Texas Tech Hosts Air Force
November 29, 2014 | Men's Basketball
November 29, 2014
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech returns to action looking to improve to at least 4-1 for the eighth time in the last nine seasons, as the Red Raiders host Air Force on Sunday at 1 p.m. at United Supermarkets Arena.
"Air Force is a tough opponent to prepare for," said Red Raider head coach Tubby Smith. "They run a version of the Princeton offense, which is always tough to defense. We have seen it a lot with Bill Carmody's team at Northwestern. But what we have to do is minimize our mistakes and work in transition."
Sunday's game is the 10th all-time meeting between these two schools, with the Red Raiders holding a 7-2 advantage. But the Falcons won the last meeting in Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 21, 2006. In Lubbock, Texas Tech has all four meetings, but there two have not met on the High Plains since 1980.
Leading the way for Texas Tech is this week's Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Norense Odiase,who is second among Big 12 freshman for both points (12.0) and rebounds (6.8).
The game is almost a homecoming for the Falcons, whose roster features six Texans. Two players are familiar names for Red Raider senior Clark Lammert, who faced Max Yon and Justin Hammonds in San Antonio. Lammert played at Churchill High School, while Hammonds was at Johnson and Yon was at Reagan.
A win for Smith would give the hall of fame coach 529 victories in his 24-year career and into sole posession of 66th place on the all-time list. It would move him out of a tie with former Sacred Heart coach Dave Bike.
Another key for Texas Tech will be the hot-shooting of junior transfer Devaugntah Williams, who leads the nation in 3-point shooting. Williams is 11 of 14 from deep for 78.6 percent.
