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Texas Tech basketball: Why no one wants to play the Red Raiders right now

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: Forward TJ Holyfield #22 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders watches a three-pointer go in the hoop against forward Logan Routt #31 of the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half of the college basketball game on January 29, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 29: Forward TJ Holyfield #22 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders watches a three-pointer go in the hoop against forward Logan Routt #31 of the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second half of the college basketball game on January 29, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Guard Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
Guard Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

The Red Raiders are becoming deadly from 3-point range

When the Red Raiders are shooting well from 3-point range, they are one of the best offensive teams in the nation.  That’s been the case in recent weeks as their hot shooting has them sitting atop the Big 12 in 3-point FG percentage.

In the 76-74 loss to Kentucky on January 25th, the Red Raiders were just 3-19 from behind the arc.  Since then, they have been knocking down 3s at a rate the likes of which we haven’t seen in the Chris Beard era.

After sinking 13 of 22 long-range shots against TCU on Monday night, Tech is now 46-90 (51.1%) in their last five games.  That’s despite making just 3 of 12 against Texas.

In the other four games since playing Kentucky, the Red Raiders have made at least nine 3-pointers and in three of them (vs. West Virginia, OU, and TCU) Tech has hit ten or more.

What makes this year’s team so dangerous in that regard is that Tech almost always has at least two guards on the floor that are above-average 3-point shooters thanks to the luxury of having Jahmi’us Ramsey, Davide Moretti, and Kyler Edwards all shooting well.

That trio is a combined 35-69 (50.7%) from downtown since the Kentucky game.  What’s more, both Ramsey and Moretti are shooting at least 50% over that time frame.

It doesn’t stop there, however.  Holyfield has started to become an outside threat going 7-10 in the last five games.  Prior to that, he’d made just five shots from behind the arc all season. As he continues to prove to be a danger when pulling the trigger from deep, he will pull opposing big men away from the paint thus opening up more driving lanes.

According to BartTorvick.com, Tech is the No. 10 offensive team in the nation when it comes to offensive efficiency since January 29th (when Tech beat West Virginia in Lubbock 89-81).  The Red Raiders are averaging 123.3 points per 100 possessions since that game and the main reason has been their 3-point shooting.  For as long as Tech continues to be one of the best outside shooting teams in the country, they are going to be absolutely deadly on any given night as we have seen in the last handful of games.

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