Three Things to Know about Texas Tech, OSU’s Big 12-Opening Opponent

Year 2 of the Steve Lutz era has seen the Cowboys get off to one of their better starts in recent memory, but the Big 12 won’t care what the Pokes did in the nonconference.

At 12-1, Oklahoma State opens up Big 12 play against 10-3 Texas Tech at noon Saturday in Lubbock. Here are three things to know about the Red Raiders entering league play.

1. The Red Raiders Are Already Battle-Tested

Before the Big 12 schedule has even started, Tech has already played five Quad 1 games, going 2-3 in those contests. OSU has a 0-0 record in Quad 1 entering Saturday.

Texas Tech has already played Illinois on the road (an 81-77 loss) and Purdue (86-56 loss), LSU (82-58 win), Arkansas (93-86 loss) and Duke (82-81 win) on neutral courts.

In terms of analytical rankings, this is by far the Cowboys’ toughest test of the season so far, while it isn’t even in the top five for Texas Tech.

2. Christian Anderson Plays All the Minutes

Sophomore point guard Christian Anderson enters Big 12 play ranking second nationally in minutes played per game with 38. For the uninitiated, there are only 40 minutes in a college basketball game. Anderson has turned in three 40-minute outings already this season.

And it just that he’s out there.

Anderson is one of six Big 12 players averaging at least 20 points a game. He’s scored in double figures in a dozen games entering Big 12 play, including six performances of at least 20 points and a season-high 34.

But it’s not just his scoring you have to look out for. Anderson is leading the Big 12 with 7.1 assists a game, as he’s already up to 92 total assists on the year, a number that’s tied for fifth nationally.

Oh, and he’s shooting 44% from 3 with 44 makes (tied for 17th in the country).

Needless to say, Jaylen Curry, Kanye Clary and whomever else Lutz throws at Anderson will have a big task ahead of them.

“Christian’s just such a willing distributor,” Tech coach Grand McCasland said this week. “He just makes the right play. So, like I did at the halftime of the Duke game, I gotta remind him like, ‘You gotta think score on every opportunity and then just keep making the simple play.’ I don’t know how to say it, just go put that dude that’s guarding you on his heels and make him think you could go put a 3 in his face every possession.”

3. Live By the 3

Through 13 games, the Red Raiders have attempted 370 3-point shots. OSU has attempted 287.

Tech is hitting those 3s at a 37% clip, and 38% of Tech’s points this season have come via 3-pointsers. Only 36 teams in the country score a higher percentage of their points from 3.

Led by Anderson, the Red Raiders have four players shooting 36% or better from 3 this season with at least two attempts per game.

Although Tech star JT Toppin doesn’t make his living from beyond the arc, having that type of floor spacing around him opens things up on the inside for him, as the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year is averaging 21 points a game.

The Cowboys have allowed double-digit 3-point makes in six games this season, including their lone loss to OU when the Sooners canned 13 triples.

This defense that Lutz has asked more out of this season will face its stiffest test yet in Lubbock.