Preview & Game Day Thread: Baylor vs. Texas Tech

Game Info

Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (21-9, 10-7)
Bad Guys: Baylor Bears (22-8, 11-6)
When to Watch: Saturday, March 9th @ 5:00 pm
Where to Watch: United Supermarkets Arena | Lubbock, Texas
How to Watch: ESPN+
How to Listen: 97.3 FM | Affiliates | Varsity Network
The Line: Texas Tech -1.5

Advanced Stats

TEXAS TECH
STAT
BAYLOR
30
KenPom
13
21
KP AdjO
5
64
KP AdjD
75
34
T-Rank
14
21
T-Rank O
5
78
T-Rank D
84
29
Haslemetric
13

Lineups

TEXAS TECH
THE STARTERS Pts / Reb
POINT GUARD Joe Toussaint (6-0/195) 12.4 / 4.4*
SHOOTING GUARD Pop Isaacs (6-2/180) 15.9 / 3.6*
SMALL FORWARD Kerwin Walton (6-5/210) 8.3 / 2.1
POWER FORWARD Darrion Williams (6-8/225) 11.4 / 7.5
CENTER Warren Washington (7-0/235) 9.9 / 7.4
THE BENCH Pts / Reb
SIXTH MAN Chance McMillian (6-3/185) 10.6 / 3.9
SEVENTH MAN Robert Jennings (6-7/230) 4.0 / 3.0
EIGHTH MAN Eemeli Yalaho (6-8/240) 1.7 / 1.1
NINTH MAN Lamar Washington (6-4/200) 2.1 / 1.3
TENTH MAN D’Maurian Williams (6-3/195) 0.3 / 0.4
ELEVENTH MAN Jack Francis (6-3/185) 0.5 / 0.8
TWELFTH MAN KyeRon Lindsay (6-8/215) 2.7 / 1.3
THIRTEENTH MAN Devan Cambridge (6-6/210) Out for Year
BAYLOR
THE STARTERS Pts / Reb
POINT GUARD RayJ Dennis (6-2/180) 13.5 / 6.8*
SHOOTING GUARD Jayden Nunn (6-4/190) 10.7 / 2.6
SMALL FORWARD Ja’Kobe Walter (6-5/195) 14.7 / 4.5
POWER FORWARD Jalen Bridges (6-9/225) 11.9 / 5.4
CENTER Yves Missi (7-0/235) 11.1 / 5.7
THE BENCH Pts / Reb
SIXTH MAN Josh Ojianwuna (6-10/230) 5.0 / 3.3
SEVENTH MAN Miro Little (6-4/185) 2.0 / 1.3
EIGHTH MAN Caleb Lohner (6-8/235) 2.1 / 2.0
NINTH MAN J. Tchamwa Tchatchoua (6-8/250) 1.4 / 1.4
TENTH MAN Austin Sacks (6-7/200) 2.5 / 1.3

* Assists.

Starting 5

1. Stats. Baylor is a terrific offense, top 5 by all metrics. They are the best 3-point shooting team in the nation and 61st in 2-point shooting. In addition to shooting lights out, they are 20th in offensive rebounding and 15th in free throw rate. Their only flaw is turnover percentage, 210th. On defense, they are a bit more pedestrian and really pretty middle of the road. They are 250th in the nation in opponent 2-point shooting and 143rd in opponent 3-point shooting. They don’t force a ton of turnovers, 155th overall, and 141st in opponent free throw rate.

2. Scouting. Pssst. I think that Missi is a better pro prospect than Walter and I think Walter is really good. Bridges is actually maybe the best overall player, the best shooter on the team, 43% from deep and 83% from the free throw line, hardly turns the ball over and hardly touches the ball. Walter isn’t shooting lights-out, but for a true freshman, he’s making 34% of his 3-point shots and 44% from inside the arc. Dennis shoots a decent amount of 3’s, but his main game is inside the arc and is a high assist guy. Missi makes 63% of his shots, is a terrific rebounder on both ends of the court, blocks a ton of shots and also doesn’t turn the ball over as a post player. Love and Nunn are snipers from outside, Love makes 50% of his 3-point shots and Nunn makes 46%.

3. How They Match Up. T-Rank thinks that Baylor wins by 0.3 points, so a toss-up. Texas Tech doesn’t allow a ton of teams to get to the line, but not knowing what’s going to happen with Washington, it’s tough to say. My thought is that Texas Tech is playing for seeding at this point and would you rather have a fully healthy Washington heading into the NCAA Tournament or push him a bit and I think the answer is a fully healthy. I don’t know his status. If Issac, Tousaint, and McMillian are hot with just getting something from Walton, Jennings, and Williams holding things as best they can, then why not. Jennings, Williams and Yahalo will need to be cognizant of foul trouble because Baylor has a ton of big men.

4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.

5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:

The final home game of the 99th season of Texas Tech basketball brings No. 11 Baylor to Lubbock for the 148th matchup between the two programs in the historic series that dates back to 1937. The Red Raiders enter the last weekend of the regular-season fourth in the Big 12 standings after winning a pair of road games and look to even their season series against the Bears when they host them at 5 p.m. on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.

Tech (21-9, 10-7 Big 12) is coming off road wins at Oklahoma State and West Virginia while the Bears (22-8, 11-6 Big 12) have won three straight with victories over TCU, Kansas, and Texas. The teams are playing a month after meeting in Waco on February 6 with Baylor taking a 79-73 win at Foster Pavilion. BU has won four in a row in the series and seven of the last 10 with the Red Raiders sweeping the season series during the 2022 conference schedule. Historically, Tech is 82-65 all-time in the series and owns a 47-22 advantage in Lubbock.

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