Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raider Preview: No. 2 West Virginia
January 12, 2018 | Men's Basketball
The Red Raiders will host the program’s first Top 10 matchup in Lubbock.
LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 8 Texas Tech men's basketball team will face its third Top 10 opponent over a 12-day span when No. 2 West Virginia visits the United Supermarkets Arena on Saturday.
Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPN along with the ESPN app. Mark Neely and Robbie Hummel 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 Saturday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) are in a three-way tie for second-place with Kansas and Oklahoma and are one-game back of West Virginia (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) in the Big 12 standings.
Texas Tech has won seven of its last eight home games against Top 25 opponents going back to the 2015-16 season highlighted by a trio of Top 10 wins over then No. 3 Oklahoma (65-63 – 02/17/16), No. 7 West Virginia (77-76 – 01/03/17) and No. 4 Baylor (84-78 – 02/13/16). Seven of the eight games have been decided by six points or less sparked by four victories by three points less.
The Mountaineers have won 10 of the 12 previous meetings in the series and nine of 10 decisions since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012-13. Both teams protected their home court with a pair of overtime victories last season.
West Virginia has put together the nation's longest streak at 15 consecutive games since being handed an 88-65 loss by Texas A&M during its season opener in Germany. The 15-game run by the Mountaineers is the longest in their program history dating back to 1988-89. WVU has started Big 12 action with road wins over Oklahoma State (85-79) and Kansas State (77-69) followed by home wins over then No. 7 Oklahoma (89-76) and Baylor (57-54).
"I'm looking forward to game number five in the Big 12," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "It's an 18-round fight, and we have another really good team coming in here. It's really important to try to protect the home court, but I think it's more important to try to get our team continually getting better and play well. We have a lot of respect for West Virginia. It's like a broken record in this league, but we are facing another Hall of Fame coach. There are really good players, NBA type players, on West Virginia's team so we will have to play really well. We are hoping for a great crowd, and we are so appreciative of our fans to this point. As we continue to try to compete in this league, any kind of home court advantage is almost imperative so we hope people come out and support our team this Saturday."
Tickets to Saturday'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 11 a.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 75 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 the Big 12 frontrunner and are fifth nationally in scoring defense (60.2), field goal percentage defense (37.5) and scoring margin (+19.9). Texas Tech also checks in among the nation's Top 40 in six additional categories and have outrebounded its first four Big 12 opponents. The team's +8.5 rebounding margin is 15th on the national leaderboard.
Keenan Evans has delivered a team-leading 17.3 points coupled with 3.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He heads into Saturday's action 18 points away from eclipsing Jaye Crockett (2011-12-13-14) into 24th place on the program's all-time scoring list. Evans has pieced together 10 consecutive games in double figures. Texas Tech has won 10 of 14 games overall and four of five games this season when Evans goes past the 20-point plateau.
The Red Raiders bench continues to hold a comfortable lead in the Big 12 and amassed 616 bench points for a 38.5 per game mark. Texas Tech has dialed up a 137-42 edge in bench points during its opening four games.
Jarrett Culver (10.3 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (6.3 PPG) and Davide Moretti (5.4 PPG) have led the way off the bench. Hamilton IV is coming off his best Big 12 performance of the season with nine points and nine rebounds at No. 9 Oklahoma. He improved his marks to 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and is 95 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
Culver has reached double figures on seven occasions. He is first among bench players and sixth among Big 12 freshmen with 10.3 points per game. Moretti's 30 assists are third on the team, and he's dished out 23 helpers over his last 12 games.
Zhaire Smith made his first career start and is fifth among Big 12 freshmen with 10.4 points per game. He recently had his run of 10 consecutive games in double figures come to a close but has risen his average to 11.8 points per game over his last 11 outings.
Niem Stevenson has garnered 7.8 points, 3.1 rebound and 1.9 assists per game. He has distributed 19 assists versus seven turnovers eight times. Stevenson has ripped off double figures in eight games and piled up a combined 30 points in Texas Tech's two games versus West Virginia last season.
