Two of the best teams in the Big 12 are looking to keep their regular season conference title hopes alive on Saturday afternoon when the Texas Longhorns host the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Chris Beard may have finally turned around Texas after years of middling basketball under Shaka Smart, while his former team has had a resurgence in its first season under new coach Mark Adams. Both teams are considered locks to make the NCAA Tournament, but the Longhorns and Red Raiders are looking to run down the Baylor Bears in the Big 12 standings.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas Longhorns
When: Saturday, February 19, 2022, 12:30 p.m. ET
Where: Frank Erwin Center, Austin, Texas
TV: ABC
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Chris Beard led the Red Raiders to the national championship a few years ago, but he moved to greener pastures in Austin this offseason. That has been a good move as the Longhorns have ben one of the most impressive teams in the country this season. Although they are 8-5 in the Big 12, this is the toughest conference in college basketball by many metrics, and they have only lost at home once this season. Texas has used a stifling defense to beat Tennessee, Iowa State, and Kansas in the Frank Erwin Center over the last three weeks.
Texas Tech knocked off Texas 77-64 in Lubbock at the start of February. The Red Raiders kicked off conference play with wins over Kansas and Baylor, and they are the only team in the conference to have beaten the Bears. They were able to punch their ticket to March Madness with a second win over Baylor on Wednesday night as Kevin Obanor had 23 points and seven rebounds while making more than 60% of his shots against one of the best defenses in the country.
What to Watch
Don’t expect a lot of points in this game. Although there were 141 points in the last meeting between these teams, Texas ranks 345th nationally in tempo and has the 10th best defense in the country. The Longhorns struggle to make threes, hitting less than 33% of their shots from beyond the arc.
There are three players averaging 10+ PPG on Texas. Timmy Allen is the leading scorer (11.9 PPG) and rebounder (6.5 RPG) on the team, and he is making 52.6% of his field goals. Unfortunately, he is making just 26.7% of his threes. Marcus Carr and Andrew Jones are the other top scorers, but none of the rotation players are making more than 36.1% of their threes.
Texas Tech has picked up the pace under its new head coach, but the Red Raiders have the third-best defense in the country according to Ken Pomeroy. They rank 29th in defensive field goal percentage and 14th in turnover percentage, and they rank in the top 100 in virtually every major defensive category.
Bryson Williams is the star of the team with 13.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG. He is the most efficient shooter on the Red Raiders by a mile, hitting 53.4% of his field goals and 45.9% of his threes. Terrence Shannon Jr. has been a solid second scoring option since returning to the team, and Kevin Obanor has had some big performances in big games.
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Texas Longhorns Free Pick
The under is the best bet in this game considering the teams involved, but Texas Tech is a slightly better play although Texas has been great at home. The Red Raiders have a couple scorers you can trust, and they play suffocating defense that will fluster the Longhorns on offense.
Red Raiders at Longhorns Best Bet: Under
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