Texas Tech basketball: Red Raiders sloppy in victory over UTA

Texas Tech used its tempo to generate offense

When McCasland was hired to lead this program, many were concerned about the pace his teams played with at UNT where the Eagles were one of the most deliberate squads in America. This year, though, Tech is really pushing the pace and that was again the case against UTA.

For the game, Tech came up with nine steals. That helped lead to a 13-4 edge in fast break points.

This Texas Tech team is not all that fantastic when trying to score in the half-court. But when Tech runs, they tend to find life much easier.

That's indicative of most teams with as many quality guards as Tech has. Players like Toussaint, Isaacs, and Darrion Williams all like to get out in transition and use their quickness to score before the defense can get set. Will that formula work in Big 12 play when games typically turn into cage matches? Only time will tell. It did yield results on Thursday, though.

Now, don't get confused. Tech isn't playing at breakneck speed. With an average of 69.2 possessions per game, Tech ranks just 280th out of 362 teams.

However, those numbers are an increase over previous years for McCasland. Of course, the pace could slow when conference action begins and that might not be the best outcome for this Red Raider squad.

On Thursday, one of the biggest reasons for Tech's high number of turnovers was the frenetic pace that broke out on several occasions. In those instances, Tech got the better of the action and had a nine-point advantage in fast break points. That proved to be important in an 11-point win.