Zach Smith has been solid in all categories with 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He missed the Oklahoma game due to injury and enters Saturday's matchup 12 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career and 13 blocks shy of Tony Battie's program record.
Justin Gray and Brandone Francis have tacked on 5.6 and 4.8 points per game, respectively. Francis has worked his way to 7.3 poiints per game on 8-of-14 from the floor over his last three games. He scored nine points in Florida's win over then No. 9 West Virginia as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 30, 2016.
Norense Odiase closes out Texas Tech's 10-man rotation with 4.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He has drained 59.6 percent of his field goal attempts and has started the team's last nine games. Odiase totaled a season's best 12 points and hauled down eight rebounds during the Kansas game on Jan. 2.
"One thing I did like, and I haven't really seen this many times in my career, there was some major ownership by those young guys," Beard said. "Normally the young player, let's take Zhaire Smith for example. He didn't play his best game at Oklahoma, and you have to give them credit. In the locker room, it wasn't Z (Smith) just looking around thinking the seniors should've played better. Basically, it was a Z that was emotionally attached to that game and disappointed. He felt like a competitor like 'If I would've played better, we would've won.' And that's true. If I would've coached better, we would have won. If Keenan would've played better, we would have won. Same for Niem, that's how you have to think as a competitor in a team sport. I'll single out Zhaire. I've never seen a guy more emotionally invested in a loss early in his career than him. Hopefully, that's a sign of good things to come."
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers have forced their opponents to turn the ball over on 27 percent of their possessions which is second in the nation. West Virginia's pressing style also ranks second in turnover margin (+8.4), third in forced turnovers per game (20.3) and sixth in steals (10.3).
The Mountaineers have four players averaging in double figures headed by Jevon Carter's 16.1 points, 6.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game. The reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and three-time Big 12 All-Defense Team selection has reached double figures in 14 of 16 games highlighted by five outings of 20-plus points. He has compiled a trio of double-doubles most recently 17 points and 10 assists versus then No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday.
Daxter Miles, Jr. has chipped in 13.8 points, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He has garnered 10-plus points in 12 of his 16 starts and been in rhythm as of late with seven of his last eight games in double digit points. Miles, Jr. has surpassed the 20-point barrier four times and poured in a career-best 32 points against Morgan State on Nov. 18. He also tacked on 21 points and six assists during the Fordham game on Dec. 23.
Lamont West has pieced together an eight-game streak in double figures and equaled his season's best of 22 points against then No. 15 Virginia on Dec. 5. He has made all 15 of his career starts this season and hit on 18 of his 27 treys over his last eight games.
WVU's top two options off the bench are James Bolden (10.4 PPG) and Teddy Allen (9.1 PPG). Allen earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after he pumped in 22 points at Kansas State on Jan. 1 and added 20 points against then No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday. He was an efficient 17-of-23 from the floor during those two games. Bolden has connected on 36 of his 58 field goals from beyond the three-point line.
On the interior, Sagaba Konate has been a force with 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He has posted five or more blocks in seven games and registered 12 rejections in his last two outings. Konate has managed three double-doubles and filled the box score with 16 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks versus then No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday.
The Mountaineers will get the services of Esa Ahmad back into the fold for the first time this season on Saturday. Ahmad posted 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has started in 66 of his 68 career over his first two seasons.
"It's a challenge," Beard said. "You get through competing against Coach Kruger and Oklahoma. You watch that film. Then, later that night you look at the schedule, and Coach Huggins and West Virginia is next. Carter is an NBA point guard. He's a guy that can run your team. He can score, he's tough and a great passer. He's an all-conference player in the Big 12 for a reason. I can say the same thing about several more of their players. A great coach combined with really good players, and a style of play that is consistent that they believe in. We are going to have to play well."
