Red Raider Preview: Iowa State

Wednesday, February 7

United Supermarkets Arena

8:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

Iowa State

Buy Tickets

February 07, 2018 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes

The Red Raiders will look for their first four-game winning streak in Big 12 play since 2015-16.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 7 Texas Tech men's basketball team continues its run of four straight midweek home games and square off with Iowa State on Wednesday.

Tipoff is on-tap for 8 p.m. CT from the United Supermarkets Arena, and the game will be televised by ESPNU 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, 100.7 FM The Score and 950 AM 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 Wednesday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.

The Red Raiders (19-4, 7-3 Big 12) head into the week with a No. 7 ranking in the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Top 25 poll. It matches a program-best originally set on March 4, 1996. Texas Tech also has been ranked inside the nation's Top 10 for a total of four weeks this season which matches a program record with the 1995-96 team.

The Red Raiders have piled up wins in 19 of their 23 games for the third time in program history. The program's best start was a 22-1 mark in 1995-96 under James Dickey, while Texas Tech also compiled a 19-4 mark in 1953-54 under Polk Robison.

The Red Raiders started the week in first place tie with 13-time defending regular season champion Kansas. The two teams sit a half-game ahead of West Virginia coupled with a game-and-half edge on Oklahoma.

Iowa State (12-10, 3-7 Big 12) has won three straight and 10 of the last 13 meetings in the series dating back to the 2011-12 season. The Cyclones dialed up a 70-52 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 20 in Ames. Iowa State utilized a balanced attack with five players in double figures.

"We have got to be a lot more competitive," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "We got kicked down there in Ames. They beat us up and down the floor for 40 minutes. They were more aggressive, tougher and the better-coached team that night. I know as a competitor, we've been looking forward to this one for a lot of reasons. One is to see if we can respond. It was some of the most challenging basketball we have had this year, and I give Iowa State all the credit. I think the first thing that's got to change is we've got to have a different approach. Iowa State's great offensive identity with the way they run – they play fast, and they have multiple shooters. I think Lard is one of the best freshman in the country. His numbers in the Big 12 as a freshman speak for itself. They've got great balance from offense and defense and inside and out. They've got a great coach, and they really kicked us in game one."
Tickets to Wednesday's game can be purchased for as low as $13 online at www.TexasTech.com or at the United Supermarkets Arena Box Office which opens on gameday starting at 6 p.m. CT. Doors open to the USA at 6:30 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 have won their last four games by a combined 26 points and have won both of their overtime decisions on the season. Texas Tech has won all seven of its Big 12 games when it attempts more free throws than its opponents and shoots higher than 40 percent from the floor.

The Red Raiders continue to be among the nation's elite on the defensive end and ranks among the NCAA's Top 40 in turnovers forced (16.65 • 16th), turnover margin (+3.6 • 22nd), steals per game (8.0 • 22nd), rebounding margin (+5.7 • 38th) and three-point field goal percentage defense (31.5 • 39th).

Keenan Evans has cranked out 18.6 points, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and was named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 List. Evans also is back-to-back Big 12 Player of the Week, the last player to earn that distinction was former All-American Andre Emmett during the 2003-04 season.

Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith have been among the starting five during the last five games. The freshman combo has picked up 10.8 and 10.1 points per game, respectively, to rank sixth and seventh among Big 12 freshmen.

Smith has notched double figures in 14 of his last 18 outings and hit on 56.1 percent of his field goal attempts. He stuffed the stats sheet with 12 points, four blocks, three rebounds and two steals during the TCU game. Culver has found himself with double digit points 11 times. He picked up 20 points, four assists and three blocks at TCU.

Texas Tech's bench is the Big 12 leader with 766 points for a 33.3 per game average through 23 games. The Red Raiders have tallied a 281-171 edge over the first 10 games of Big 12 action.

The bench corps are ignited by Niem Stevenson (6.7 PPG), Brandone Francis (5.9 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (5.7 PPG) and Davide Moretti (4.2 PPG).

ABOUT IOWA STATE
The Cyclones have a quartet of players posting double digit points ignited by Lindell Wigginton (16.0 PPG) and Donovan Jackson (15.8 PPG). The Jackson-Wigginton combo has knocked down 62 of the team's 78 treys in Big 12 action. Both players tallied 13 points against Texas Tech on Jan. 20.

Wigginton, a two-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week honoree, has garnered 16.0 points per game which ranks second among Big 12 freshmen. He has equaled ISU's freshman record with eight games of 20-plus points. He has reached double figures in seven of his last eight outings and tallied 22 points during the West Virginia game on Jan. 31.

Jackson has managed 15.8 points per game. He has pumped in 20 or more points on nine occasions and gone over 24 points in eight of those outings. Jackson is ranked inside the nation's Top 25 with 74 triples made. He has garnered double figures in eight of his last 10 which includes three straight. Jackson came away with 25 points against West Virginia on Jan. 31.

The Cyclones are scheduled to be without Nick Weiler-Babb, of the nation's most well-rounded player, for the second consecutive game. He is the only player in the nation to average at least 11 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists per game. Weiler-Babb has amassed seven double-doubles on the season.

Cameron Lard has started eight of the last nine games for the Cyclones after coming off the bench in the first 11 games. Lard has secured 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He has been in double figures in 12 of his last 14 appearances and fired in a team-leading 18 points versus Texas Tech on Jan. 20.

Lard is joined by Solomon Young on the inside who has managed 6.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Zoran Talley Jr. has been strong lately with 8.3 points per game in his last six games and tallied 12 points at Baylor last time out.

UP NEXT
Texas Tech returns to the road and meets Kansas State on Saturday. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT from Bramledge Coliseum. The game will be televised by ESPNU 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.