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Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders that have to step up vs. West Virginia

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media in the locker room prior to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Davide Moretti #25 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media in the locker room prior to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /
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TJ Holyfield #22 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is fouled by Connor McCaffery #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
TJ Holyfield #22 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is fouled by Connor McCaffery #30 of the Iowa Hawkeyes (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

T.J. Holyfield has to battle in the post without fouling

Will the real T.J. Holyfield please stand up…please stand up. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.) After a fantastic Big 12 debut against Oklahoma State with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks, he was essentially invisible against Baylor with 5 points, 5 rebounds, and no blocks.

Tech can’t win today if Holyfield isn’t a significant factor on both ends of the floor.  Not only does he need to score points in the paint, but he also has to hit some outside shots to pull his defender away from the rim.

But even more importantly, he has to stay out of foul trouble, something he’s struggled to do at times this year.   Just like Culver, he’s had six 4-foul games while fouling out once.

The good news is that he’s avoided picking up his fourth foul in each of his last four games.  That’s going to be a key today against the WVU big men who make a habit of saddling defenders with fouls.

It wasn’t fouls that rendered him ineffective against Baylor but rather it was a lack of aggression.  Though he did have to sit for a stretch in the first half after picking up his second foul, he would collect only one in the second half.

Still, he put the ball up just four times, making two.  Unlike in the OSU game when he hit his first two shots to get into a groove, he was 1-3 in the first half Tuesday and that seemed to rob him of his confidence.

The Baylor game was likely a wake-up call for Holyfield because it was his first real taste of rugged Big 12 basketball.  How he responds against another physically dominant team today will be critical in determining the outcome.

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