At 8-3, things certainly aren’t perfect for the Texas Tech Red Raiders men’s basketball team so far this season. That said, it’s early. There’s plenty of great opportunities up ahead for the Red Raiders as long as they don’t slip up.
Like Texas TEch’s neutral site matchup against the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils, for example. Great chance to do something good! Go get a win against a highly ranked team for the first time this season! Maybe. Possibly. We’ll see.
I was taking a look at the Big 12 standings and records and I noticed that the Red Raiders aren’t exactly doing all that great. And while Big 12 play hasn’t started yet, there's something specific that stood out to me about how TTU is doing so far this season.
Big 12 standings and records ahead of No. 19 Texas Tech’s matchup with the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils
Here’s where the Red Raiders sit in the Big 12 as Texas Tech prepares to meet up with the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils:
- Iowa State Cyclones (11-0 overall)
- Arizona Wildcats (10-0 overall)
- BYU Cougars (11-1 overall)
- Colorado Buffaloes (10-1 overall)
- Houston Cougars (10-1 overall)
- Oklahoma State Cowboys (10-1 overall)
- UCF Knights (9-1 overall)
- Baylor Bears (8-2 overall)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (9-3 overall)
- Kansas Jayhawks (9-3 overall)
- TCU Horned Frogs (8-3 overall)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-3 overall)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (8-4 overall)
- Cincinnati Bearcats (7-4 overall)
- Kansas State Wildcats (7-4 overall)
- Utah Utes (7-4 overall)
The reason for Texas TEch being so low on this list? Well, it’s because of the way the Red Raiders are struggling when playing somewhere other than at home. Texas Tech is a perfect 6-0 when playing in Lubbock. Unbeaten. Unblemished record there.
And away from Lubbock? In neutral site games? Uhhh, well, a combined 2-3 in away and neutral site games. If you wanted to break that up, it’s 0-1 in away games and 2-2 in neutral site matchups.
Yeah, I get that it’s early in the season and those matchups were against quality opponents who are all very loaded with talent, but that’s not ideal! It’s far from ideal! It’s not where the Red Raiders need to be right now.
Can No. 19 Texas Tech get a statement win vs. No. 3 Duke before the Big 12 grind gets started?
Texas Tech’s neutral site matchup with the 3rd-ranked Blue Devils provides the Red Raiders with the perfect sort of opportunity to show what the ceiling on this particular season could be. We’ve seen Duke struggle against some foes before (take the No. 15 Florida Gators for example, a team that the Blue Devils won by just a single point).
Can Texas Tech challenge Duke in this matchup? It’d be pretty pivotal for the Red Raiders season if they did. But Cameron Boozer (23.3 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game) is a force to be reckoned with and it’ll be interesting to see how JT Toppin (21.9 points per game, 10.6 rebounds per game) matches up against him.