TCU can’t afford to overlook red hot Texas Tech
At this point of the season every game is crucial and Saturday’s showdown between No. 24 TCU and Texas Tech has massive implications for both men’s basketball teams.
Let’s start with the Horned Frogs, who are just 2-6 since Mike Miles Jr. injured his knee against Mississippi State on Jan. 28. TCU went 1-5 without him in the lineup and is 1-1 with a win over Oklahoma State and close loss to Kansas since his return to the lineup.
While the Horned Frogs are firmly in the NCAA Tournament, TCU (18-10, 7-8) wants to build momentum for the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders (16-12, 5-10) also qualify as a potential Quad 1 victory. It’s a win that could bump TCU up a seed line for the Big Dance.
On the flip side, the Red Raiders are fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives and have won four games in a row including massive wins over Kansas State and Texas at home. Another win over a ranked TCU team could be enough to get Tech on the right side of the bubble.
Here are three keys for the game that is set for 11 a.m. Saturday and will be broadcast on on ESPN2:
Big-time transfer
Utah Valley transfer Fardaws Aimaq was one of the top-rated transfer this off-season, but his impact has been limited with Texas Tech due to injuries. Well Aimaq is back in the lineup and has been a driving force during the Red Raiders’ winning streak.
After scoring just two points in the win over Kansas State on Feb. 11, Aimaq has scored in double figures three straight games including 19 points and 10 rebounds against Oklahoma on Feb. 21. A skilled, below-the-rim finisher, Aimaq gives the Red Raiders another scoring option and an underrated passer.
Whether it’s Eddie Lampkin, Xavier Cork or JaKobe Coles, TCU’s big men will have to limit his impact on the game.
Guard play
The Red Raiders have a trio of solid guards that all average double figures. De’Vion Harmon is the best of the bunch and is second on the team with 13.5 points per game. The Denton native is an aggressive scorer that can get hot in a hurry like he did when he scored 25 points against Texas.
Freshman guard Pop Isaacs is another good one. Isaacs led Tech in scoring in TCU’s 67-61 win on New Year’s Eve with 17 points. He and Jaylon Tyson are two knock down shooters with Isaacs making 38% of his 3-pointers while Tyson is even better at 41%.
Tyson gives the Red Raiders good size on the wing as the Plano native is 6-foot-6 and the team’s second-leading rebounder while averaging over 11 points. Miles and Damion Baugh were the more effective guard group the first time around, they’ll need to do the same on the road for TCU to secure a sweep.
Repeat strategy on Obanor?
Senior forward, 6-foot-8 Kevin Obanor has been the Red Raiders’ best player with Aimaq sidelined most of the year. Obanor averages almost 15 points per game and over six rebounds per contest while being an excellent free throw shooter and capable 3-pointer shooter.
The Horned Frogs shut down Obanor in the first matchup as he was held to just six points on 2-of-7 shooting. If TCU is able to replicate that type of defensive performance then the odds for a victory sky rocket. Texas Tech is just 2-5 in games when Obanor doesn’t score double digits. One of those wins was a near 30-point blowout of Northwestern State.
Slowing him down will be harder with Aimaq on the floor, but TCU has shown its capable of slowing down scorers like Obanor.
Depth advantage?
Based on what we’ve seen over the last two months, the Horned Frogs should have the edge in overall depth. Coles and Shahada Wells have taken their games to another level in 2023 with Coles scoring double digits in six of the last eight games while Wells has scored 10 or more in five of the last eight.
Cork has been solid off the bench or starting at center. Chuck O’Bannon hasn’t found his rhythm in his new role off the bench, but he’s capable of hitting key shots. On the flip side, the Red Raiders have more questions than answers on the bench especially with 6’11 forward Daniel Batcho’s status in question. Batcho, who started in Aimaq’s place most of the year, has missed the last three games.
Of the four players averaging at least 10 minutes off the bench, none are averaging more than four points per game. The Red Raiders’ bench outscored TCU in the last matchup. That can’t happen again if TCU expects to win.
