Texas Tech University Athletics
Tuesday, January 23
United Supermarkets Arena
6:00 PM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
Oklahoma State
Photo by: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Red Raider Preview: Oklahoma State
January 22, 2018 | Men's Basketball
The Red Raiders will look to end a season-long two-game losing streak versus Oklahoma State on Tuesday.
LUBBOCK, Texas – After suffering back-to-back road losses, the No. 14 Texas Tech men's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the United Supermarkets where the Red Raiders will welcome Oklahoma State for the first of four consecutive midweek home games on Tuesday.
Tipoff is on-tap for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNEWS along with the 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 Double T 97.3 FM in Lubbock. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the radio call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the Tune-In Radio app. Fans can interact live with Tuesday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) enter the week in a three-way tie for third place with Oklahoma and Kansas State in the Big 12 standings. The three teams trail West Virginia by one game for second place and Kansas by two games for the top spot.
Texas Tech checks in at No. 14 in this week's Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls. It marks the first time since the 1995-96 season that the Red Raiders have been among the nation's Top 15 for three consecutive weeks.
The Cowboys (13-6, 3-4 Big 12) are coming off an impressive 83-81 overtime win over then No. 4 Oklahoma and have won three of their last five to move into a sixth-place tie with Texas in the Big 12 race. OSU has buried 77.4 percent of its free throws to rank 15th nationally.
Oklahoma State holds a 42-19 series advantage and won both meetings by a combined 36 points last season. Former Cowboy player, assistant coach and head coach Sean Sutton serves as an advisor to Coach Beard on the Texas Tech staff. Sean's brother, Scott, is an assistant coach on the OSU staff. Prior to this season, the Sutton brothers spent the last six seasons at Oral Roberts with Scott as the head coach and Sean as an assistant coach.
"We've got a big game tomorrow against Oklahoma State at home," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "It's the next Big 12 game on the schedule. They're a hot team. They have won three of their last five right in the middle of the fight. Coach Boynton is doing a great job with them. We have a lot of respect for their players and we know we are going to have to play well."
Tickets to Tuesday's game can be purchased for as low as $15 online at www.TexasTech.com or at the United Supermarkets Arena Box Office which opens on gameday starting at 4 p.m. CT. Doors open to the USA at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Fans are reminded that the S1 Parking Lot at the John Walker Soccer Complex which is located at 3901 10th Street off of Texas Tech Parkway is the lone free parking lot for all fans which includes ADA parking for all men's basketball games.
A free shuttle service begins 90 minutes prior to tipoff and runs up to 60 minutes following the game to transport fans to and from the United Supermarkets Arena. Buses also are ADA accessible. There is no longer free parking available in the West Lot across from the United Supermarkets Arena.
Traffic patterns around the United Supermarkets Arena have changed for the 2017-18 season. All patrons with North Lot passes must enter their lot from the Main and Flint intersection. All fans with South Lot passes must enter their lot from the 18th and Flint intersection. All West Lot pass holders must enter their lot at the Texas Tech Parkway and Knoxville Avenue intersection. All vehicles will be blocked from Indiana Avenue off of the Texas Tech Parkway.
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.
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders are ranked among the NCAA's Top 50 in eight different categories headed by scoring defense (61.6 – 4th), field goal percentage defense (38.8. – 11th) and turnovers forced (16.6 – 17th).
Keenan Evans has directed Texas Tech's to a team-leading 16.6 points coupled with 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He had his streak end at 12 consecutive games in double figures but has collected 10 or more points in 42 of his last 45 appearances. Evans has been limited to a combined 18 points in his last two outings.
The Red Raiders have amassed a Big 12-leading 691 bench points and worked their way to a 224-102 advantage in bench points over their first seven Big 12 games.
Texas Tech's bench is led by Niem Stevenson (7.2 PPG), Brandone Francis (6.0 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (5.5 PPG) and Davide Moretti (4.6 PPG).
Francis has tacked on 60 of his 114 points on the season over his last six games for an average of 10.0 points per game. He has drained 46.7 percent from three-point territory which is fifth in the Big 12 rankings. Hamilton IV enters Tuesday's game 91 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.
The Red Raiders started a pair of true freshmen in Jarrett Culver (10.2 PPG) and Zhaire Smith (10.5 PPG) during the Iowa State for the first time since facing Texas at the 2015 Big 12 Tournament when Zach Smith and Norense Odiase earned the starting nod.
Culver has tallied at least eight points in 10 of his last 11 games. He also has been solid on the glass posting 7.5 rebounds per game. His 10.2 points per game are seventh among Big 12 freshmen.
Smith has ripped off double figures in 12 of his last 14 outings and was the only player to provide double figures with 10 points during the Iowa State game. He has started the last four games for an injured Zach Smith.
Stevenson has added 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He has garnered double figures on eight occasions which included an 11-point effort against Baylor in the Big 12 opener.
