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Texas Tech basketball: The most important games remaining on the schedule

By Matthew Conner

Feb 1, 2021; Lubbock, Texas, USA; An inflatable Texas Tech Red Raider outside the United Supermarkets Arena before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 1, 2021; Lubbock, Texas, USA; An inflatable Texas Tech Red Raider outside the United Supermarkets Arena before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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LUBBOCK, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 01: Guard Micah Peavy #5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stands on the court before the college basketball game against the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena on February 01, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS – FEBRUARY 01: Guard Micah Peavy #5 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders stands on the court before the college basketball game against the Oklahoma Sooners at United Supermarkets Arena on February 01, 2021 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

In the final month of the Texas Tech basketball regular season, here are the three most important games left on the schedule.

Thankfully, Texas Tech basketball fans have four days to recover before the Red Raiders return to the court.  The recent wins over LSU and OU were anything but routine and left many of us feeling like we had been through an emotional and physical ringer.  Now, it feels as if fans may need a break from the court almost as much as the players do.

As we have a few days to take stock of where the Red Raiders are as a team, we must also come to understand that we have already entered the last month of the basketball season meaning that it’s time for this team to start to play its best basketball.

Hopefully, we are in store for a run like we saw in February of 2019 and not one like we witnessed in 2020.  After all, the two seasons couldn’t have finished on a much different note.

Two Februarys ago, Chris Beard’s team began the month with a blowout loss to Kansas in Lawrence that was such a pathetic effort that it prompted senior Norense Odiase to address the team.  After that, the Red Raiders would have no more issues with effort for the remainder of the regular season as they would run off six straight wins to end February and nine straight to end the regular season.

Interestingly, Tech also began February of 2020 with a road loss to Kansas, but that one was only by three points.  Unfortunately, though, Beard’s team would drop three more games in the month to go just 5-4 for the month.

But, what made February of 2020 so particularly frustrating was the fact that it ended with losses to Oklahoma and Texas, defeats which began a four-game losing streak to end the regular season.

This season, February has the opportunity to be brutal.  In addition to Monday’s win over No. 9 OU, the next 25 days will bring the Red Raiders face-to-face with four more teams that are currently ranked.   By contrast, in the last two Februarys combined, Tech had to face just three ranked opponents.

It’s a testament to just how deep the Big 12 is this season and how treacherous the road to March will be.  But it also provides Tech some excellent opportunities to improve their tournament resume, which will set the course for March (and hopefully April).

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the three most important games left in the regular season.  And we will begin by breaking down a fantastic opportunity to end a storybook run.

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