Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0, 0-0)
Bad Guys: Wyoming Cowboys (2-0, 0-0)
When to Watch: Wednesday, November 13th @ 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 -22.5
Advanced Stats
| TEXAS TECH | STAT | WYOMING |
|---|---|---|
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Kevin Overton (6-5/200) | 14.5 / 3.0 |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Chance McMillian (6-3/190) | 15.0 / 3.0* |
| SMALL FORWARD | Kerwin Walton (6-5/210) | 16.0 / 3.5 |
| POWER FORWARD | Darrion Williams (6-6/225) | 12.5 / 7.0 |
| CENTER | JT Toppin (6-9/225) | 22.0 / 7.5 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Devan Cambridge (6-6/210) | 5.0 / 4.5 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Federiko Federiko (6-11/215) | 5.0 / 4.5 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Elijah Hawkins (5-11/160) | – / – |
| NINTH MAN | Christian Anderson (6-2/165) | – / – |
| TENTH MAN | Eemeli Yalaho (6-8/240) | – / – |
| ELEVENTH MAN | Leon Horner (6-4/215) | – / – |
| TWELFTH MAN | Corbin Green (6-5/230) | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| THIRTEENTH MAN | Jazz Henderson (5-11/175) | – / – |
| FOURTEENTH MAN | Jack Francis (6-3/185) | 0.0 / 0.0 |
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
| POINT GUARD | Obi Agbim (6-3/180) | 24.5 / 4.5* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Jordan Nesbitt (6-6/210) | 13.0 / 11.5 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Dontaie Allen (6-6/210) | 4.5 / 2.0 |
| POWER FORWARD | Cole Henry (6-9/240) | 9.5 / 5.5 |
| CENTER | Touko Tainamo (6-9/220) | 9.5 / 3.5 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Kobe Newton (6-2/178) | 11.0 / 2.0 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Abu Magassa (6-7/215) | 5.5 / 5.0 |
| EIGHTH MAN | A.J. Wills (6-2/160) | 4.5 / 2.5* |
| NINTH MAN | Oleg Kojenets (7-0/228) | 1.5 / 2.5 |
| TENTH MAN | Scottie Ebube (6-10/275) | 11.0 / 2.0 |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. We get a bit more data so this is great. It’s still not a ton, but it’s something. Wyoming is a very good shooting team thus far, making 50% of their 3-point shots, which puts them 5th in the nation. The Cowboys are a team that doesn’t turn the ball over a ton and they do not go after any offensive boards, 235th overall. As you would guess with a team that shoots from the outside, Wyoming is 345th in free throw percentage, but they are also a team that currently sits 26th in block percentage. Defensively, they are great at holding opponents from making 3-point shots, 5th in the nation, and that’s about the best thing they do on the defensive side of the ball. They will put opposing teams on the line, 327th and are 252nd in allowing offensive boards.
2. Scouting. Who’s making all of these 3’s? Again, small sample size, but Agbim and Newton are both shooting the ball really well, Newton is mainly shooting just from beyond the arc. Both Agbim and Newton pass the ball well. Nesbitt is a very good rebounder as is Henry and Magassa.
3. How They Match Up. The stats are pretty pretty different between each computer model. I think I tend to believe T-Rank out of all of them, as the defense has been good, but not top-20. However, the offense has been really efficient and that’s without your two top point guards. Texas Tech is a top-30 3-point shooting team and top-60 2-point shooting team. And of course the other part of this is that Texas Tech assistant coach Jeff Linder was the head coach at Wyoming just a few months ago, the current head coach, Sundance Wicks, was an assistant under Linder for 3 years. I am sure there are some players that are motivated.
4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Nathan Giese: Darrion Williams is Texas Tech basketball’s evidence that positionless players are real
Another is that, like many in his generation, Williams thinks defined position names like point guard are outdated and unnecessary.
“We’re all basketball players,” Williams said. “We often handle the ball. I feel like the label point guard’s kind of overrated. We’re all just basketball players. (Kevin Overton) can handle it, I can handle it. Pretty much anybody on our team can do it.”
Williams is probably right on both counts, mostly because he’s been the living embodiment of the positionless basketball player since he first got to Texas Tech. Those qualities have only amplified in the Red Raiders’ first two games of the season.
Red Raider Sports’ Justin Apodaca: What are the challenges that Wyoming will pose to Tech basketball?
RRS: Who are the players to watch for on Wednesday for Wyoming?
First-year Wyoming coach Sundance Wicks has said the Cowboys need three of their four top guards to play well on a given night. That includes Obi Agbim, Jordan Nesbitt, Kobe Newton and Dontaie Allen. Agbim has been the top scorer out of the bunch so far, averaging 24.5 points through the Cowboys’ first two games this season. Allen shot poorly in their win over Tennessee State on Sunday, so I’d expect him to shoot a little bit, as well.
Pokes Insider’s Ryan Thornburn: Pokes Insider: Sundance Wicks appreciative of Jeff Linder ahead of reunion
Wicks and Linder will reunite on the court when UW plays Texas Tech on Wednesday at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas (6 p.m., ESPN+).
“I just love him. He’s the reason why I’m here,” Wicks said. “I’ll never take that for granted. Highly grateful, will always be. I love his family. His kids are great, wife’s great.”
Wicks played for legendary coach Don Meyer at Northern State before starting his coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater. After stops at Colorado, Northern Illinois, San Francisco and a second stint at Northern State, he became a head coach at Missouri Western.
But when Linder called the Gillette native home to be an assistant at UW in 2020, Wicks jumped at the opportunity.
“He is so good, man, so smart,” Wicks said. “I’m not even one-tenth of a coach from a basketball standpoint that Jeff is but that’s why I learned so much in my three years with him. I reference him a lot that he was like for me the modern-day Don Meyer. I didn’t have that mentor when Coach Meyer died.”
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:
Game 3 of a four-game homestand to start the Texas Tech men’s basketball season is on tap for Wednesday night at United Supermarkets Arena.
The Red Raiders have started the season with a 2-0 record for the ninth straight time and won 32 straight non-conference home games after rolling through Bethune-Cookman and Northwestern State during the opening week of the college basketball season and will now host Wyoming at 7 p.m. in their only game this week. Tech (2-0) comes into the game averaging 90.0 points, are shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 22-for-49 (44.9 percent) on 3-pointers and are at 16.0 assists and only 10.5 turnovers per game. The Cowboys (2-0) earned an 81-66 win over Tennessee State on Sunday afternoon after beginning their season with a 108-85 win over Concordia-St. Paul.