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Texas Tech basketball: 5 early-season games that will loom large in March

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

vs. Iowa in Las Vegas

After our Thanksgiving naps and once we’ve seen those relatives that we don’t remember why we invited to Thanksgiving in the first place head home, it will be time for Tech’s first true test of the season.  At 7 pm on Thanksgiving night, the Red Raiders will be in Las Vegas to take on Iowa in the Las Vegas Invitational.

The Hawkeyes finished last season 23–12 overall and10–10 in the Big Ten conference.  They defeated Illinois in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament before losing to Tech’s Sweet 16 opponent Michigan in the quarterfinals. They earned an at-large bid to the Big Dance as the No. 10 seed in the South region where they defeated No. 7-seeded Cincinnati in the First Round before losing to No. 2-seeded Tennessee in the Second Round.

This year, the Hawkeyes fully expect to be back in the NCAA Tournament thanks to a talented and experienced roster.  But much of that depends on the surgically repaired hip of point guard Jordan Bohannon.

The senior is the heart of the Hawkeye team but his status for the start of the season is in doubt.  The school’s all-time leading 3-point shooter is going to try to play in an exhibition game this week, which will tell head coach Fran McCaffery just how well his star has healed.

Also in the backcourt will be highly-touted true freshman Joe Toussaint from New York.  The No. 34 point guard in the nation averaged 22.5 points per game in high school last season and will bring with him a tough-minded mentality that will be perfectly suited for the Big Ten.

Joe Wieskamp is a rangy and versatile forward at 6-foot-6.  The sophomore averaged 11.1 points and 4.9 rebounds last season while playing in all 35 games. His 3-point field goal percentage (59-of-139, .424) was tops on the team and he earned Big Ten all-freshman honors.

The Cyclones will also have a height advantage over the Red Raiders given that 6-foot-11 Luka Garza and 6-foot-10 Ryan Kriener will be manning the post in Iowa City.  It will be interesting to see how a Red Raider team with only one player over 6-foot-8 handles that size.

This is a battle-tested Hawkeye team and assuming that Bohannon is right, the Hawkeyes will be a dangerous opponent for Tech.  Having gone through plenty of wars in the tough Big Ten, Iowa will give us a look at just how this young and newly-constructed Texas Tech team will fare when facing another team that is not afraid of a dog fight.

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