Texas Tech Preview

Let's run it back, fellas! If it feels like you just read a preview about Texas Tech a couple of weeks ago, it's because you probably did. KU gets their first Big 12 rematch of the year, and it happens to be against the only team in the league to beat them so far.

I won't go into a ton of depth on Tech because it's mostly still the same team that beat the Jayhawks in Lubbock just 16 days ago. In a way, they're a bit scarier, because Terrence Shannon and Kevin McCullar - both starters who were absent last time around - are back and give the Red Raiders even more depth. At the same time, you could view them as having come back down to earth since that early tear in Big 12 play, having lost at home to Kansas State after beating both KU and Baylor.

It's a weird year in the Big 12, folks.

To summarize, Tech is still winning mostly with defense. With the sample size of conference games growing, Tech still looks like a dominant defense, and leads the Big 12 in turnover rate. Their offense is 5th in the conference, but to tell you how dominant Big 12 defenses have been, they're 5th despite scoring less than one point per possession. They've been very good inside the arc and at getting to the free throw line, but they've been horrendous from behind the arc. That's been a trend all year, but don't expect them to continue making just 26% as they have so far, especially with two of their best scorers back from injury.

Prediction

Kansas is currently a 7.5 favorite to win this one. Maybe I'm still a little stunned from watching Kansas lose to a very shorthanded Tech team just a couple of weeks ago, but that feels a bit optimistic for a rubber match against that same team, now that they have all of their players back. I think Allen Fieldhouse is enough advantage to get Kansas the victory, but this feels like another rock fight. Kansas 70, Texas Tech 67

Record ATS: 10-8