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Texas Tech basketball: Opponents we would like to see in Big 12/SEC Challenge

By Matthew Conner

DES MOINES, IA - MARCH 17: The mascot for the Kentucky Wildcats is seen in the second half as they take on the Stony Brook Seawolves during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 17, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IA - MARCH 17: The mascot for the Kentucky Wildcats is seen in the second half as they take on the Stony Brook Seawolves during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 17, 2016 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

These SEC schools would make intriguing opponents for the Texas Tech basketball team in next year’s Big 12/SEC Challenge.

The Texas Tech basketball team may soon learn which SEC team it will host in the 2020 Big 12/SEC Challenge in January.  After all, this week, the Lady Raiders learned that they will face Ole Miss in the women’s version of the event this December.

Though the Red Raiders hosted Arkansas in last year’s challenge, we assume they will play at home again this year given that they are already set to be the road team against DePaul in the first ever Big 12 / Big East Challenge in December. Hopefully, this year’s SEC Challenge brings a more intriguing team to Lubbock than we have seen in the event’s history.

Thus far, Tech is 4-2 in the event including three-straight wins during the Chris Beard era.  Interestingly, the Red Raiders have yet to face a ranked SEC team in the six years of this trumped-up challenge intended to draw college basketball ratings at a time when fans are experiencing football withdrawals.

Back in 2013-14, Tech lost 76-64 at Alabama in the Challenge’s first year.  The next year saw the Red Raiders rebound with a less than thrilling 46-44 win over Auburn Lubbock.

In 2015-16, Tech lost in overtime at Arkansas 75-68.  Chris Beard made his debut in the event with a 77-64 win over LSU the following season.

His team then went to South Carolina in the 2017-18 season and came away with a hard-fought 70-63 win over a Gamecock team coming off a Final Four appearance.  This January, the Red Raiders gutted out a 67-64 win over Arkansas in Lubbock to put an end to a 3-game losing streak.

Overall, the SEC opponents have drawn significant interest from the Lubbock faithful.  The three games at United Supermarkets Arena have averaged 10,795 fans with the last two topping 11,000.

But now, it is time for a marquee opponent to come to Lubbock.  Tech is coming off a national title game appearance and a Big 12 regular season title and the program should be rewarded for that by having the honor of hosting one of the highest-profile games this event has to offer.

It was hard to ask as much in the early years of the Challenge when Red Raider basketball was at one of its lowest points ever.  But now, Tech has risen to the top of the Big 12 and is one of the most intriguing programs in the nation.

No team in the nation has won more NCAA Tournament games in the past two years than Chris Beard’s team.  Additionally, Beard is one of the most talked about coaches in the game and fans around the nation will tune in to see his team play, if for no other reason than to scout him as a possible candidate to take over at their school. (Though Tech made that highly unlikely with the massive contract extension given to Beard this spring.)

With all the Texas Tech basketball program has going for it, we can assume that a much more high-profile SEC team is on the slate this year.  Here are the five opponents that would make for the most intriguing matchup.

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