Texas Tech basketball: What has to change in rematch with OK State

Tonight, the Texas Tech basketball team faces Oklahoma State so let’s look at what has to change from the first meeting for Tech to avenge its earlier loss to the Cowboys.

The Texas Tech basketball team suddenly finds itself in desperation mode.  It’s not that Chris Beard and Co. are in danger of missing out on the NCAA Tournament or suffering a total collapse similar to what they experienced at the end of last season when they lost their last four games on the schedule.

But rather, Tech has to be desperate to start playing the type of basketball that is required of teams in the postseason.  After all, time for getting all the kinks worked out is starting to run short with only two games left on the regular-season schedule.

Of course, there’s every likelihood that next week Tech will make up at least three of this season’s four postponed Big 12 games.  Thus, the schedule will still provide Beard and his staff an opportunity to fine-tune their team even after this weekend’s scheduled regular-season finale against Texas.

Still, after dropping two-straight games to ranked teams, Tech needs to get back to playing winning basketball.  And tonight brings an opportunity to do just that, however, it won’t be easy.

Facing Oklahoma State in Stillwater has rarely been a walk in the park for the Texas Tech basketball program.  Overall, Tech is just 5-24 all-time on the road against the Cowboys.  What’s more, Chris Beard has won just once in four trips to Stillwater, a 78-50 triumph in 2019.

Plus, we’ve already seen the Cowboys knock off the Red Raiders once this year.  It was a maddening 82-77 OT defeat that saw OSU tie the game at the end of regulation on three controversial free throws awarded to freshman superstar Cade Cunningham who initiated contact with Kevin McCullar while shooting a desperation 3-pointer to draw the most questionable of fouls.

It would seem that another close game might be in store tonight for the Red Raiders and the Cowboys.  The ESPN.com matchup predictor gives Beard and his squad a 69.4% chance at winning this contest but the spread is only 3.5 points in favor of Tech.

So let’s go inside the last matchup to see what needs to change for Tech to pull this critical game out.  And it all starts with controlling the head of the Oklahoma State snake…that is if he plays tonight.