Texas Tech University Athletics
Men's Basketball Faces Quick Turnaround at TCU on Monday
January 17, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2016
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The Texas Tech men's basketball faces its fastest turnaround of the Big 12 schedule as the Red Raiders meet TCU on Monday at Schollmaier Arena.
Tipoff is on-tap for 6 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU along with www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Dave Armstrong and Fran Fraschilla will serve as the announcing team.
The Texas Tech Sports Network will carry the game live on its flagship stations 97.3 FM, 100.7 FM and 950 AM in Lubbock. Brian Hanni and Chris Level will have the call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the radio affiliates of the Texas Tech Sports Network, online at www.TexasTech.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
Texas Tech (11-5, 1-4 Big 12) will look to bounce back from Saturday's 63-60 setback to No. 22 Baylor in the closing seconds. The Red Raiders erased a seven-point deficit inside the final two minutes to even the score, but the Bears sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to hand Tech its fourth straight loss. Three of the four losses have come against Top 25 opponents.
"This team has solid people on it," Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith said. "They know we're playing some pretty good teams. They're doing the things we ask them to do. There are times when you wonder about the turnovers, but otherwise they're working extremely hard. I don't think they'll get down. I think they'll respond the right way for when we got to Fort Worth to play a tough TCU team."
TCU (9-8, 1-4 Big 12) captured its lone Big 12 win, 58-57, over Texas on Jan. 9. The Horned Frogs have dropped back-to-back road decisions at No. 22 Baylor and No. 1 Kansas. TCU won eight of its 12 nonconference games which included wins over a pair of Missouri Valley Conference teams in Bradley and Illinois State.
Saturday's contest marks the 125th meeting in the all-time series where the Red Raiders carry a 76-49 advantage. Tech has won four of the six meetings since the Frogs joined the Big 12 in 2012-13. TCU swept the season series last year by an average of 18.5 points per game.
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are fueled by Devaugntah Williams and Toddrick Gotcher who have combined for 25.1 points per game and 51 of the team's 81 three-pointers on the season.
Williams' 13.8 points per contest is 11th in the Big 12 rankings. Last time out, he returned to double figures with 16 points versus Baylor after going 7-for-32 over his previous three outings. Williams has pumped in double figures a team-leading 12 times and collected a trio of 20-plus point efforts.
Gotcher has garnered 11.3 points per game and fired in double figures in eight of his last 11 games where he has boosted his mark to 12.5 points per contest. His 1.9 treys and 39.0 three-point percentage both rank inside the Big 12's Top 12.
"Devaugntah did it with his defense, and that's what he needs to do," Smith said after the Baylor game. "It's good to have him back. He understands that he can do some other things to help the team win. D-Will being able to get to the free throw line and make shots is the reason we're in the game. Both he and Toddrick had wide-open three's that didn't go down for them. If they make 50 percent of those, we probably win the game."
Tech's interior play is sparked by Norense Odiase and Zach Smith. The duo has been limited to a combined 20 points on a 7-for-26 shooting effort over the last two games. Smith continues to be among the Big 12's elite with 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game coupled with 9.6 points per contest whereas Odiase has averaged 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds game.
Keenan Evans has anchored the point guard position with 7.7 points and 2.7 assists per game. He turned in four points, five rebounds and two assists during the Baylor game. Over his last 10 games, Evans has distributed 30 assists against 14 turnovers.
The Red Raider bench rotation is led by Justin Gray, Aaron Ross, Matthew Temple and Devon Thomas who see over 10 minutes of action per game.
Ross has notched double figures in back-to-back Big 12 contests for the first time in his career. He poured in a Big 12 career-high 14 points against Baylor. Ross has upped his scoring average to 8.9 points per game on a crisp 24-of-42 shooting during Tech's last eight games.
Gray has provided 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He has amassed 25 of his 51 rebounds on the offensive end. Gray has hit his stride with 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in his last four efforts.
Thomas has tallied 3.1 points and 1.4 assists per game as Tech's backup point guard whereas Temple has totaled 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in Big 12 play.
About TCU
TCU has won four of their last six Big 12 home games heading into Monday's contest. The Horned Frogs will be playing their fifth game in the newly renovated Schollmaier Arena which opened on Dec. 20.
Malique Trent has posted a team-leading 11.7 points per game to go along with 2.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He has secured double figures in four of his last six outings. However, Trent has missed TCU's last two games due to a violation of team rules.
Vladimir Brodziansky has picked up 11.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He garnered 10-plus points in 10 of 12 non-conference games but has been limited to 5.6 points per game during conference play.
Chauncey Collins has served as TCU's top scorer in Big 12 action with 12.0 points per game. He has returned to the starting lineup for the Frogs' last two games. Collins has knocked down 27 of his 41 field goals from beyond the three-point arc and dialed up a career-best 20 points versus then No. 17 West Virginia on Jan. 4.
Karviar Shepherd has picked up 8.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The junior forward is three rebounds shy from reaching 500 for his career. Brandon Parrish has chipped in 8.5 points per game and his 52 percent shooting clip from three-point territory ranks second on the Big 12 leaderboard.
Up Next
The Red Raiders wrap up a stretch of four consecutive Saturday home games and will play their fourth ranked opponents in their last six game as No. 11 West Virginia visits United Supermarkets Arena. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNEWS in addition to being available on www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.
Fans can purchase tickets to Saturday's game online at www.TexasTech.com for as low as $15 and on gameday starting 90 minutes prior to tipoff at the United Supermarkets Arena Ticket Office.
Visit www.TexasTech.com for the latest news and information on the men's basketball program. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/TexasTechMBB and @TexasTechMBB on Twitter.