UP NEXT
Texas Tech begins a stretch of three of its next four games on the road as the Red Raiders travel to Texas on Wednesday. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by Longhorn Network along with 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 slated for 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPN along with the ESPN app. Mark Neely and Robbie Hummel 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 Saturday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) are in a three-way tie for second-place with Kansas and Oklahoma and are one-game back of West Virginia (15-1, 4-0 Big 12) in the Big 12 standings.
Texas Tech has won seven of its last eight home games against Top 25 opponents going back to the 2015-16 season highlighted by a trio of Top 10 wins over then No. 3 Oklahoma (65-63 – 02/17/16), No. 7 West Virginia (77-76 – 01/03/17) and No. 4 Baylor (84-78 – 02/13/16). Seven of the eight games have been decided by six points or less sparked by four victories by three points less.
The Mountaineers have won 10 of the 12 previous meetings in the series and nine of 10 decisions since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2012-13. Both teams protected their home court with a pair of overtime victories last season.
West Virginia has put together the nation's longest streak at 15 consecutive games since being handed an 88-65 loss by Texas A&M during its season opener in Germany. The 15-game run by the Mountaineers is the longest in their program history dating back to 1988-89. WVU has started Big 12 action with road wins over Oklahoma State (85-79) and Kansas State (77-69) followed by home wins over then No. 7 Oklahoma (89-76) and Baylor (57-54).
"I'm looking forward to game number five in the Big 12," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "It's an 18-round fight, and we have another really good team coming in here. It's really important to try to protect the home court, but I think it's more important to try to get our team continually getting better and play well. We have a lot of respect for West Virginia. It's like a broken record in this league, but we are facing another Hall of Fame coach. There are really good players, NBA type players, on West Virginia's team so we will have to play really well. We are hoping for a great crowd, and we are so appreciative of our fans to this point. As we continue to try to compete in this league, any kind of home court advantage is almost imperative so we hope people come out and support our team this Saturday."
Tickets to Saturday'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 11 a.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 75 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 the Big 12 frontrunner and are fifth nationally in scoring defense (60.2), field goal percentage defense (37.5) and scoring margin (+19.9). Texas Tech also checks in among the nation's Top 40 in six additional categories and have outrebounded its first four Big 12 opponents. The team's +8.5 rebounding margin is 15th on the national leaderboard.
Keenan Evans has delivered a team-leading 17.3 points coupled with 3.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He heads into Saturday's action 18 points away from eclipsing Jaye Crockett (2011-12-13-14) into 24th place on the program's all-time scoring list. Evans has pieced together 10 consecutive games in double figures. Texas Tech has won 10 of 14 games overall and four of five games this season when Evans goes past the 20-point plateau.
The Red Raiders bench continues to hold a comfortable lead in the Big 12 and amassed 616 bench points for a 38.5 per game mark. Texas Tech has dialed up a 137-42 edge in bench points during its opening four games.
Jarrett Culver (10.3 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (6.3 PPG) and Davide Moretti (5.4 PPG) have led the way off the bench. Hamilton IV is coming off his best Big 12 performance of the season with nine points and nine rebounds at No. 9 Oklahoma. He improved his marks to 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and is 95 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
Culver has reached double figures on seven occasions. He is first among bench players and sixth among Big 12 freshmen with 10.3 points per game. Moretti's 30 assists are third on the team, and he's dished out 23 helpers over his last 12 games.
Zhaire Smith made his first career start and is fifth among Big 12 freshmen with 10.4 points per game. He recently had his run of 10 consecutive games in double figures come to a close but has risen his average to 11.8 points per game over his last 11 outings.
Niem Stevenson has garnered 7.8 points, 3.1 rebound and 1.9 assists per game. He has distributed 19 assists versus seven turnovers eight times. Stevenson has ripped off double figures in eight games and piled up a combined 30 points in Texas Tech's two games versus West Virginia last season.
Zach Smith has been solid in all categories with 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He missed the Oklahoma game due to injury and enters Saturday's matchup 12 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career and 13 blocks shy of Tony Battie's program record.
