Red Raider Preview: Texas

Wednesday, February 1

Austin, Texas

8:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

Texas

January 31, 2017 | Men's Basketball

Game22TexasGameNotes

The Red Raiders will look for their first win since the 1995-96 season in Austin.

AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas Tech men's basketball team wraps up the first half of its Big 12 schedule and plays the second of three consecutive midweek road matchups versus Texas on Wednesday at the Frank Erwin Center.

Tipoff is on-tap for 8 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU along with www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Clay Matvick and Tim Welsh will serve as the announcing team.

The Texas Tech Sports Network will carry the game live on its flagship stations 97.3 FM, 100.7 FM and 950 AM in Lubbock. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the TuneIn Radio app. Fans can interact live with Wednesday's broadcast @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.

The Red Raiders (15-6, 3-5 Big 12) finished their nonconference home schedule undefeated for the third straight season following a 77-64 win over LSU as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge last Saturday. Texas Tech banged home a season's best 12 three-pointers highlighted by 10 treys during the first half.

Last time out, the Longhorns (8-13, 2-6 Big 12) were handed a tightly-contested 59-57 defeat at Georgia on Saturday. Texas has split its Big 12 home games this season defeating Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, while falling to then No. 10 West Virginia and TCU.

Wednesday's contest marks the 139th meeting in the all-time series which Texas holds an 83-55 edge. The two teams protected its home floors last season with the Red Raiders winning 82-74 on Jan. 2 in Lubbock followed by the Longhorns 69-59 victory in Austin on Feb. 6. The last time Texas Tech emerged with a win on the 40 acres was during the 1995-96 season when both schools were members of the Southwest Conference.

"In college basketball, rivalries are great," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "In the history of Texas and Texas Tech, we've got to do a better job at making it a rivalry. We have to get to the point where we are competing in games against everyone in the Big 12. I understand that it's a big game for the fans. That's what makes college basketball cool and the Big 12 special. You have two D1 schools in the best conference in the country, in state and we recruit a lot of the same players so absolutely it's a special game. To me as a competitor and as a coach, it's not different. I understand what goes into games like this. I embrace it, and I don't hide from it because again it's what makes college sports cool."

About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders have won 10 of their 12 games when at least four players reach double figures this season. However, Texas Tech has only had two games in Big 12 players with four players with 10-plus points. Those were against West Virginia (Jan. 3) and at Oklahoma (Jan. 14).

The Red Raiders have connected for a 49.3 field goal percentage which is on pace to be the highest for the program since the 1988-89 season. The 49.3 percent shooting clip also is second on the Big 12 leaderboard and ranks 13th nationally.

"I thought our guys did a good job of playing against multiple defenses against LSU," Beard said. "They changed from zone to man within the flow of the game, and we had a lot of well executed possessions where we flowed from zone offenses to man offenses. It was nice to see contributions from many players, four in double figures. It was another low turnover game for us, and I thought our guys played hard. Our backs were up against the wall Saturday. Everyone knew that. It wasn't a secret, but I thought out guys responded in a must-win type situation."

Keenan Evans had his run of 52 straight starts come to a close as he missed the LSU game due to injury. He has poured in a team-leading 14.2 points per game and strung together double figures during a career-best nine consecutive games since the nonconference finale versus Longwood on Dec. 21. Evans is ranked among the Big 12's Top 11 in three-point field goal percentage (45.2 – 3rd), free throw percentage (81.3 – 5th) and overall field goal percentage (47.8 – 11th).

Zach Smith is coming off a career-best 25 points coupled with eight rebounds and two assists against LSU. He piled up 10-plus points during seven of eight games in the month of January. Smith is littered throughout the Big 12 rankings in points (13.5 – 14th), rebounds (7.4 – 6th), blocks (1.6 – 5th) and field goal percentage (58.1 – 4th). He heads into Wednesday's contest with at least one block in 18 of 20 appearances and his 123 career blocks are second in program history only behind Tony Battie with 162.

Aaron Ross has upped his season scoring average to 10.5 points per game on the strength of a combined 29 points on a 9-for-18 shooting ratio during the Baylor and LSU games. He made his 100th career appearance and fifth start of his career a memorable one with 15 points sparked by a trio of three's against LSU. Ross has knocked down a Big 12 leading 90.9 percent of his free throws in conference play.

