Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders thrive on shutting down opposing stars

Drew McDonald – Northern Kentucky

One of the best parts of March Madness is the opportunity to see some of the best mid-major stars in the game.  But sometimes, we also realize that those players may not be the caliber of major college players as was the case with Northern Kentucky’s Drew McDonald.

The 6-foot-8, 250-pound Horizon League Player of the Year and NKU’s all-time leading scorer averaged 18.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 47.2% from the floor this season. He recorded 14 games of at least 20 points and topped the 30-point mark twice but against the Red Raiders, he was exposed.

What made McDonald’s day so difficult was the lack of versatility in his game.  A guard stuck in a forward’s body, McDonald proved to be a one-trick pony when facing an elite defense and when that one trick, the 3-point shot, failed him, he had no answer.

Against the Red Raiders, McDonald’s 3-point shot was his downfall as he went 0-6 from deep on his way to just five total points.  It was just the sixth time this season he failed to make at least one shot from behind the arc.

Unfortunately for McDonald and the Norse, the big man proved incapable of finding offense in other ways.  He was not athletic enough to beat Tech’s perimeter defenders off the dribble nor was he strong enough to do damage in the post.

The Red Raiders contested McDonald fiercely at the 3-point line and took him out of his comfort zone.  And in doing so, the Red Raiders were able to show why sometimes a mid-major star is a long way from being a truly elite player when he is faced with elite competition.