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Texas Tech basketball: What the Red Raiders have to do to beat the Horns

By Matthew Conner

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders talks to his players during a stop in play in the 2019 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 28, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Hawkeyes defeated the Red Raiders 72-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 28: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders talks to his players during a stop in play in the 2019 Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational basketball tournament at the Orleans Arena on November 28, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Hawkeyes defeated the Red Raiders 72-61. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Guard Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Guard Jahmi’us Ramsey #3 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Tech needs to shoot a better percentage from 3-point range than UT

The Longhorns have never met a 3-pointer they don’t want to shoot.  They average 24.8 attempts per game, second only to TCU in the Big 12 and over four more than Tech shoots on average.

It’s imperative that Tech not get lured into a game of around the world today, even if Texas hits some early shots.   Rather, the goal for the Red Raiders must be efficiency from behind the arc.  If Tech can shoot a higher percentage of the two teams from 3-point range, it likely will not matter how many long-range bombs the Horns can connect on.

For the season, Tech is shooting 34.7% from deep, second in the conference.  Meanwhile, Texas is shooting 33.8%, fifth-best in the league.

In many of their losses this year, the 3-ball has failed the Horns tremendously.  For instance, they made just 3 of 21 attempts in a 22-point loss at Providence, 3 of 16 in a 15-point loss at Baylor, 9 of 29 in their 38-point loss at West Virginia, and 4 of 24 in Monday’s 11-point loss at Kansas.

What should worry Red Raider fans is that eventually, every team has a big shooting day at home.  The last time UT played in Austin, they made 7 of 15 (46.7%) from deep which is the type of effort the Red Raiders don’t want to allow today.

Pay more attention this afternoon to the percentage UT and Tech shoot respectively in this area of the game.  That could be the most telling stat of the day.

Tech must do a great job of closing out on shooters and staying close to the numerous spot-up snipers the Horns will have on the floor.  It will be a new challenge after playing a handful of teams in recent weeks that only use the 3-pointer sparingly.

Also, Tech has to be efficient when they shoot.  Can they continue to hit with close to the same regularity as they have in recent games?  In their last three outings, the Red Raiders have hit 30-56 (53.5%) from downtown and while they don’t need to hit at that sort of clip today, they do need to be the more efficient team in this statistical category.

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