Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders sluggish in loss to Wildcats
It turns out that playing five games in ten days was just too much for the Texas Tech basketball team to overcome on Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas as the Red Raiders looked lethargic and worn out in their 62-51 loss to Kansas State.
It was apparent early that Tech was not firing on all cylinders as Mark Adams’ team fell into an early 11-3 hole in the first nine minutes of the game. And though the Red Raiders would storm back to take a two-point lead into the intermission, there was simply nothing left in reserve for the second half as the Wildcats, who were playing only their third game in the last ten days, pulled way by outscoring Tech 36-23 in the second half.
So let’s take a closer look at the Red Raiders’ second Big 12 loss of the season to see just where this game got away from them. Here are some takeaways from Saturday’s dud of a showing.
Shannon struggles
Having missed the last seven games with a back injury, forward Terrence Shannon Jr. struggled in his return to play on Saturday. Coming off the bench to play 18 minutes, Tech’s leading scorer on the season was just 1-3 from the field and scored just two points.
It wasn’t fair to expect Shannon to simply jump back into the fray and dominate the Wildcats after a month away from live action. Thus, we shouldn’t be all that concerned about the way the junior played on Saturday.
In the wake of this loss, some skeptical fans have suggested that Shannon’s presence on the court was a reason for Tech’s strugges given how well the team was playing over the past week without him in the lineup. That idea is preposterous as the Red Raiders need Shannon in order to reach their full potential. He is Tech’s most gifted player and he will return to form after knocking some of the rust off. When that happens, this team will be better for it.
Williams continues to play at a high level
Senior forward Bryson Williams continued his recent stretch of excellent play by pouring in a team-high 20 points on Saturday. That’s one of the few positives Tech fans can take from this game.
Shooting 9-15 from the field and 2-3 from 3-point range, the UTEP transfer was by far Tech’s best player. In fact, he was the only Red Raider in double-digits on the scoreboard.
Tech needs Williams to continue to play the way he has over his last four games. During that time, he’s afteraged 16.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. Unfortunatley, he was the only Red Raider to be a difference-maker on Saturday.
Kevin McCullar Jr. was only 3-9 from the floor for just six points as he continues to show the effects of a sprained ankle sustained in practice prior to the Iowa State game on January 5th. Meanwhile, Adonis Arms was able to score just two points after averaging 13.5 points in his last two outings. That’s a recipe for defeat for the Red Raiders and the lack of production from McCullar and Arms was one reason that Tech struggled on Saturday.
Uncharacteristic play
One reason you could argue that Tech was out of gas on Saturday was the fact that the Red Raiders struggled in a number of areas that aren’t typically problematic for them.
For instance, they turned the ball over 18 times. That’s the most this team has given the ball away in Big 12 play thus far.
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders, one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, were beaten on the glass 33-29 by the Wildcats. That included the fact that Tech managed to grab just six offensive rebounds on the day.
Tech also shot just 39.6% from the field, which is a far cry from the 50.9% that the Red Raiders had shot over their three previous games. While some of that has to be attributed to a stout K-State defense, it also was a by-product of not having the juice needed to beat defenders off the dribble as time and again, Tech setteled for mid-range jumpers rather than trying to get to the bucket. That’s the sign of an exhasted team, which Tech clearly was on Saturday.