive NCAA Tournament.
The Red Raiders flashed their defense in this game as they held the Aggies to only 53 points, while also forcing 22 Utah State turnovers. Texas Tech had four players in double-figures led by guard Mac McClung who finished with 16 points. While the Red Raiders did score 65 and shoot 41.9% from two and 38.9% from three, Texas Tech may need to play better offensively against the Razorbacks if they want to advance to their third consecutive Sweet 16.
This game could be considered one of the more even matchups of the Round of 32. This game may come down to which team star has the better game. Moses Moody is one of the better overall players remaining in the NCAA Tournament and has the ability to take over a game on both ends. If Arkansas plays defense the way they did against Colgate during their 17-0 run, Texas Tech will need a big game scoring-wise from Mac McClung, who has scored 20+ points in 10 games this season.
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This game has the potential to be one of the best Round of 32 games. While both teams are fairly even for the most part, Arkansas’ offense may be the difference. If the Razorbacks start to make shots early, and Moses Moody gets settled in, it may be too much for Texas Tech to keep up with.
Prediction: Arkansas 75, Texas Tech 68