Three Things to Know Before Oklahoma State Faces Texas Tech

The Cowboys will go from facing an Arizona team that got votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll to playing the first team out.

The Pokes are in Lubbock to face a Texas Tech team that, while technically unranked, is No. 10 according to hoops stat supersite KenPom.

It will be a tough road test. Here are three things to know before the Cowboys square off with the Red Raiders.

1. The Raiders Can Pour It In

The Cowboys have faced some potent offenses so far, with varying degrees of success, but Texas Tech might be the toughest they face all year.

Although they’re third in the conference in scoring behind the likes Iowa State (yet to face) and Arizona (just dropped 92 on the Cowboys in GIA), the Red Raiders rank seventh in adjusted scoring efficiency, according to KenPom, the highest of all Big 12 teams.

And they can pour it in from the perimeter.

Tech is second in the league, shooting 38.9% from 3-point range thus far and they take a lot of them. Tech just beat Cincinnati thanks to 12 made 3-pointers. It’s the 10th time the Raiders have made double-digit deep shots this year. OSU has done it only four times, and those were all 10 each.

2. Tech’s Got a Big 3-Plus

The Cowboys will have their hands full with Tech’s mix of seasoned and young talent.

The concept of a Big 3 is not quite as prevalent in college hoops, but there are three Raiders averaging more than 15 points per game in guard Chance McMillian and forwards Darrion Williams and JT Toppin, who is a load in the paint. Toppin is the Big 12’s third-leading scorer (16.9 ppg) is also its third-leading rebounder (9.1).

But Tech also has three more players that each score nine per game, including budding star Christian Anderson. The freshman guard has turned it on since the start of Big 12 play. He’s scored in double digits in three of the past five off the bench and is fresh off an 18-point performance in the win over Cincinnati. Holding things together is point guard Elijah Hawkins, who not only averages nine points per game but leads the league in assists (6.2 per game).

3. Contrasting Styles

We know the Cowboys like to speed things up, but that might be tough in Lubbock.

The Red Raiders have won three straight and five of six with the only loss an 85-84 overtime game against No. 3 Iowa State. Some of those wins have come with them scoring in the 80s, some in the 60s. They can win in different ways, but they’re at their best when they dictate the flow of the game and operate in the halfcourt. That’s not the way the Cowboys like to play.

OSU is currently ranked 52nd in adjusted tempo at 70.3 possessions per 40 minutes. Tech ranks 279th at 65.1. The Red Raiders also don’t turn the ball over all that much, ranking second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio, which could further limit the Pokes’ ability to get out in transition. The Cowboys, unfortunately, rank last in the league in that stat.

We’ve seen OSU do a better job at operating in the halfcourt recently, like against Arizona, but it’s not their bread-and-butter. If Tech is able to dictate the flow and style of the game, which they’re pretty good at generally, it could be a long day for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys and Red Raiders tip at 2 p.m. Sunday inside United Supermarkets Arena.