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Texas Tech basketball: 4 reasons for confidence as Red Raiders face Michigan

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 16: Jarrett Culver #23 and Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders react to made basket during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - JANUARY 16: Jarrett Culver #23 and Tariq Owens #11 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders react to made basket during the second half of the game against the Iowa State Cyclones on January 16, 2019 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 68-64. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
(Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Tonight, the Texas Tech basketball team faces Michigan in the Sweet 16.  Here are four reasons that Red Raider fans should feel confident heading into this showdown of elite defenses.

Tonight, the NCAA Tournament resumes as the Texas Tech basketball team takes on Michigan in the Sweet 16 in Anaheim, California.  This will be just the third time the Red Raiders and Wolverines have met.

Michigan won both meetings between these programs including an 87-85 win in 1978 and a 59-58 win in 1983.  Both of the previous meetings took place in El Paso and in both instances, a top-25 Wolverine team had to sweat out a win over an unranked Red Raider squad.

But this will be the first time these programs have met in the NCAA Tournament making tonights showdown, obviously, the most important of the brief series.  Michigan is making its 17th trip to the Sweet 16 (if you include the two trips from 1992-93 that were vacated).  Impressively, the Wolverines are 14-3 all-time in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, Tech is appearing in the Sweet 16 for the seventh time and looking for just its second win after finally breaking through last year to reach the Elite 8 for the first time in program history.     And for the second-year in a row, Tech faces a rugged Big 10 team looking to move within a game of reaching the Final Four.

Here’s hoping we see a repeat of last year’s 78-65 win over Purdue, which like Michigan was the No. 2 seed in the Red Raiders’ region.  After a 10-0 run to end the first half gave the Red Raiders a five point lead at the break, Tech pulled away from Purdue thanks to Keenan Evans’ 16 points, 12 of which came in the second half.

So as we wait patiently for tip-off to arrive (unfortunately being in the West region means the game will not tip until at least 8:40 CST) the nerves of most Red Raiders are certain to build.  But let’s take a walk on the optimistic side of this showdown and look at four reasons Red Raider fans should be confident in their team’s chances of knocking off a very good Wolverine team.

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