Texas Tech basketball: What has to happen for the Red Raiders to win in Austin

Warren Washington has to give Texas Tech an inside presence

Games like this are why Texas Tech brought Warren Washington to Lubbock from Arizona State this offseason. In fact, he could be the most important Red Raider on the floor tonight, especially if he can stay on the floor for most of the game.

Texas will have a size advantage in the paint. 6-foot-11 Kadin Shedrick averages 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds for them while 6-foot-9 Dylan Disu puts up 11.5 points and 3.3 boards and 6-foot-8 Dillon Mitchell contributes 11.0 points and 9.3 rebounds.

The Horns can come at Tech with waves of forwards in a manner that McCasland simply can't match. Therefore, Washington has to be at his best and be a difference-maker in the paint.

Thus far, he's been a solid contributor averaging 9.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. However, it feels as if there is another gear that he could possibly get to.

At times, he's been dominant against lesser opponents with no size in the middle. He had 18 points and 12 boards against Oral Roberts and 13 and 8 against Texas A&M-C.C.

However, against Villanova, he had only 7 points and six rebounds and at Butler he posted a modest 10-point, 6-rebound effort. He'll have to be better than that tonight. He must be a player who makes a difference on both ends of the floor and he'll likely have to post a double-double if his team is going to come out on top.