Anthony Livingston returned to double figures with a 12-point effort versus LSU and third on the team leaderboard with 11.2 points per game. He has garnered 10-plus points on 10 occasions which is tied with Ross for third place. Livingston has hit on 14 of his 24 field goals from three-point territory during Texas Tech's first eight Big 12 outings. For the season, his 42.1 three-point clip is fourth in the Big 12.

Justin Gray and Devon Thomas have been mainstays in the starting five for the last 17 games. Thomas has piled up a team-high 74 assists and 23 steals. He has amassed 7.8 points per game on 19-of-31 from the floor during the last six games. Thomas' 3.4 assist-to-turnover ratio is second in the Big 12 and has tallied one turnover or less in 16 of 21 games. Gray has secured a balanced 8.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. The 20 blocks for Gray are second on the team.

Thomas Brandsma, Shadell Millinghaus, Niem Stevenson and Matthew Temple round out Texas Tech's 10-man playing rotation. The duo of Millinghaus and Stevenson have come away with double figures points nine times most recently a 15-point outburst courtesy of Stevenson. Millinghaus has chipped in other categories with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals over the last two games.
Texas Tech has played 18 of its 21 games this season which includes its last six games without Norense Odiase who pumped in 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game last season.

About Texas
The Longhorns have dropped seven of 10 decisions decided by five points or less. In fact, three of Texas' six losses in Big 12 action have been by three points or less.

The Longhorns been fueled by a pair of freshmen in Jarrett Allen and Andrew Jones since the suspension of leading scorer Tevin Mack due to a violation of team rules.

Allen has racked up 12.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He has piled up four of his Big 12 leading eight double-doubles in league play. Allen, a two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, has improved his marks to 14.9 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game during his first eight Big 12 outings. The eight double-doubles also are second nationally among freshmen only behind UCLA's T.J. Leaf. Allen has notched 10-plus points 14 times which includes six of his last seven games. He exploded for 22 points and 19 rebounds at No. 2 Kansas on Jan. 21.

Jones has converted for 15.8 points per game on a 25-for-50 shooting effort over his last five games, three of which came against Top 10 opponents. He is coming off a 16-point performance coupled with eight assists at Georgia last time out. Jones has rattled off five straight games in double figures after totaling seven game of 10-plus points during Texas' first 16 games.

Shaquille Cleare has managed 13.6 points per game and knocked down 30-of-47 from the floor sparked by four games in double figures over his last five outings. He buried a career-high 23 points during the Oklahoma game on Jan. 23. Cleare has hit on 79.1 percent of his free throws highlighted by a streak of 21 straight which ended at Kansas on Jan. 21.

"Shaquille Cleare is one of the better big guys in all of college basketball," Beard said. "He can do a lot of things with his skill level off both shoulders and finish with both hands. They get him the ball a lot on offense. I think he is an underrated defensive player. He does a lot of good things with defensive rebounding and is a really important player for them."

The Texas backcourt also features Eric Davis, Jr. and Kerwin Roach, Jr., a pair of sophomore guards. Davis has made 11 of his 17 field goals from three-point territory in the last five games and has strung together three consecutive games in double figures after he had only four games of 10-plus points in Texas' first 18 games. Roach poured in a season's best 21 points and five assists at Iowa State on Jan. 7.

Up Next
Texas Tech continues its stretch of four consecutive Saturday home games versus Oklahoma. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT from the United Supermarkets Arena. The game will be televised by ESPNU in addition to being available on the Watch ESPN app.

Fans can purchase tickets to Saturday's game for as low as $15 online at www.TexasTech.com or in person at the United Supermarkets Arena Box Office which opens 90 minutes prior to tipoff.

Texas Tech is offering enhancements for the remainder of the season to better serve its fans. The S1 Parking Lot at the John Walker Soccer Complex will be open for free parking for all fans. Texas Tech also will provide a free shuttle beginning 75 minutes prior to tipoff and 60 minutes following the game to transport fans to and from the United Supermarkets Arena.

Fans are reminded to go clear at all Texas Tech basketball games. The clear bag policy provides a safer atmosphere and speeds up the entry process into the United Supermarkets Arena.

Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TexasTechMBB and @TexasTechMBB on Twitter and Instagram.