Texas Tech basketball: What needs to change in rematch with WVU

Jan 25, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Kevin McCullar (15) dives for a loose ball during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin McCullar has to score more than two points

To reduce Kevin McCullar’s impact to merely points is doing a disservice to what he brings to the table. He truly is the Swiss Army knife of the Texas Tech basketball program and he can impact the game in several ways.

However, he’s come to be a critical component of Tech’s offensive attack since his return to the lineup from a sprained ankle that delayed the start of his season. That’s why he has to score more than the two points he gave his team in Morgantown.

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That night, McCullar did grab eight boards, hand out four assists, and come up with a pair of steals. So he did have a sizeable impact on the game.

But going just 1-8 from the floor and not registering a free-throw attempt, his contributions on the scoreboard were sorely missed. And when you look at Tech’s record since his return, it is obvious that McCullar needs to be an offensive catalyst.

In Tech’s three losses since his return, the San Antonio native has averaged just seven points per game, almost four points below his season average. In Tech’s seven wins with McCullar on the floor, he’s put up 12.2 points per game with six double-figure outings.

Though we can expect Tech to play better defense tonight, we can still expect WVU to put up its share of points. And who is to say that Tech will get to 87 points again in this rematch as the Mountaineers will also likely focus on improving their defense effort from the previous matchup.

So the points may be tougher to come by and Tech will need McCullar to get those dirty points that he seems to always manage to come up with. What’s more, he’s gone 5-7 from 3-point range in his last two games combined, and should that hot hand carry over to tonight, it could lift the Red Raiders to a win.

Obviously, McCullar is one of Tech’s most critical defensive players and he brings so many intangibles to the court, even when his shot isn’t falling. But now, he’s Tech’s third-leading scorer and that means that his role also has to include putting the ball in the bucket. If he can do that with greater effectiveness tonight, he will help his team avenge this season’s most frustrating loss.