Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (17-6, 7-3)
Bad Guys: Colorado Buffaloes (14-10, 4-7)
When to Watch: Wednesday, February 11th @ 7:00 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 -13.5
Advanced Stats
| TEXAS TECH | STAT | COLORADO |
|---|---|---|
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Christian Anderson (6-3/178) | 19.3 / 7.7* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Jaylen Petty (6-1/168) | 9.3 / 3.9 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Donovan Atwell (6-5/200) | 12.3 / 3.3 |
| POWER FORWARD | LeJuan Watts (6-6/225) | 12.7 / 6.4 |
| CENTER | JT Toppin (6-9/230) | 21.8 / 10.5 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Tyeree Bryan (6-5/215) | 4.4 / 2.8 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Josiah Moseley (6-8/225) | 4.0 / 3.3 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Luke Bamgboye (6-11/220) | 4.3 / 2.9 |
| NINTH MAN | Leon Horner (6-4/215) | 2.7 / 2.3 |
| TENTH MAN | Marial Akuentok (6-11/240) | 1.4 / 2.0 |
| ELEVENTH MAN | Nolan Groves (6-5/205) | 1.2 / 1.3 |
| TWELFTH MAN | Jazz Henderson (5-11/180) | 0.4 / 0.6 |
| THIRTEENTH MAN | LaTrell Hoover (7-0/230) | – / – |
| FOURTEENTH MAN | Jack Francis (6-3/180) | 0.0 / 0.3 |
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
| POINT GUARD | Barrington Hargress (6-1/190) | 14.1 / 4.4* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Isaiah Johnson (6-1/170) | 16.3 / 2.7 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Jalin Holland (6-5/200) | 4.3 / 2.2 |
| POWER FORWARD | Josiah Sanders (6-5/200) | 4.4 / 2.5 |
| CENTER | Bangot Dak (7-0/203) | 10.8 / 6.8 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Sebastian Rancik (6-7/210) | 13.0 / 5.3 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Ian Inman (6-6/200) | 2.2 / 0.7 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Alon Michaeli (6-9/229) | 8.0 / 4.4 |
| NINTH MAN | Fawaz Ifaola (7-0/245) | 0.8 / 2.3 |
| TENTH MAN | Elijah Malone (6-10/270) | 4.6 / 3.1 |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. Colorado is a bit healthier and they are still sort of a juggernaut offensively. They are a very low turnover team, 22nd in the nation, they are 68th in 3-point shooting, 64th in free throw percentage, 45th in not getting shots blocked, and overall 81st in eFG%. This is a very good offensive team. Defensively is where things get off track, they are 327th in opponent 3-point defense and 283rd in opponent turnover percentage. They are sort of middling in the other areas, but those are two big ones, teams making 3-point shots and never worrying about losing a possession. The Buffs are 104th in opponent offensive rebounding, 167th in opponent free throw rate, and 215th in block rate.
2. Scouting. Johnson and Hargress are so good, and Hargress is an absolute shot from deep, making 51% of his 3-point attempts, while being the lone guy on the team with a high assist rate. Johnson is good as well, making 40% of his 3-pointers and gets to the line a decent amount. I don’t know why Rancik isn’t starting, maybe they need better defenders, but Rancik is a pretty good piece and good rebounder, as is Dak and Michaeli.
3. How They Match Up. I’m guessing that Petty will be the one that just sticks on Hargress and tries to wear him out. That will actually be a pretty fun match-up to watch. Sometimes I forget how good Texas Tech is defensively, but they are actually really good and the thing that they are really good at are opponent 3-point percentage, 65th in the nation, and teams simply don’t make free throws, 42nd in the nation in opponent free throw percentage (that seems like luck). Colorado is 2-5 on the road this year, so it would seem to be a game where Texas Tech has a big advantage.
4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.
Lady Raider Basketball: Gerlich earns 100th win at Texas Tech
Texas Tech Softball: No. 1 Red Raiders set for Clearwater Invitational
Daily Camera’s Pat Rooney: Colorado’s zone defense wrinkle not part of plan going into battle at No. 16 Texas Tech
Anyone that has followed the Buffs in 16 seasons under head coach Tad Boyle understood how desperate CU was to get on track defensively if Boyle, as avowed a man-to-man defense coach as there is in college basketball, was willing to show zone more frequently.
The zone has been utilized less frequently of late. And Boyle said it’s unlikely to make a comeback as the Buffs begin a demanding week on the road against a pair of Associated Press Top 25 teams, beginning Wednesday at No. 16 Texas Tech (6 p.m. MT, ESPN+).
It’s not as if the Buffs’ defensive troubles have been corrected. CU began the week ranked ninth in Big 12 games in defensive field goal percentage (.466) and eighth in defensive 3-point percentage (.352). That latter mark will be tested by the Red Raiders, who own the top 3-point mark in conference play at .413. CU’s last three road foes have shot at least 52% against the Buffs.
Boyle noted the recent shifts to zone were spurred by necessity, but CU’s head coach said the team’s defensive metrics remained better in man-to-man sets.
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:
With only four home games remaining, No. 16 Texas Tech is set to host Colorado at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at United Supermarkets Arena before traveling to play at No. 1 Arizona on Saturday in Tucson, Arizona. The Red Raiders (17-6, 7-3 Big 12) are coming off a 70-63 road win at West Virginia on Sunday while the Buffaloes (14-10, 4-7 Big 12) travel to Lubbock after a 78-70 home win over Arizona State last Saturday.
“Every home game is important this time of year,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “Colorado was fantastic in the second half the last time we played them. We were in a bad spot in the second half because of the way they compete. It’s a big home game and we’re excited about the opportunity. In this league, especially playing a great offensive team like Colorado, you can’t give them good looks. If you do, they have a lot of offensive players who can make you pay. They’ve won two of their last three games and have played well offensively in those games. Our attention to detail on defense was where it needed to be against West Virginia and we just need to keep improving in that area.”