March is here and so too will be the postseason. But many Texas Tech basketball fans are fearing that the Red Raiders are hitting a lull at the wrong time of the season.
Granted, Tech is a very respectable 5-2 since February 12. That’s nothing to turn your nose up at, especially given the strength of the Big 12.
But in recent games, the Red Raiders have not looked right. Of course, there was the 20-turnover loss to TCU in Fort Worth and Saturday’s 52-51 loss at Oklahoma State in which Tech scored only two points in the final nine-plus minutes of the contest.
But there was also the 73-68 win over a Kansas State team that was missing their point guard and which is almost certain to miss the NCAA Tournament – a game that came down to KSU’s final shot.
Certainly, something feels a bit off about the way Tech has been playing versus the way Mark Adams had his team playing three weeks ago when Tech took down both Baylor and Texas in the same week.
Maybe the games have grown tougher because we are nearing Selection Sunday and the lower and mid-tier teams in the conference are playing with greater desperation as they attempt to move off the bubble and squarely into the field of 68. Perhaps Tech has hit a wall physically, especially given the recent run of injuries that have befallen this team.
But whatever the reason may be for the recent struggles that Tech has endured, the good news is that the Red Raiders have put themselves in a position to be certain of their inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. Still, Tech fans (and certainly the players and coaches as well) have higher aspirations than simply being included in the tournament – we all want to see the Red Raiders do some serious damage in March.
So let’s take a look at what this team needs to do in order to make the most out of March. And let’s start by looking at the No. 1 improvement that could turn Tech into a dangerous team this month.