I can only imagine how refreshing this feels for Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech basketball team. On Saturday, the Red Raiders got the chance to go out and play basketball. They didn’t have to continue to dwell on the fact that JT Toppin was out due to injury.
They’ve accepted that fact and approached Saturday’s matchup against Kansas State with a seriousness and a dedication that was welcomed to see. And I’ve got a few thoughts. Here’s a handful of takeaways from Texas Tech’s 100-72 win over the Kansas State Wildcats.
No. 1: The scoring, rebounding, and shot blocking by committee is refreshing to see from Texas Tech
While it was always so much fun to see JT Toppin and Christian Anderson just enter a game and completely and totally take over, it’s fascinating on how enjoyable it was to see Texas Tech do everything possible to move the ball around more effectively.
Texas Tech really might have a higher ceiling as a collective unit following Toppin’s injury, just as McCasland mentioned. I don’t know if that’s accurate, but I know that McCasland doesn’t look crazy following Texas Tech’s 28-point win.
Having five players in double digits scoring, six players with at least four rebounds, and then eight blocks from a total of six players, it’s clear that the Red Raiders are responding in such fascinating ways.
No. 2: Excellent three-point shooting can continue to elevate Texas Tech’s ceiling in significant ways
Following up on that, again, it’s really starting to feel like McCasland’s bold statement about the higher ceiling held by this team as a whole following Toppin’s injury might just be accurate. It’s fascinating, but the Red Raiders were able to get a number of players involved and producing at a high level following Toppin’s injury.
Maybe that has to do with the fact that Kansas State really isn’t all that great, but it’s encouraging to see 18 assists for Texas Tech. And also it’s encouraging to see Texas Tech make 13-of-28 three point attempts. The Red Raiders aren’t afraid to shoot from behind the three point line and that might do enough to elevate Texas Tech’s offensive approach.
No. 3: Texas Tech’s bench has a number of helpful contributors who didn’t try to do too much against Kansas State
I’ve had a few concerns with Texas Tech’s bench all season up until this point, but now I’m starting to see plenty of room for growth and plenty of opportunities to achieve that growth over the next few weeks as we get closer and closer to the postseason.
Texas Tech saw Moseley grab five rebounds and score four points, Akuentok grab four rebounds and block a shot, and then Bryan grab four rebounds, block a shot, and drain a shot from behind the three point line.
None of them did anything overwhelmingly complex, but all three played a collectively pivotal role of providing much needed depth for Texas Tech.