Texas Tech basketball: 3 keys for Red Raiders against Tennessee

Quit fouling so much

So far, this Red Raider team has fouled a lot.  Perhaps it is because this is a roster with seven newcomers trying to learn a complicated new defensive scheme.  Or may it is because of Tech’s new pace of play, which adds more possessions to each game.  Then again, it may just be that the personnel assembled by head coach Mark Adams is foul-prone.

But whatever the reason may be, Tech ranks 269th nationally and 8th in the Big 12 in personal fouls per game at 18.3.  And that tendency bit the Red Raiders in the keister against Providence as the Friars were awarded 38 free throws.  Of those, they made 28, which was four more than Tech shot and which was a huge factor in that loss.

What’s more, for the season, Tech has six players averaging at least two personal fouls per contest.  Chief among them is Kevin McCullar Jr., one of the Red Raiders’ most important players.

The guard is leading the team with 3.9 fouls per game.  And of course, against Providence, he fouled out on a braindead play where he needlessly went for a steal late in the contest.  Who knows if his leadership and presence on the court would have changed the outcome of that contest but it would have been nice to find out instead of seeing him watch the game’s deciding moments from the bench.

But McCullar isn’t the only foul-prone Red Raider.  Senior forward Bryson Williams is no stranger to the whistle either.  He averages 2.9 fouls per game and has racked up at least four fouls in three games this year while also fouling out against Providence.

Shooting 75.3% from the line this year, Tennessee is a very good free-throw shooting team.  Thus, Tech can’t allow the Vols to live at the line as Providence did.  If that happens again, this game will likely go the same way.