Owners of an eight-game winning streak, the red-hot Texas Tech basketball team visits Ames, Iowa on Saturday to take on the Iowa State Cyclones for a Big 12 title.
With Kansas two games back and just one conference game left, the Jayhawks will not win or share the regular season title for the first time since 2004. But while many have been predicting that streak to come to an end for most of the year (especially after the injury to KU center Udoka Azubuike) hardly anyone thought it would be the Red Raiders that would dethrone the Jayhawks. Yet with one more win, the team picked to finish 7th in the Big 12 preseason poll will be crowned champions.
Historical Year for Tech Basketball
Tech has never won the Big 12 regular season or tournament championship. The last time the Red Raiders were on top was 1996 when they won both the regular season and conference tournament for the Southwest Conference. That team had four players who would spend some time in the NBA including Tony Battie and Darvin Ham.
This year’s version of the Red Raiders has been led by Jarrett Culver, who should be picked in the top 10 of this June’s NBA draft. But there do not appear to be any other NBA prospects on this roster, speaking to the tremendous job Chris Beard has done.
Tech also plays in a conference that is arguably one of the deepest in college basketball history. Joe Lunardi, ESPN’s resident bracketologist, has potentially eight of the ten Big 12 teams getting to the big dance. Should Tech win this conference, it will be one of the best accomplishments in Texas Tech history, regardless of the sport.
What’s at Stake on Saturday?
A win on Saturday clinches a share of the regular season title. Kansas State can also gain a share with a home win over Oklahoma which won’t be easy as the Sooners are fighting for their post-season lives.
In the case of a tie, the top seed in next weeks Big 12 Tournament would go to Kansas State. The two teams split in the regular season with each winning at home. The tiebreaker would be the record against the next best team. In this case, both teams split against Kansas but Kansas State swept the Baylor Bears giving them the edge for the top seed.
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So to get the top seed, Tech needs some help. Either way, the Red Raiders will start the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday in the quarterfinals and we’ll take a closer look at that next week.
Can Iowa State beat the Red Raiders?
Looking at Iowa State, they handed Texas Tech its only home loss all season in a 68-64 contest that was decided in the final two minutes. Back in January, the Cyclones frustrated Jarrett Culver holding him to 7-21 shooting. They also outscored the Red Raiders 13-6 from the free throw line which was significant in a 4-point game.
Recently, Iowa State has hit the skids, losing four of their last five games. Wednesday had to be the low point with a 15-point loss to West Virginia. The Cyclones were missing leading scorer Mariel Shayok in that game and there are reports of a postgame locker room dispute. Shayok had 20 points in the first game against the Red Raiders and is expected to play Saturday by likely will be limited.
The Cyclones have been very good at home, going 12-3. But two of those three losses have come in their three most recent home games. This is not a team with a lot going for it going into this weekend so they will be looking to regain some momentum headed into the the post season.
With so much at stake for the Red Raiders expect them to come out with a high level of intensity and win this one going away to take their win streak to nine prior to next week’s Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Kansas City. If the Red Raiders play up to their full capability, this should be a truly historic day for the program.