Texas Tech basketball: What Red Raider fans need to know about Louisville

Louisville will have a size advantage in the post

We are going to have to come to grips with the fact that in virtually every game this year, Tech is going to have a size disadvantage in the post.  When your only legitimate forward is 6-foot-8, that’s something you are just going to have to live with.

Louisville has a pair of large and talented centers that could be problems tonight.

6-foot-10, 255-pound senior Steven Enoch is the man who starts off in the middle for the Cards.  The Connecticut native is averaging 10.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

This is the man that Holyfield will have to keep in check, especially on the glass.  It is absolutely imperative for the senior to refrain from picking up the type of cheap fouls that have put him in early foul trouble in each of his last three games.

When Enoch takes a breather, 6-foot-11, 245-pound Malik Williams takes his place.  Averaging 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game the Indiana native is coming off of a 13-point outing against Pitt.

One has to think that we might see more of Russell Tchewa off the Red Raider bench tonight.  That’s an unnerving proposition given how timid the 7-foot freshman has looked this year but at some point, he is going to have to put on his big boy pants and start to play with a purpose because somewhere along the line in Big 12 play, he’s going to have to give this team some quality minutes.

But this far, he’s not been a player Beard has gone to even when Holyfield has been in foul trouble.  In fact, despite Holyfield’s recent foul-prone disposition, Tchewa has played a total of just ten minutes in the last three games.  That may change tonight but only if the big man shows the type of confidence and tenacity (especially on offense) that has yet to emerge in his game early on this year.

Look to see how Beard manages his lineup tonight and in particular whether he tries to fight size with size or whether he counters with a small-ball lineup that forces the Louisville bigs away from the rim on defense.  How he deploys his troops tonight will give us an indication of how he plans to battle larger teams like West Virginia or Kansas in conference play.