Texas Tech basketball: Jarrett Culver’s five best games as a Red Raider

26 points, 12 rebounds at West Virginia in 2018

The first time we learned that Culver was capable of being his team’s go-to player came in the final road game of his freshman season.  Taking on No. 20 West Virginia in Morgantown without Keenan Evans, Zach Smith or Justin Gray, Tech was physically overmatched by a Mountaineer team that had been as high as No. 2 in the national polls.

Though the Red Raiders would fall 84-74, the game was much more competitive than it should have been because of the heroics of Jarrett Culver.  With 26 points and 12 rebounds, he almost single-handedly kept his team in the game while recording his first career double-double.

In fact, Tech began the game down 16-0 as it appeared like a blowout was imminent.  However, Tech would keep the game interesting for most of the night before fading down the stretch.

While no loss is a positive, this game proved to be a big moment for Culver, who was tasked with leading his team in the absence of his All-American point guard Evans.  And the youngster responded with one of his most efficient games of the season.

No longer feeling the need to defer to Evans, Culver attempted 13 shots, making 8.  That included 3-5 from 3-point range.

Playing in Morgantown is almost always difficult, regardless of the sport, and when Bob Huggins’ basketball team is good, as it was in 2017-18, the West Virginia Coliseum is certain to be a lion’s den.  Be that as it may, Jarrett Culver showed poise, leadership and toughness in leading his undermanned team to a more than respectable showing and giving us a glimpse of the player he would eventually become.