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Texas Tech basketball: Five swing games on the 2020-21 schedule

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 25: Guard Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is introduced and chest bumps with guard Chris Clarke #44 before the college basketball game against the Kentucky Wildcats on January 25, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 25: Guard Kyler Edwards #0 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders is introduced and chest bumps with guard Chris Clarke #44 before the college basketball game against the Kentucky Wildcats on January 25, 2020 at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Feb 18, 2020; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins celebrates with fans after defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2020; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins celebrates with fans after defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

January 25 @ West Virginia

Playing in Morgantown is never easy.  It seems as if Bob Huggins is always able to have some undue influence over the officials when playing at home and his team is allowed to bully its way to wins in a manner that isn’t allowed when West Virginia plays on the road.  But if Tech can claim this late-January game, it could be a springboard to a nice run through the middle of Big 12 play.

After this trip out east, Tech then heads to LSU for the Big 12/ SEC Challenge, a game that will have no bearing on the conference race.  But following that, the Red Raiders host Oklahoma, travel to Kansas State and then host West Virginia before traveling to Waco.

Thus, if Tech can escape Morgantown with a win, they could pick up some serious momentum before round two with the Bears on February 13 and potentially make that game a top-10 or even top-5 showdown.

West Virginia will be one of the toughest teams in the nation when it comes to post play.  With Oscar Tshiebwe back for his sophomore year and elite shot-blocker Derek Culver ready to join him in forming the Big 12’s best forward tandem, they will be a load to handle in the paint.

But aside from guard Miles McBride, there isn’t much scoring punch in the WVU backcourt.  The sophomore averaged 9.4 points per game last year and he will be asked to take his offense to another level this season being as he’s the only guard on the roster who averaged over 5.5 points per game last year.

Tech has won only once all-time in Morgantown and that came in 2019 when WVU had one of their worst teams of the Huggins era.  This year’s team will be much better than that and is expected by some to contend for the conference.

However, the lack of talent at the guard position might limit WVU’s ceiling and give Tech an edge when these two programs meet.  And if Tech can emerge from this year’s trip to West Virginia victorious, it will be a major step towards capturing the league title.

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