Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders are about to play one of the biggest games of the Big 12 this season as they head on up to Ames, Iowa to meet up with the No. 4 ranked Iowa State Cyclones. This matchup is huge and unfortunately, it’s going to happen while Texas Tech is having to play without the services of one of the best players in the country.
This game is already pivotal, but could you imagine how much bigger it would feel if JT Toppin was available for the Red Raiders? That’d be incredible from a Big 12 and national perspective. And also I’d probably feel a little better about Texas Tech’s chances in this game.Â
With Toppin out and with this game being against one of the clearly best teams in the country, I’ve got a few questions that Texas Tech absolutely must answer in this game.
Let’s get into them.
No. 1: How will the Red Raiders do rebounding on the road against Iowa State without Toppin?
Look, I get it, Texas Tech did just fine without Toppin in the past two games that they’ve played. The Red Raiders had no issues rebounding against Kansas State or Cincinnati. But how does that translate when playing Iowa State? The Cyclones are aggressive and tough to handle. Can Texas Tech beat them (or at least keep up with them) when it comes to getting rebounds?Â
No. 2: Can Christian Anderson handle the pressure that Iowa State will apply?
With Toppin out, all eyes will be on Christian Anderson as he continues to lead the Red Raiders in such an excellent way. But Iowa State has a pretty solid defense that is tough to deal with.Â
While Anderson is one of the best at dishing out assists (7.7 per game), Iowa State is one of the best at locking down opposing players (8.8 steals per game). Can Texas Tech get Anderson enough support to get around that defense?
No. 3: Does this game reveal what Texas Tech’s ceiling is without JT Toppin?
We’ve seen so much potential from the Red Raiders at times this season and it’s been fascinating to watch the Texas Tech men’s basketball team play over the past couple games with Toppin out. The approach seems to have changed and Anderson is such an engine for the Red Raiders offense. But Iowa State is a different beast.
When Texas Tech beat No. 3 Duke, No. 6 Houston, and No. 1 Arizona, it was evident that Toppin was playing a key role. Can the Red Raiders get a fourth top 10 win without him? Will Anderson get enough help from other contributors on this team?