Justin Gray and Norense Odiase round out Texas's Tech starting five with 5.3 points and 4.3 points per game, respectively. Texas Tech is 24-11 when Gray scores in double figures during his career.
"Culver and Zhaire were some of our best players this summer starting with pick-up games," Beard said. "These guys can play, and I think that our young guys for the most part are doing their part. I would really just challenge our seniors to step up. We've got to get better play out of Niem, Norense and Justin. Keenan's got to shoot the ball better. Everybody's got to step up this time of year. It's not calling guys out it's just the truth. We've got to coach better this time of year. We've got to put our guys in better positions. The grind continues, but I think everybody in our program - myself included - feels an individual responsibility to do the best they can individually. Then, as a team, we've just got to keep grinding."
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowboys have won three of their last five decisions which include a pair of overtime victories over Iowa State (96-87) on Jan. 6 and then No. 4 Oklahoma (83-81) on Jan. 20.
The quartet of Jeffrey Carroll (17.7 PPG), Tavarius Shine (13.8 PPG), Brandon Averette (10.4 PPG) and Kendall Smith (10.1 PPG) have led the way in Big 12 action.
Carroll has piled up double figures in nine of his last 10 outings fueled by five games of 20-plus points. He is coming off his third double-double of the season where he poured in 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Oklahoma. Carroll's 16.2 points per game overall are ranked eighth on the Big 12 leaderboard. He has racked up 1,168 career points which is fourth-highest on the Big 12 active list.
Shine has come away with 10-plus points in six of his last seven appearances. He provided the late game heroics with the go-ahead basketball during the closing seconds of a 65-64 win over Texas on Jan. 13. Shine amassed a career-best 20 points versus then No. 6 Wichita State on Dec. 9.
Averette has been solid from the point guard position where he ranks fourth in the Big 12 with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has dialed up double digit points on seven occasions ignited by a career-best 22 points at Kansas State on Jan. 10.
Smith notched 20 points during the Iowa State and Oklahoma games on Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, respectively. He canned the game-tying runner with five seconds to go and the game-tying triple with eight seconds remaining to send both those games to overtime.
Oklahoma State's interior play has been led by Mitchell Solomon's 8.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He has connected on 59.0 percent of his field goal attempts and registered a season's best 17 points against then No. 6 Wichita State on Dec. 9. Solomon also compiled a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds versus then No. 19 Florida State on Dec. 16.
UP NEXT
Texas Tech steps out of conference play and travels to South Carolina for the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Saturday's tip time is slated for 11 a.m. CT from Colonial Life Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN2 and the ESPN app.
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 by liking TexasTechMBB on Facebook along with following @TexasTechMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Tipoff is on-tap for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNEWS along with the 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 Double T 97.3 FM in Lubbock. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the radio call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the Tune-In Radio app. Fans can interact live with Tuesday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) enter the week in a three-way tie for third place with Oklahoma and Kansas State in the Big 12 standings. The three teams trail West Virginia by one game for second place and Kansas by two games for the top spot.
Texas Tech checks in at No. 14 in this week's Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 polls. It marks the first time since the 1995-96 season that the Red Raiders have been among the nation's Top 15 for three consecutive weeks.
The Cowboys (13-6, 3-4 Big 12) are coming off an impressive 83-81 overtime win over then No. 4 Oklahoma and have won three of their last five to move into a sixth-place tie with Texas in the Big 12 race. OSU has buried 77.4 percent of its free throws to rank 15th nationally.
Oklahoma State holds a 42-19 series advantage and won both meetings by a combined 36 points last season. Former Cowboy player, assistant coach and head coach Sean Sutton serves as an advisor to Coach Beard on the Texas Tech staff. Sean's brother, Scott, is an assistant coach on the OSU staff. Prior to this season, the Sutton brothers spent the last six seasons at Oral Roberts with Scott as the head coach and Sean as an assistant coach.
"We've got a big game tomorrow against Oklahoma State at home," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "It's the next Big 12 game on the schedule. They're a hot team. They have won three of their last five right in the middle of the fight. Coach Boynton is doing a great job with them. We have a lot of respect for their players and we know we are going to have to play well."
Tickets to Tuesday's game can be purchased for as low as $15 online at www.TexasTech.com or at the United Supermarkets Arena Box Office which opens on gameday starting at 4 p.m. CT. Doors open to the USA at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Fans are reminded that the S1 Parking Lot at the John Walker Soccer Complex which is located at 3901 10th Street off of Texas Tech Parkway is the lone free parking lot for all fans which includes ADA parking for all men's basketball games.
A free shuttle service begins 90 minutes prior to tipoff and runs up to 60 minutes following the game to transport fans to and from the United Supermarkets Arena. Buses also are ADA accessible. There is no longer free parking available in the West Lot across from the United Supermarkets Arena.
