As Grant McCasland and the No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raider men’s basketball team head on over to Provo, Utah to meet up with the BYU Cougars, they’re going to be meeting up with a team that has largely struggled down the stretch of the season.
But still, that doesn’t mean that the Red Raiders can afford to overlook BYU. While this is a team that has managed to lose four of its last five games, the Cougars still have a potent offense and plenty of potential. And it’s not like BYU is the only team that has a few issues right now.
Texas Tech is entering this game fresh off of a loss in Lubbock to the TCU Horned Frogs. Which, you know, isn’t ideal. Plus there’s the whole deal of having to play without JT Toppin. So, the No. 10 team in the country can’t afford to just simply overlook BYU even if the Cougars aren’t exactly the most impressive team in the country.
This is the regular season finale for both teams. The Big 12 tournament is around the corner and also there are NCAA seeds to lock up. This is a game that deserves some attention.
Is BYU’s senior night a trap game for Grant McCasland and the No. 10 Texas Tech Red Raiders?
In the first matchup between BYU and Texas Tech, the Red Raiders managed to win with relative ease, beating the Cougars 84-71 back in the middle of January. Toppin had 27 points and 13 rebounds while Christian Anderson added 22 points and seven assists.
That 13-point win felt notable and it sure would be nice if Texas Tech could go ahead and replicate it in this matchup on Saturday. But BYU is 5-3 at home in conference play and the Cougars, though injured a bit themselves, will still be looking forward to this matchup.
As Tech looks to get some momentum rolling as the Red Raiders get set for Kansas City, BYU is doing everything it can to avoid a four-game skid before the Big 12 tournament. The Red Raiders and the Cougars will tipoff at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.