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Texas Tech basketball: Keys for success in the Big 12 tournament

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the college basketball game against the Grambling State Tigers at United Supermarkets Arena on December 06, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the college basketball game against the Grambling State Tigers at United Supermarkets Arena on December 06, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Jan 25, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Kyler Edwards (11) shoots a three-pointer over West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jordan McCabe (5) during the first half at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2021; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Kyler Edwards (11) shoots a three-pointer over West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jordan McCabe (5) during the first half at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

Tech has to do a better job at owning the arc

It seems like this postseason will be decided at the 3-point line for the Red Raiders.  Thus, that’s going to be the biggest area of the game that Beard and Co. have to get under control.

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Mostly, Tech has to improve its 3-point defense.  Of course, that’s a rather obvious statement given that the last time we saw the Red Raiders in action, they were allowing the Baylor Bears to shoot 15-24 from deep including 10-12 by Macio Teague.

However, defending the 3-point line has been a problem all season.  Allowing opponents to shoot 34.6% from the line, Tech ranked 7th in the Big 12.  But what’s interesting is that the Red Raiders also shot 34.6% from deep themselves.

That’s a number that’s been on the upswing lately.  Against Baylor, Tech was 9-18 (50%) from deep, and two games prior to that, the Red Raiders drained 6 of 13 shots from beyond the arc against TCU.

Tech isn’t going to be a team that lives by the 3-ball.  In fact, they finished last in the Big 12 with 6.2 made 3s per game this year.

Thus, Beard’s team is going to have to come up with a way to slow down opponents at the 3-point arc so that they don’t have a huge deficit to overcome because of the 3-point line.  If Tech can be a team that plays at least even in this aspect of the game, it will be a huge boost to the team’s chance of success this week and beyond.

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