Getting to know the Red Raiders

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.

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self, as any coach in the Big 12 would, says there are no automatic wins in this very deep and talented league.

Even if that is the case, Saturday should be about as automatic as it gets for the No. 12 Jayhawks (12-2 overall, 1-0 Big 12), who welcome Texas Tech to Allen Fieldhouse for a 2 p.m. game on ESPNU.

The Red Raiders are one of two Big 12 teams not ranked in the top 55 by KenPom.com. Texas Tech (10-5, 0-2) is nearly 100 spots behind, at 151. The only other conference team lagging is Kansas State (8-7), at No. 104.

Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith is a highly respected coach with 535 career victories. In his 24 years as a head coach, he has won .682 of his games. However, three of his five starters are freshmen and the Red Raiders have the sixth-youngest starting lineup in the nation.

Texas Tech ranks last in the Big 12 with 4.87 3-pointers made per game and is ninth in scoring (68.3 points). The Red Raiders at least hold opponents to 38.5% shooting — better than KU’s 41.4% — and average 7.27 steals (fourth in the Big 12).

Here are the Red Raiders KU has to worry about as it seeks a 2-0 start in conference play.

RED RAIDERS STARTERS

No. 0 — Devaugntah Williams, 6-4, junior G

Tech’s leading scorer (11.7 points) has, by far, the most 3-pointers on the team, as well. Williams is shooting 39.7% from long range, with 25 makes on 63 tries.

A junior-college transfer, he worked his way into Smith’s starting lineup.

Williams struggled in his Big 12 debut, making just 1 of 4 shots and scoring 3 against Texas. However, he followed that up with a 21-point showing and 3-for-4 shooting from downtown against West Virginia.

— hoop-math.com nugget: On 22 of his 25 3-pointers, Williams’ teammates have set him up with an assist. But he can get to the rim on his own, with 32 field goals there (only 10 assisted on).

No. 14 — Robert Turner, 6-3, senior G

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Conner Frankamp blocks a shot from Texas Tech guard Robert Turner during the first half on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The only senior in Tech’s top seven, he was named to the Las Vegas Classic All-Tournament team, earlier this season.

But his shooting has failed him often.

Turner scored a season-high 19 points against Air Force when he routinely visited the free-throw line and went 8-for-9 — a rarity for the 63.4% free-throw shooter.

What’s more, he has only made 5 of 14 field goals in two Big 12 games.

On the season, Turner has hoisted 50 3-pointers and made just 12.

— hoop-math.com nugget: Turner has only made 8 of his 29 2-point jump shots (27.6%).

No. 32 — Norense Odiase, 6-9, freshman F

The 270-pound big man gives Texas Tech some legit size in the paint.

Odiase’s 5.1 rebounds a game lead the team and he has exactly as many boards on defense as on offense this season: 38 on each end of the floor.

Offensively, the young big has been held to single-digit points in seven straight games. But he did put up 9 and pass out 3 assists against West Virginia.

He gets to the charity stripe more often than any of his teammates — 63 attempts — but shoots just 57.1% at the foul line.

— hoop-math.com nugget: As you might expect, Odiase leads Texas Tech with 14 put-backs on the offensive glass. That’s how 26.2% of his shots at the rim are generated.

No. 5 — Justin Gray, 6-6, freshman G/F

Part of the freshman invasion project at Texas Tech, the long guard has struggled of late:

• scoreless against Houston

• 2 points vs. North Texas

• 4 points vs. Texas

• 2 points vs. West Virginia

His minutes also have dropped significantly in this slump, after he scored 17 points in 35 minutes against Loyola Chicago.

Gray averages 7.1 points a game and shoots 50.1% from the floor.

— hoop-math.com nugget: When Gray gets to the rim, he is at his best, making 23 of 30 (76.7%).

No. 11 — Zach Smith, 6-8, freshman F

Yet another fresh face, the athletic big man doesn’t score much (eighth on Texas Tech, with 5.2 points a game), but he has blocked 23 shots (1.6 a game) and is on pace to set a program record for freshmen in that category.

Coming off a 3-point/3-rebound game against West Virginia, in 36 minutes, Smith has scored in double figures just once this season (13, at LSU).

At least he hits his free throws: 31 of 44 (70.5 percent).

— hoop-math.com nugget: 28 of his 47 2-point attempts have come at the rim, where Smith has converted 64.3% of his point-blank looks.

RED RAIDERS BENCH

No. 20 — Toddrick Gotcher, 6-4, junior G

Hey, a returning player.

Capable of playing PG, SG or SF off the bench for Texas Tech, he is a valuable player.

Gotcher is averaging 6.9 points and has made 16 3-pointers (second on Texas Tech) in 43 attempts (35.7%).

Against West Virginia, the junior played 34 minutes — essentially replacing Gray — and scored 14 points by getting to the foul line (8-for-10) on a night he shot 2-for-7 from the floor.

— hoop-math.com nugget: Most of his shot attempts (56.6%) come from long range and teammates have set Gotcher up for all 16 of his 3-pointers.

No. 3 — Randy Onwuasor, 6-3, sophomore G

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Naadir Tharpe and Texas Tech guard Randy Onwuasor chase a loose ball during the first half on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 at Allen Fieldhouse.

On the season, gives Tech nearly as much offense as Gotcher by scoring 6.4 points.

Onwuasor was one of Smith’s first recruits and played in all 32 games as a freshman.

His minutes have nearly doubled this season to 21.0 a game, but he played just 13 minutes vs. West Virginia and scored 3 points to go with 4 rebounds.

He’s only shooting 36.7% from the floor this season, though he is third on the team in attempts (79).

— hoop-math.com nugget: Onwuasor isn’t helping his shooting percentage with his shot selection. He has made just 5 of 22 2-point jumpers.