Texas Tech basketball: Jarrett Culver and Matt Mooney must limit turnovers

One of the problems with the Texas Tech basketball team’s offense is that its two primary ball-handlers, Jarrett Culver and Matt Mooney, have struggled to take care of the basketball in recent weeks and that must change tonight against Kansas State.

Perhaps this year’s Texas Tech basketball team’s greatest flaw is its lack of a true point guard. As a result, the Red Raiders are asking two players in Jarrett Culver and Matt Mooney, who are more suited to play off the ball, to be primary ball-handlers. And in Big 12 play, turnovers have become an issue for both players.

Thus far, Tech’s 81 turnovers in Big 12 play are the third-most in the league. Only West Virginia and Kansas have committed more.

And of that number, 40 have come from Culver and Mooney. Culver has committed 25 turnovers in six games, including seven Saturday night in Waco. Meanwhile, Mooney has been responsible for 15 including three games in which he had three giveaways.

The problem is not that player is being overly careless with the ball. The issue is that both may be guilty of trying to do too much.

It is hard to fault Culver for much because of the heavy burden being placed on him by Tech’s offensive limitations. He is the only player on the roster capable of getting his own shot while also being the only player on the roster that can create opportunities for others with any consistency.

One reason for Culver’s inflated turnover numbers is simply the fact that he almost looks like Michael Jordan in the old movie Space Jam where he has to drive through a bunch of Monstars by himself if his team is to get a quality shot. Anytime the offense needs saving, it is on Culver’s shoulders to play Superman and he has to try to make plays against two and often three defenders at a time.

But Culver has also developed some frustrating tendencies with the ball. For one, he has become infatuated with driving the the basket only to pass up a good look by jumping and trying to throw the ball to a shooter in the opposite corner.

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Not only is the shot he is trying to create a lower percentage shot than the one he is passing up, other teams are now keenly aware of this tendency and are sending a defender to cut off that pass when he drives to the rim. Every Red Raider fan would rather see Culver take a shot in the lane over trying a high-risk pass to a player who will be taking a tougher shot.

As for Mooney, his turnovers are often a result of trying to fill a role that he simply is not built for. Without a point guard, Mooney often is the player Tech asks to break defenses down off the drive.

That is not what his skill set is. Mooney is better at playing off of the ball and shooting off the catch or making his move against a defender that is trying to recover rather than one who is face-up with him.

Of course, both Culver and Mooney would turn the ball over less if their teammates would be more aggressive with their shots in the flow of the motion offense. This year’s Red Raiders turn down more open looks than any team I can remember in my years of following Tech hoops.

Norense Odiase is prone to passing up opportunities in the paint if there is a defender anywhere within three feet and Davide Moretti has only recently begun to fall out of love with the pump-fake from the 3-point line.

At times, this team feels like it is obsessed with running the motion offense only for the sake of running it and not for the purpose of scoring. The Red Raiders simply have to be more willing to take open looks, even if they are not the perfect shot.

Of course, that must come with an understanding of each player’s ability. Tariq Owens needs to stop hoisting his nightly 3-point attempt and if we never see another Norense Odiase jumper from the elbow, that would be just fine with Red Raider fans.

But when Tech is too deliberate in the offense, the shot clock comes into play and Culver has to be the one to bail the team out. When that happens, he is often swarmed resulting in tough shots or turnovers.

Unfortunately, tonight’s opponent is not a great one for a team that struggles to protect the ball. Kansas State leads the Big 12 in turnover margin in conference play at +5.3 and has forced the third-most turnovers in Big 12 play.

When Tech and KSU met in Lubbock earlier this month, Tech turned the ball over 19 times. That day, Culver and Mooney combined for just five and they will need a similar type of showing tonight (if not better) for Tech to emerge with a win. Every possession against the stingy KSU defense will be critical so Tech’s two lead ball-handlers must be ready to protect the ball against one of the most physical and sound defenses in the country.