Justin Gray and Brandone Francis have tacked on 5.6 and 4.8 points per game, respectively. Francis has worked his way to 7.3 poiints per game on 8-of-14 from the floor over his last three games. He scored nine points in Florida's win over then No. 9 West Virginia as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 30, 2016.
Norense Odiase closes out Texas Tech's 10-man rotation with 4.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He has drained 59.6 percent of his field goal attempts and has started the team's last nine games. Odiase totaled a season's best 12 points and hauled down eight rebounds during the Kansas game on Jan. 2.
"One thing I did like, and I haven't really seen this many times in my career, there was some major ownership by those young guys," Beard said. "Normally the young player, let's take Zhaire Smith for example. He didn't play his best game at Oklahoma, and you have to give them credit. In the locker room, it wasn't Z (Smith) just looking around thinking the seniors should've played better. Basically, it was a Z that was emotionally attached to that game and disappointed. He felt like a competitor like 'If I would've played better, we would've won.' And that's true. If I would've coached better, we would have won. If Keenan would've played better, we would have won. Same for Niem, that's how you have to think as a competitor in a team sport. I'll single out Zhaire. I've never seen a guy more emotionally invested in a loss early in his career than him. Hopefully, that's a sign of good things to come."
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers have forced their opponents to turn the ball over on 27 percent of their possessions which is second in the nation. West Virginia's pressing style also ranks second in turnover margin (+8.4), third in forced turnovers per game (20.3) and sixth in steals (10.3).
The Mountaineers have four players averaging in double figures headed by Jevon Carter's 16.1 points, 6.8 assists and 3.6 steals per game. The reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and three-time Big 12 All-Defense Team selection has reached double figures in 14 of 16 games highlighted by five outings of 20-plus points. He has compiled a trio of double-doubles most recently 17 points and 10 assists versus then No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday.
Daxter Miles, Jr. has chipped in 13.8 points, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He has garnered 10-plus points in 12 of his 16 starts and been in rhythm as of late with seven of his last eight games in double digit points. Miles, Jr. has surpassed the 20-point barrier four times and poured in a career-best 32 points against Morgan State on Nov. 18. He also tacked on 21 points and six assists during the Fordham game on Dec. 23.
Lamont West has pieced together an eight-game streak in double figures and equaled his season's best of 22 points against then No. 15 Virginia on Dec. 5. He has made all 15 of his career starts this season and hit on 18 of his 27 treys over his last eight games.
WVU's top two options off the bench are James Bolden (10.4 PPG) and Teddy Allen (9.1 PPG). Allen earned Big 12 Newcomer of the Week after he pumped in 22 points at Kansas State on Jan. 1 and added 20 points against then No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday. He was an efficient 17-of-23 from the floor during those two games. Bolden has connected on 36 of his 58 field goals from beyond the three-point line.
On the interior, Sagaba Konate has been a force with 9.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He has posted five or more blocks in seven games and registered 12 rejections in his last two outings. Konate has managed three double-doubles and filled the box score with 16 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks versus then No. 7 Oklahoma last Saturday.
The Mountaineers will get the services of Esa Ahmad back into the fold for the first time this season on Saturday. Ahmad posted 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He has started in 66 of his 68 career over his first two seasons.
"It's a challenge," Beard said. "You get through competing against Coach Kruger and Oklahoma. You watch that film. Then, later that night you look at the schedule, and Coach Huggins and West Virginia is next. Carter is an NBA point guard. He's a guy that can run your team. He can score, he's tough and a great passer. He's an all-conference player in the Big 12 for a reason. I can say the same thing about several more of their players. A great coach combined with really good players, and a style of play that is consistent that they believe in. We are going to have to play well."
UP NEXT
Texas Tech begins a stretch of three of its next four games on the road as the Red Raiders travel to Texas on Wednesday. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by Longhorn Network along with 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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Forward
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Center
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Guard
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