Game Info
Good Guys: Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-3, 2-1)
Bad Guys: Iowa State Cyclones (13-1, 3-0)
When to Watch: Tuesday, January 7th @ 8:00 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 -2
Advanced Stats
| TEXAS TECH | STAT | IOWA STATE |
|---|---|---|
Lineups
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
|---|---|---|
| POINT GUARD | Elijah Hawkins (5-11/160) | 8.9 / 5.6* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Chance McMillian (6-3/190) | 15.6 / 4.3 |
| SMALL FORWARD | Kerwin Walton (6-5/210) | 5.1 / 1.6 |
| POWER FORWARD | Darrion Williams (6-6/225) | 16.4 / 5.7 |
| CENTER | JT Toppin (6-9/225) | 17.2 / 9.1 |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Kevin Overton (6-5/200) | 10.5 / 4.1 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Christian Anderson (6-2/165) | 8.2 / 2.5* |
| EIGHTH MAN | Federiko Federiko (6-11/215) | 8.0 / 4.8 |
| NINTH MAN | Eemeli Yalaho (6-8/240) | 3.7 / 2.5 |
| TENTH MAN | Leon Horner (6-4/215) | 0.3 / 0.6 |
| ELEVENTH MAN | Jack Francis (6-3/185) | 0.3 / 0.3 |
| TWELFTH MAN | Corbin Green (6-5/230) | 0.0 / 0.5 |
| THIRTEENTH MAN | Jazz Henderson (5-11/175) | – / – |
| THE STARTERS | Pts / Reb | |
| POINT GUARD | Tamin Lipsey (6-1/200) | 10.5 / 3.4* |
| SHOOTING GUARD | Keshon Gilbert (6-4/200) | 16.2 / 4.7* |
| SMALL FORWARD | Milan Momcilovic (6-8/225) | 10.7 / 3.6 |
| POWER FORWARD | Joshua Jefferson (6-9/240) | 11.6 / 7.9 |
| CENTER | Dishon Jackson (6-11/260) | 9.6 / 5.4* |
| THE BENCH | Pts / Reb | |
| SIXTH MAN | Curtis Jones (6-4/195) | 16.6 / 4.1 |
| SEVENTH MAN | Nate Heise (6-5/212) | 4.2 / 2.4 |
| EIGHTH MAN | Brandton Chattfield (6-10/260) | 4.0 / 3.6 |
| NINTH MAN | – (-/-) | – / – |
| TENTH MAN | – (-/-) | – / – |
* Assists.
Starting 5
1. Stats. Iowa State is really, really good. Offensively, they are a team that doesn’t turn the ball over, 7th in the nation, 51st in offensive boards, 33rd in free throw rate, and 19th in 2-point shooting percentage. The only thing that’s somewhat mid is 3-point shooting, 107th in the nation. Defensively, the Cyclones are terrific at turning teams over, 19th in the nation, 70th in limiting offensive boards, and 17th in limiting free throw rate. They also guard the perimeter just fine, 58th in 2-point defense and 85th in 3-point defense. This end-result is a top-10 offense and defense.
2. Scouting. Every single player shoots over 50% from inside the arc. That’s what makes them great, which is that they just make shots. It’s pretty ridiculous. The only issue is that they don’t necessarily shoot great from deep, but it’s not terrible. Gilbert is the best passer and has the ball in his hands the most. He makes 60% of his shots. Jones is one of the better shooters, he takes most of the 3-point shots, makes 54% from inside and 39% from deep. Momcilovic is the best shooter from deep, 44%, but he’s not high volume necessarily. Jackson and Chatfield block a good amount of shots. Jefferson and Jackson are your main rebounders.
3. How They Match Up. Defense. / clap-clap clap-clap-clap / Iowa State is such a fantastic shooting team, playing terrific defense will be hugely critical. I want to emphasize that every critical player for Iowa State shoots above 50% from inside the arc. Texas Tech shoots really well too, so the question will be if Texas Tech’s defense can show up. The Cyclones really move the ball around, no one really has a high usage rate other than Gilbert. So they are passing and scoring. Texas Tech can shoot their way to a win, 11th in 3-point shooting while ISU is 85th in defense. This is likely going to be a highly entertaining game if everyone is hitting shots.
4. lagniappe | something given as a bonus or extra gift.
5. Official Site. The official site has their preview right here:
Coming off a couple of road victories, Texas Tech returns to its home court where it is 8-1 this season and has an opportunity to topple a top 10 opponent for the 11th straight season when the Red Raiders host No. 3 Iowa State at 1 p.m. on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena. Fans are encouraged to wear white to the game which will be broadcast on ESPN with Rich Hollenberg and Fran Fraschilla on the call.
“We’re excited to be back in the United Supermarkets Arena on Saturday to play a tremendous Iowa State team,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “Last year they had one of the best defenses in the country and now they have one of the best offenses and defenses in the country. Their improvement, maturity, experience, versatility, size and physicality makes them a great basketball team. We look forward to the opportunity to compete and protect home court because you have to if you want to win championships.”