Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-0, 0-0)
Bad Guys: USC Trojans (2-1, 0-0)
When to Watch: Monday, November 19th @ 8:30 p.m.
Where to Watch: Sprint Center | Kansas City, Missouri
How to Watch: ESPN2 | WatchESPN
How to Listen: 97.3 FM | Affiliates | TuneIn App
The Line: Texas Tech -5.5 (OddsShark)
Advanced Stats
| Texas Tech | USC | |
|---|---|---|
| KenPom | 25 | 60 |
| KP AdjO | 50 | 63 |
| KP AdjD | 9 | 63 |
| T-Rank | 24 | 57 |
| T-Rank O | 65 | 49 |
| T-Rank D | 5 | 95 |
| Haslemetric | N/A | N/A |
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Davide Moretti (6-3/175) | 11.3 / 3.7* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Matt Mooney (6-3/200) | 9.0 / 5.3* |
| SMALL FORWARD | Jarrett Culver (6-5/195) | 16.3 / 4.3* |
| POWER FORWARD | Tariq Owens (6-10/205) | 5.7 / 3.7 |
| CENTER | Norense Odiase (6-9/245) | 6.0 / 10.0 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Kyler Edwards (6-3/200) | 7.3 / 2.0 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Brandone Francis (6-5/215) | 6.0 / 3.0 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Deshawn Corprew (6-5/210) | 8.0 / 4.7 |
| NINTH MAN | Malik Ondigo (6-10/215) | 3.3 / 3.3 |
| TENTH MAN | Josh Mballa (6-7/215) | 0.7 / 1.0 |
| ELEVENTH MAN | Khavon Moore (6-7/215) | – |
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
| POINT GUARD | Jonah Mathews (6-3/185) | 11.0 / 3.3* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Derryck Thornton (6-3/185) | 10.7 / 3.0* |
| SMALL FORWARD | Kevin Porter, Jr. (6-6/-) | 13.7 / 3.7 |
| POWER FORWARD | Shaqquan Aaron (6-7/190) | 12.3 / 5.7 |
| CENTER | Nick Rakocevic (6-11/225) | 17.7 / 15.3 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Jordan Usher (6-7/225) | 8.3 / 4.0 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Elijah Weaver (6-5/-) | 9.0 / 2.0 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Bennie Boatwright (6-10/230) | 16.0 / 4.0 |
| NINTH MAN | Victor Uyaelunmo (6-11/220) | 0.0 / 2.0 |
| TENTH MAN | J’Raan Brooks (6-9/-) | 4.0 / 0.5 |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. Kinda interesting how KenPom and T-Rank see USC, with KenPom statistically seeing the Trojans as being a equally good offensive and defensive team, while T-Rank has USC as a much better offensive team than a defensive team. Meanwhile, your Red Raiders are a better defensive team by both KenPom and T-Rank, with a slightly better offense via KenPom. And I think that Haslemetric stats will be released after Thanksgiving, so we’ll add those at that time.
2. Scouting. The Trojans really have a deep scoring team. Their head coach Andy Enfield was the head coach at Florida Gulf Coast when they made their terrific run a few years ago and he was always a guy that was pushing the offensive limits than the defense, so it makes sense that USC is a better offensive team than defensive. Basically Rakecevic averages a double-double and once the ball goes to him, he’s shooting the ball. Both he and Boatwright are their main post players and they’ll put the ball in the bucket. USC doesn’t sport an unusually big lineup and they don’t have a huge bench other than Boatwright. I get the idea that they go about 8 deep and they play like a lot of teams in that they have a post and a bunch of guards that resemble wings and just go offensively.
3. How They Match Up. It will be interesting to see how Texas Tech matches up with Rakocevic, and think that you’ll see Odiase and Owens play him quite a bit and Texas Tech will need Ondigo this game as well. It will be interesting to see how Owens starts defensively and he’ll need to stay out of foul trouble for sure. USC is very good defensively, holding opponents to 23% at the three-point line and 40% from the field overall, but they are terrible at forcing turnovers, so they’ll guard you straight up and play it safe, but not play the lanes. And Texas Tech is pretty elite on their own end of things, but you have to consider the relative lack of strength of schedule thus far. Ain’t played nobody Paul . . . . Texas Tech will need Moretti and Mooney to be much better offensively than they were in their last outing, there’s not enough offense in other places to make up for their deficit against a team like USC.
4. Reading Material. A-J Media’s Carlos Silva, Jr. writes about how Chris Beard & Co. hope to slow down the Trojans:
The winner takes on the victor between Nebraska and Missouri State, while a loss pits them against the loser.
“They play really fast, gotta be one of the best up-tempo teams in college basketball. Kind of a fastbreak type team,” Beard said of the Trojans (2-1). “We’ll have to play really, really well. We’re going to be in a lot games like this all-year long. This is what the Big 12 is like every night. So it’s a great early-season test for us.”
LA Times’ Blake Richardson writes that the Trojans are just now getting fully healthy just in time for tough opponents:
USC (2-1) plays Texas Tech (3-0) in the Hall of Fame Classic on Monday in Kansas City, Mo., with restored health, but some players have only a game under their belt and sparse practice time. Their unfamiliarity has translated into competition.
“We’d call play No. 1, or 2 or 3, they knew what it was,” Enfield said of the players last season. “Now, when I call play one, two or three, two or three of them look at me like, ‘What’s that again, Coach?’ ”
With Bennie Boatwright recently returned after for nine months out because of a knee injury, Enfield had to start four guards in USC’s three games. Boatwright made his debut against Stetson off the bench, contributing 16 points, including four three-point baskets, and four rebounds.
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right there:
The Trojans are coming off a 95-59 non-conference win over Stetson on Wednesday, led by Nick Rakocevic and Bennie Boatwright who each had 16 points in the win. A junior from Chicago, Rakocevic would add 12 rebounds in the game for his third straight double-double and enters the matchup against Tech having averaged 17.7 points and 15.3 rebounds per game this season. USC, which is scoring 85.3 points per game, currently has six players averaging in double-figures in Kevin Porter Jr. (13.7), Shaqquan Aaron (12.3), Jonah Matthews (11) and Derryck Thornton (10.7). The Trojans opened their season with an 83-62 win over Robert Morris before an 82-78 loss to Vanderbilt on Sunday.
“They have a good team that appears to be an NCAA tournament-type team,” Beard said. “They are just getting their team back together and look to be back at full force by the time we play them on Monday night. They play really fast and will be one of the best uptempo teams in college basketball. We’ll have to play really well. We’re going to be in a lot of games like this all year long. This is what the Big 12 is like every night so it is a great early-season test for us.”