Preview: Texas Tech

Vitals

Tip: 6 PM
Location: Lubbock, TX
TV: ESPNU
Online Stream: here
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network
Online radio: here
Announcers: Mitch Holthus and Matt Doherty
Line: Cowboys -12

Records

Cowboys – 17-5 (7-3)
Raiders – 9-12 (2-8)

Best win

Cowboys – Kansas (KenPom: #12)
Raiders – Iowa State (KenPom: #32)

Worst loss

Cowboys – Virginia Tech (KenPom: #159)
Raiders – McNeese St. (KenPom: #306)

KenPom rank

Cowboys – #17
Raiders – #254

Data nerds

[table id=95 /]

Adj. efficiency – Points per 100 possessions (adjusted for quality of opponent and site of game).
Adj. tempo – Possessions per game (adjusted for schedule and pace of other team).
Effective FG % – Takes into account extra value of 3s.

Three things to watch

1. Frontrunners – How will OSU perform as a (gasp) Big 12 favorite? Marcus Smart himself said games like these were hard to focus on. The same crew that’s doing the OSU-Tech game did the TCU-Kansas game so let’s not act like we’ve never been here before. There’s potential for OSU to lose everything it built over the last two weeks.

2. Forte or not? – Forte has been abysmal away from GIA this year. He’s 5-43 from deep in arenas not named after famous Oklahoma State basketball coaches and 9-37 in losses. I don’t want to say it’s the key to OSU going deep in the NCAA tournament, but they could certainly bury teams early if he gets hot.

3. Expose 3P shooting – Tech is horrific from three-point range.  Like, 341st out of 347 teams bad. They barely shoot 26% from long distance. I’m not saying OSU should start in it, but Ford has been prolific in knowing when to go to the zone defense in conference play — I expect to see a lot of it again tonight.

Prediction

KyPort: Cowboys 70-65
KenPom: Cowboys 77-59