Getting reacquainted with Texas Tech
photo by: Nick Krug
First-year Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith pleads with a game official during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
photo by: Nick Krug
First-year Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith pleads with a game official during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
Tubby Smith’s Texas Tech men’s basketball team nearly had one of the upsets of the 2013-14 season on Feb. 18, at Lubbock, Texas.
That was before Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins scored the winning basket of a 64-63 victory with just more than a second to go.
Both Wiggins and center Joel Embiid turned out to be fortunate freshmen in the final minute, and the Red Raiders lost their second game of what is now a five-game skid, entering tonight’s rematch at Allen Fieldhouse vs. the No. 8 Jayhawks (22-7 overall, 13-3 Big 12).
Texas Tech (13-16) is just 5-11 in the Big 12, but as anyone who watched the Red Raiders nearly knock off KU could attest to, they are far more competitive this season under first-year coach Smith. In their 11 conference defeats, they’ve lost by an average margin of 7.4 points. Last season, Tech dropped 15 Big 12 games by an average of 21.4 points.
Tech does a few things well, and most of its success comes due to a commitment to playing at a methodical pace, which limits possessions and chances for its opponents. In Big 12 games, the Red Raiders are:
• 1st in scoring defense (68.1 points allowed)
• 1st in rebounding defense (opponents grab 29.0 a game)
• 2nd in 3-point field goal percentage (30.64%, percentage points behind Kansas State’s 30.56%)
• 3rd in field goal percentage (44.4%)
• 4th in rebounding margin (+2.0)
While Tech is just 6th in Big 12 games in the category of offensive rebounds (11.0 a contest), the number is deceiving because the Red Raiders play at a slower pace, so there are fewer shots taken — and therefore fewer rebounds available — in their games than in those played between other Big 12 teams.
In conference games, 35.5% of Tech’s 31.0 rebounds a game come on offense.
Against Kansas, the Red Raiders earned just more than half of their 25 rebounds on the offensive glass (13, compared to 12 defensive boards), leading to 14 second-chance points for Tech.
That glass work has helped Tech become one of the more prolific teams in the nation at scoring inside the 3-point line. The Red Raiders score 58.3 percent of their points on 2-point field goals — 18th in the country.
Just one Red Raider consistently takes and makes a high volume of 3-pointers, and he comes off the bench. On that note, let’s get reacquainted with Texas Tech.
Jaye Crockett, No. 30
6-7, 210, sr. forward
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas guard Andrew Wiggins blocks a shot from Texas Tech forward Jaye Crockett late in the game on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
— Feb. 18 vs. KU: 10 points, 3/11 FGs,
2/3 3s, 2/3 FTs, 5 rebounds (3
offensive), 2 assists, 1 steal, 0
turnovers in 26 minutes.
A huge chunk of Tech’s inside-the-arc offense comes from its leading scorer. Crockett averages 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds, and has made 51.2% of his shots this season.
The senior forward will take some bombs from beyond the arc — 18-for-56, 32.1% — but he does much more damage inside of it. On 2-point shot attempts, he makes 55.6%.
However, Crockett’s production has dropped off the past three games, as he has battled tendinitis in both knees.
Since scoring 10 against Kansas, he had six points in 26 minutes at Oklahoma State, 8 points in 32 minutes vs. Kansas State and 1 point in 18 minutes at Baylor.
Not a good sign.
Jordan Tolbert, No. 32
6-7, 225, jr. forward
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas players Joel Embiid and Jamari Traylor defend a shot from Texas Tech forward Jordan Tolbert during the second half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
— Feb. 18 vs. KU: 16 points, 7/10 FGs,
0/1 3s, 2/2 FTs, 6 rebounds (4
offensive), 2 steals, 2 turnovers.
Now 20 points shy of 1,000 for his career, the junior averages 10.9 points and 6.0 rebounds this season. He has started five games against Kansas during between his freshman season and now, and averages 10.6 points against the Jayhawks.
Like Crockett, Tolbert scores efficiently inside the arc. A 55.6% shooter from the floor overall, he is one of the more experienced players in the Big 12 and has converted 60% of his 2-point attempts.
In his past two games, though, Crockett has made just three of his 12 field-goal attempts, and is averaging 7.5 points a game, scoring 66.6% of his points at the free-throw line.
Robert Turner, No. 14
6-3, 180, jr. guard
— Feb. 18 vs. KU: 11 points, 4/7 FGs,
1/2 3s, 2/2 FTs, 1 rebound, 2 assists,
2 steals, 3 turnovers.
A junior college transfer, Turner leads Tech with 77 assists this season.
He averages 9.6 points and 2.7 assists, and is tied for the second-most 3-pointers attempted on the team. From distance, Turner has hit 22 of his 72 tries (30.6%). In his last 12 Big 12 games, he has only hit more than one 3-pointer on one occasion. In that stretch, he is 7-for-26 (26.9).
Turner made 6 of 7 2-point attempts at Baylor his last time out, and is a 41.1% shooter overall this year.
His 40 steals lead Tech.
Toddrick Gotcher, No. 20
6-4, 200, so. guard
photo by: Nick Krug
Texas Tech guard Toddrick Gotcher explodes after a three by the Red Raiders during the second half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
— Feb. 18 vs. KU: 0 points, 0/0 FGs,
0/4 FTs, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1
turnover in 21 minutes.
At different times this season, he has played all three positions on the perimeter, and averages 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
Gotcher has averaged 9.0 points a game in his past three, since getting shut out vs. Kansas.
Like Turner, he has hoisted 72 3-pointers. Gotcher has found a little more success, making 24 (33.3%).
From the floor, he has made 40.5% of his field goal attempts.
Dejan Kravic, No. 11
7-0, 235, sr. forward
photo by: Nick Krug
Texas Tech forward Dejan Kravic extends an arm in the face of a shot by Kansas guard Naadir Tharpe during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
— Feb. 18 vs. KU: 13 points, 6/8 FGs,
1/1 FTs, 3 rebounds, 4 fouls, 1
turnover in 23 minutes.
The big man, as you might assume, basically lives inside the arc offensively. He has only tried a pair of 3-pointers this season. His field-goal percentage is 49.7% for the year and 51.7% in Big 12 action.
Kravic averages 7.0 points and 4.3 rebounds on the season.
His 37 blocked shots lead the Red Raiders.
Texas Tech bench
Dusty Hannahs, No. 2
6-4, 210, so. guard
photo by: Nick Krug
Kansas guard Conner Frankamp heads out of bounds as Texas Tech guard Dusty Hannahs tries to save the ball during the first half on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014 at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas.
— Feb. 18 vs. KU: 10 points, 3/9 FGs,
2/5 3s, 2/2 FTs, 4 rebounds (2
offensive), 2 assists, 1 steal, 1
turnover in 30 minutes.
The backup guard is Tech’s gunner. He has hit 40 of 104 3-pointers on the season (38.5%), while making 25 of 61 in Big 12 games (41%).
Hannahs averages 8.3 points a game, and as a 91.8% free-throw shooter is on pace to be Tech’s all-time single-season leader in that category. He averages 2.1 free-throw makes a game in 22.5 minutes this season. In Big 12 play, he had nailed 33 of 35 (94.3%).