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Texas Tech basketball: Three matchups to watch vs. TCU

By Matthew Conner

Jan 28, 2019; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot performs on the court before a game against the TCU Horned Frogs at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2019; Lubbock, TX, USA; The Texas Tech Red Raiders mascot performs on the court before a game against the TCU Horned Frogs at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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TCU junior guard RJ Nembhard dribbles down court in the first half of Thursday’s game against Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 59-51.Rj Nembhard Ku Tcu 01282021 En 1
TCU junior guard RJ Nembhard dribbles down court in the first half of Thursday’s game against Kansas inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won 59-51.Rj Nembhard Ku Tcu 01282021 En 1 /

McCullar vs. Nembhard

While Miles is TCU’s most electric scorer, junior RJ Nembhard leads the Frogs with an average of 16.9 points per game.  Thus, expect him to see plenty of Kevin McCullar Jr. tonight, and how that matchup plays out could be the most important development of this game.

Nembhard is a Keller native who has come into his own this year.  With last year’s leading scorer and Red Raider killer Desmond Bane no longer in the program, Nembhard has seen his role increase resulting in an uptick in scoring of over 4.5 points per game.

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What has made Nebhard such a valuable piece for TCU this year has been his consistency.  He’s scored in double digits in every game this year outside of the season opener.  What’s more, he has hit the 20-point mark seven times this year.

If there is a weakness in his game, it would be his outside shot.  Hitting at just a 34.7% clip from deep, he’s had merely five games against Big 12 teams in which he’s made more than one 3-point basket.  Thus, Tech would be wise to try to make Nembhard prove that he can beat them from deep.

Expect McCullar to be the primary defender on Nembhard tonight.  But also, Kyler Edwards and Micah Peavy will likely get their shot at trying to slow down the 6-foot-5 guard.

It seems inevitable that TCU’s leading scorer is going to reach the double-digit plateau.  But the key will be to keep him around 10-14 points rather than allowing him to have another 20-point game.  Should Tech keep Nembhard from having a big game, it will be hard for the Frogs to pull the upset.

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