K-State Wildcats vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders: Basketball lineups, TV, time, prediction
The details
When/where: 8 p.m. Monday, United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock, Texas
TV/radio: ESPN2; KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita, KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City.
About Kansas State (14-14, 6-10 Big 12): The Wildcats have lost three straight games and have fallen out of the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation over the past two weeks. If they have any hope of earning an at-large berth into March Madness, they absolutely need to beat the Red Raiders on the road. They defeated Texas Tech 62-51 earlier this season at Bramlage Coliseum. Nijel Pack led K-State with 14 points in that game, while Markquis Nowell ahd seven points, nine assists and five steals. The Wildcats have lost seven straight road games against Texas Tech.
About No. 9 Texas Tech (22-7, 11-5 Big 12): The Red Raiders are coming off a 69-66 road loss against TCU, but they had won four straight games before that to become a factor in the Big 12 championship race. It is unlikely they will catch Kansas in the conference standings, but they are only two games behind in the loss column. A pair of victories to close out the season against K-State and Oklahoma State would keep their chances alive. Texas Tech is one of the premier defensive teams in the country and has been exceptionally strong at home this season. The Red Raiders are a perfect 17-0 at United Supermarkets Arena. Most impressive of all, they have won 16 of those games by double digits.
Projected lineups
P | No. | Kansas State | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 21 | Davion Bradford | 7-0 | So. | 3.5 |
G | 00 | Mike McGuirl | 6-3 | Sr. | 7.0 |
G | 13 | Mark Smith | 6-4 | Sr. | 12.3 |
G | 24 | Nijel Pack | 6-0 | So. | 17.8 |
G | 1 | Markquis Nowell | 5-8 | Jr. | 12.6 |
P | No. | Texas Tech | Ht. | Yr. | PPG |
F | 0 | Kevin Obanor | 6-8 | Sr. | 9.8 |
F | 11 | Bryson Williams | 6-8 | Sr. | 13.9 |
G | 2 | Davion Warren | 6-6 | Sr. | 9.8 |
G | 1 | Terrence Shannon | 6-6 | Jr. | 10.9 |
G | 25 | Adonis Arms | 6-5 | Sr. | 8.5 |
Prediction
It’s hard to expect Kansas State to seriously challenge Texas Tech in this game.
Yes, the Wildcats upset the Red Raiders 62-51 earlier this season at Bramlage Coliseum, but Mark Adams’ team is virtually unbeatable at home with a packed crowd of 15,098 cheering them on.
Texas Tech has won all 17 of its games at United Supermarkets Arena this season with an average victory margin of 22 points.
This would go down as K-State’s most impressive victory of the season if the Wildcats can pull off a road upset, and potentially crack the door open for a return to the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation. But it’s unlikely to happen. Texas Tech will be favored by double digits.
If the Wildcats have any hopes of winning they need to play at a slow pace and hope Texas Tech misses a bunch of three-pointers. The Red Raiders are one of the worst outside shooting teams in the Big 12 and have lost some low-scoring games this season.
They can also be prone to turnovers, which is something Markquis Nowell could take advantage of on defense.
Still, the mistakes Texas Tech occasionally makes on the road don’t seem to happen at home. Expect the Red Raiders to make shots, push the score into the 70s and win by double digits.
Texas Tech 74, K-State 60.
This story was originally published February 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM.