Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-2, 0-0)
Bad Guys: Sam Houston Bearkats (6-7, 0-0)
When to Watch: Thursday, December 28th @ 7:00 pm
Where to Watch: United Supermarkets Arena | Lubbock, Texas
How to Watch: ESPN+
How to Listen: 97.3 FM | Affiliates | Varsity Network
The Line: Texas Tech -17.5
Advanced Stats
| TEXAS TECH | STAT | SAM HOUSTON |
|---|---|---|
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Joe Toussaint (6-0/195) | 15.0 / 4.0* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Pop Isaacs (6-2/180) | 14.3 / 3.5* |
| SMALL FORWARD | Kerwin Walton (6-5/210) | 6.2 / 1.7 |
| POWER FORWARD | Darrion Williams (6-8/225) | 9.8 / 7.5 |
| CENTER | Warren Washington (7-0/235) | 9.0 / 8.6 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Chance McMillian (6-3/185) | 8.4 / 3.6 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Lamar Washington (6-4/200) | 3.9 / 1.9 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Robert Jennings (6-7/230) | 1.9 / 2.4 |
| NINTH MAN | KyeRon Lindsay (6-8/215) | 2.0 / 1.0 |
| TENTH MAN | Eemeli Yalaho (6-8/240) | 0.4 / 0.4 |
| ELEVENTH MAN | D’Maurian Williams (6-3/195) | 0.7 / 0.7 |
| TWELFTH MAN | Drew Steffe (6-5/200) | – / – |
| THIRTEENTH MAN | Jack Francis (6-3/185) | 0.00 / 0.00 |
| FOURTEENTH MAN | Devan Cambridge (6-6/210) | Out for Year |
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
| POINT GUARD | Jaden Ray (5-10/165) | 6.8 / 4.3* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Lamar Wilkerson (6-4/205) | 12.9 / 2.8 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Davon Barnes (6-5/215) | 14.0 / 3.5 |
| POWER FORWARD | Cameron Huefner (6-7/210) | 6.8 / 3.6 |
| CENTER | Souleymane Doumbia (6-11/230) | 6.6 / 5.6 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Damon Nicholas, Jr. (6-4/195) | 7.4 / 5.5 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Marcus Boykin (6-1/190) | 5.5 / 1.2 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Anthony Wrzeszcz (6-4/185) | 4.3 / 1.6 |
| NINTH MAN | Kian Scroggins (6-7/235) | 7.2 / 5.3 |
| TENTH MAN | Lewis Rowe (6-10/250) | 0.7 / 1.4 |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. The Bearkats are not a good shooting team, 326th in 2-point shooting and 219th in 3-point shooting and that’s a problem. They are also 228th in turnover percentage and 200th in offensive rebounding, so the numbers aren’t great. The free throw rate is what saves Sam Houston, 51st in the nation. Defensively, things are better and Sam Houston does force turnovers, 51st in the nation and 70th in holding opposing teams in 3-point shooting. However, they are one of the worst in the nation as they are 323rd in opponent 2-point shooting.
2. Scouting. Just an FYI, Kian Scroggins (6’7″) didn’t play the last time out so not sure what’s happened, but he is one of the team’s best rebounders and shooters inside, 62% on 2-point shots. Wilkerson and Barnes get the most minutes, have low turnover percentages and can shoot free throws. Ray gets 67% of minutes, but he’s got issues, he is a high assist guy, but also high turnover and if you want to let one guy shoot, it’s him, 32% inside the arc and 29% outside. It’s killing Sam Houston to have such an unproductive shooter.
3. How They Match Up. Texas Tech should have advantages at shooting the 3-point shot and should score at-will inside. Defensively, Texas Tech should stop Sam Houston, they aren’t a good shooting team. Washington being able to neutralize Doumbia would be key and keeping him off the offensive boards. Most teams don’t have an answer for Williams and I don’t see that Huefner can do that.
As an aside, T-Rank has predicted that Texas Tech will win 19 games all year long. Texas Tech has already won 9 games, and Texas Tech should beat Sam Houston and North Alabama. That means that T-Rank thinks that Texas Tech will break even in the Big 12 at 9-9. They also have Texas Tech losing a 4-game stretch to Houston on the road, BYU at home, Oklahoma and TCU away. Of the Big 12 games, 11 of them are supposed to be between 4 points one way or another.
4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:
Texas Tech is on a four-game winning streak with two non-conference games remaining on its schedule that resumes against Sam Houston at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the final game of the 2023 calendar year at United Supermarkets Arena.
The Red Raiders (9-2) are currently 6-0 at home this season and on a 28-game non-conference home winning streak after a 77-66 win over UTA last Thursday with Joe Toussaint leading the team with 19 points and Pop Isaacs scoring 18. Darrion Williams and Warren Washington both just missed out on double-doubles in the game with Williams providing 14 points, nine rebounds, and a season-high six assists while Washington had 10 rebounds, eight points, and three blocks. Tech led by as many as 20 points in the win where it made 10 3-pointers and finished the game 11-for-13 at the free-throw line to boost their Big 12-leading percentage to 78.0 for the season.