Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders tough in short turnaround situations

The Texas Tech basketball team will play for the national title Monday night against Virginia. Fortunately for the Red Raiders, they have been terrific when playing two games in three days or fewer this year.

Texas Tech basketball fans hardly had time to celebrate the Red Raiders’ 61-51 win over Michigan State in Saturday’s national semifinal before their thoughts turned to Monday night’s national title game. But such is the nature of the NCAA Tournament, which challenges teams by making them play two games against quality teams in three days with the second game being played after minimal preparation.

The good news is that Texas Tech has been tremendous in games played after one day of preparation or fewer so far. This year, Tech has been a perfect 6-0 in such contests including a win over Nebraska in the title game of the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, wins over TCU, West Virginia and Texas on ESPN’s Big Monday, and of course, victories over Buffalo and Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament.

In those games, Tech has outscored its opponents by an average of 76.3-57.5. What’s more, Gonzaga has been the only team this year to keep its game with Texas Tech on the second day of a quick turnaround situation within ten points losing to the Red Raiders 75-69 in the Elite 8.

What makes the Red Raiders so difficult to prepare for is the unusual nature of their defensive scheme, which utilizes an exotic blend of principles that most teams simply do not see other opponents employ. In addition to switching virtually every ball screen, Tech sells out to push the ball to one side of the court while also dropping almost everyone on the court below the level of the ball.

Those are all very rare defensive tactics in their own right but when employed together, they create a concoction that is befuddling to nearly every opponent, much less one trying to prepare for it on a single-day’s notice. What’s more, teams are likely going to be unable to match the Red Raiders’ versatility and athleticism with their scout teams and student managers meaning that though they think they know where the Red Raiders will be on the floor, they do not have any way to simulate how active and aggressive Chris Beard’s team will be.

After all, Some of the most highly-regarded head coaches in the game have been unable to prepare their teams for the Red Raider defense with just one day to plan and practice. TCU’s Jamie Dixon, West Virginia’s Bob Huggins and even Gonzaga’s Mark Few have all been confounded by the Red Raiders in short turnaround situations this season.

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This is also a tremendous example of the quality of Texas Tech coaching staff. And lest we forget, Chris Beard has coached his team to the national title game this year after losing his top two assistants, Chris Ogden and Al Pinkins, last offseason.

But the expertise of veteran assistants such as defensive guru Mark Adams, former Oklahoma State head coach Sean Sutton and the rest of the assistant coaching staff has helped the Red Raiders maintain a strategic edge that has carried them to the game’s ultimate stage. And plenty of confident teams have been left shaking their heads after facing the Red Raiders this year.

"“It’s real. That defense is real,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “It impacted us tonight. They took a lot of balls tonight.”"

His Bulldogs averaged 87.7 points per game and had an average margin of victory of 22.8, both of which were tops in the nation. But Tech held the Zags under 70 points for only the fourth time this year thanks to 16 turnovers as the Red Raider defense swarmed and pestered an offense most beloved to be too skilled to shut down.

Another factor helping the Red Raiders in these situations is their overall physicality, with is often difficult for teams to match in any situation, much less in the second of a two-games-in-three-days stretch. That was certainly the case for the Buffalo Bulls in round two of the tournament.

"“You’ve got to give them credit,” Buffalo coach Nate Oats said. “Those are big, tough guys. It’s disappointing because we’ve been the tougher team probably 34, 35 nights out of the year, 36 games. To lose the last one on toughness hurts. It’s not really who we are, but it happens that way sometimes.”"

All season, the Bulls prided themselves on being able to bully their opponents. But Tech took the No. 6 seed to the mat and choked them out leaving the MAC champions looking stunned as the Red Raiders built a lead that grew to 29 points thanks to a stretch in which Buffalo went 18-consecutive possessions without a field goal.

Next. How Texas Tech beat Michigan State. dark

It will be fascinating to see how a Virginia team that also relies on rugged defense and elite physicality is able to handle the Red Raiders on the game’s biggest night with just one day to prepare. Certainly, Caviler’s head coach Tony Bennett (the 2018 national coach of the year), will have a game plan that he feels confident in but if this year is any indication, it will be nearly impossible for him to get his team ready for the Red Raiders on short notice.

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