Traffic patterns around the United Supermarkets Arena have changed for the 2017-18 season. All patrons with North Lot passes must enter their lot from the Main and Flint intersection. All fans with South Lot passes must enter their lot from the 18th and Flint intersection. All West Lot pass holders must enter their lot at the Texas Tech Parkway and Knoxville Avenue intersection. All vehicles will be blocked from Indiana Avenue off of the Texas Tech Parkway.
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.
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders are ranked among the NCAA's Top 50 in eight different categories headed by scoring defense (61.6 – 4th), field goal percentage defense (38.8. – 11th) and turnovers forced (16.6 – 17th).
Keenan Evans has directed Texas Tech's to a team-leading 16.6 points coupled with 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He had his streak end at 12 consecutive games in double figures but has collected 10 or more points in 42 of his last 45 appearances. Evans has been limited to a combined 18 points in his last two outings.
The Red Raiders have amassed a Big 12-leading 691 bench points and worked their way to a 224-102 advantage in bench points over their first seven Big 12 games.
Texas Tech's bench is led by Niem Stevenson (7.2 PPG), Brandone Francis (6.0 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (5.5 PPG) and Davide Moretti (4.6 PPG).
Francis has tacked on 60 of his 114 points on the season over his last six games for an average of 10.0 points per game. He has drained 46.7 percent from three-point territory which is fifth in the Big 12 rankings. Hamilton IV enters Tuesday's game 91 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.
The Red Raiders started a pair of true freshmen in Jarrett Culver (10.2 PPG) and Zhaire Smith (10.5 PPG) during the Iowa State for the first time since facing Texas at the 2015 Big 12 Tournament when Zach Smith and Norense Odiase earned the starting nod.
Culver has tallied at least eight points in 10 of his last 11 games. He also has been solid on the glass posting 7.5 rebounds per game. His 10.2 points per game are seventh among Big 12 freshmen.
Smith has ripped off double figures in 12 of his last 14 outings and was the only player to provide double figures with 10 points during the Iowa State game. He has started the last four games for an injured Zach Smith.
Stevenson has added 7.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He has garnered double figures on eight occasions which included an 11-point effort against Baylor in the Big 12 opener.
Justin Gray and Norense Odiase round out Texas's Tech starting five with 5.3 points and 4.3 points per game, respectively. Texas Tech is 24-11 when Gray scores in double figures during his career.
"Culver and Zhaire were some of our best players this summer starting with pick-up games," Beard said. "These guys can play, and I think that our young guys for the most part are doing their part. I would really just challenge our seniors to step up. We've got to get better play out of Niem, Norense and Justin. Keenan's got to shoot the ball better. Everybody's got to step up this time of year. It's not calling guys out it's just the truth. We've got to coach better this time of year. We've got to put our guys in better positions. The grind continues, but I think everybody in our program - myself included - feels an individual responsibility to do the best they can individually. Then, as a team, we've just got to keep grinding."
ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowboys have won three of their last five decisions which include a pair of overtime victories over Iowa State (96-87) on Jan. 6 and then No. 4 Oklahoma (83-81) on Jan. 20.
The quartet of Jeffrey Carroll (17.7 PPG), Tavarius Shine (13.8 PPG), Brandon Averette (10.4 PPG) and Kendall Smith (10.1 PPG) have led the way in Big 12 action.
Carroll has piled up double figures in nine of his last 10 outings fueled by five games of 20-plus points. He is coming off his third double-double of the season where he poured in 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Oklahoma. Carroll's 16.2 points per game overall are ranked eighth on the Big 12 leaderboard. He has racked up 1,168 career points which is fourth-highest on the Big 12 active list.
Shine has come away with 10-plus points in six of his last seven appearances. He provided the late game heroics with the go-ahead basketball during the closing seconds of a 65-64 win over Texas on Jan. 13. Shine amassed a career-best 20 points versus then No. 6 Wichita State on Dec. 9.
Averette has been solid from the point guard position where he ranks fourth in the Big 12 with a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has dialed up double digit points on seven occasions ignited by a career-best 22 points at Kansas State on Jan. 10.
Smith notched 20 points during the Iowa State and Oklahoma games on Jan. 6 and Jan. 20, respectively. He canned the game-tying runner with five seconds to go and the game-tying triple with eight seconds remaining to send both those games to overtime.
Oklahoma State's interior play has been led by Mitchell Solomon's 8.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He has connected on 59.0 percent of his field goal attempts and registered a season's best 17 points against then No. 6 Wichita State on Dec. 9. Solomon also compiled a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds versus then No. 19 Florida State on Dec. 16.
UP NEXT
Texas Tech steps out of conference play and travels to South Carolina for the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Saturday's tip time is slated for 11 a.m. CT from Colonial Life Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN2 and the ESPN app.
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 by liking TexasTechMBB on Facebook along with following @TexasTechMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Players Mentioned
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