Texas Tech vs Baylor: 2022-23 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Another Big 12 battle sees the Red Raiders trying to continue their sudden winning streak, but can they really topple the Bears on the road?
TV schedule: Saturday, February 4, 1:00 pm ET. CBS
Arena: Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas
Things have taken a left turn for Texas Tech (12-10) since conference play began, but maybe the Red Raiders are finding their way out of the hole. Texas Tech lost eight straight games to begin Big 12 play before recent wins at LSU and at home against a tough Iowa State squad. Suddenly winners of two straight, they face an even harder test in Waco.
Senior forward Kevin Obanor (15.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg), who helped lead Oral Roberts to the Sweet Sixteen two seasons ago, has certainly become the top option for the Red Raiders, leading the way with 24 points and 13 rebounds against the Cyclones earlier this week. Senior guard De’Vion Harmon (12.5 ppg, 3.7 apg) runs the offense, while freshman guard Pop Isaacs (11.6 ppg, 2.8 apg) has been a welcome addition to the team this year.
Unranked since the early parts of the season, Texas Tech is down to 64th in both KenPom and the NET rankings, though those numbers have risen slightly this past week after those two nice wins. The Red Raiders clawed back from a 23-point hole against the Cyclones to get their first Big 12 victory, but the defense is not as strong as last season.
On the other side, Baylor (16-6) has been on a bit of a hot streak in recent weeks. After a poor start to conference play, they ran off six straight wins, including a 7-point road win over this Texas Tech squad just over two weeks ago. They’ll be looking to get back in the winning column after a road loss at Texas earlier in the week, and a home date with these Red Raiders might be the perfect solution.
Baylor boasts one of the best freshmen in the nation in guard Keyonte George (17.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg), who had 27 points in the first game against the Red Raiders. Behind George, this talented backcourt also boasts senior guard Adam Flagler (15.3 ppg, 4.8 apg) and junior guard LJ Cryer (14.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg), who were both part of the recent national championship team. Former West Virginia star Jalen Bridges (9.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) plays an important role in the backcourt for the Bears.
The Bears sit at #11 in the AP rankings and also find themselves 14th on KenPom and 15th on the NET. Baylor sits 3rd in offensive efficiency and does great job grabbing boards, though their interior offense has struggled a bit in recent weeks. Still, the emergence of those three guards gives Baylor a frontcourt that’s hard to top, even in this tough Big 12.
In the first matchup between these teams, the Red Raiders actually outshot the Bears, but were down 8 at the half and only forced three turnovers, giving up that monster night to George in the process. Getting revenge on the road will be even more difficult, and they’ll need someone other than Obanor to carry the torch on offense. Jaylon Tyson had 19 points and 12 rebounds in that matchup a few weeks ago; they need more of that.
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If Texas Tech takes care of the basketball and makes their shots early then they have a shot, but this Baylor team is just playing too good lately. The Bears haven’t been needing to hit a lot of 3-pointers to win; perhaps a hot shooting night from the Red Raiders can spill trouble. Absent that, expect the Bears to excel at Waco once again, getting back on track and into the conference race.