Saturday, December 17
Richmond, Va.
11:30 AM
Texas Tech Athletics
at
Richmond
Red Raider Preview: Richmond
December 16, 2016 | Men's Basketball
RICHMOND, Va. – The Texas Tech men's basketball team will take its season's long six-game winning streak on the road for a Saturday meeting against Richmond at the Robins Center.
Tipoff is slated for 11:30 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU as part of the Atlantic 10's television package along with the Watch ESPN app. Mike Corey and Dalen Cuff 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. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
Texas Tech (9-1) blitzed Nicholls State in a convincing an 89-46 win out of its week-long finals break on Wednesday and have posted a 26.5 points per game margin during its six-game winning streak. The Red Raiders turned in their most impressive performance on the glass with a 46-18 advantage sparked by 16 offensive boards during the Nicholls State game.
Richmond (5-4) is one of the Atlantic 10's top programs and amassed 87 conference victories over the last nine seasons, second only to Dayton. The Spiders are extremely tough at home with a 93-27 record since 2009-10 and have won six of their last seven decisions against ranked opponents.
"Not only for this game against Richmond but for the rest of the season, we're going to have to show in Big 12 play the ability to compete on the backboards," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "We've made great strides through the early part of our season in rebounding. Richmond is a game that gives us a great opportunity to play against a high level team on the road which hopefully will prepare us for conference play."
Saturday's matchup is the second of a home-and-home series where Texas Tech emerged with an 85-70 decision over the Spiders at the United Supermarkets Arena last season. Keenan Evans was one of four players to secure double figures with 14 points and five assists, while Norense Odiase tacked on 14 points and nine rebounds. The Red Raiders managed a healthy 43-20 margin in rebounding.
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders head into Saturday's action in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings with No. 3 Kansas, Kansas State and TCU. Texas Tech is only behind undefeated and No. 4 Baylor.
The Red Raiders have been among the NCAA's Top 10 in field goal percentage over the last couple of weeks with a 52.4 clip. Texas Tech has shot over 50 percent in seven of its first 10 games which includes a stretch of five of its last six outings. On the defensive end, the Red Raiders have limited opponents to 58.5 points per game and under the 50-point mark four times.
Evans has pieced together double figures in a career-long five consecutive games and his 14.1 points per game are ninth in the Big 12 rankings. He has buried 47.2 of his three-point attempts and equaled his career-best with five treys en route to a 23-point performance against Nicholls State.
Anthony Livingston is second on the squad and 13th on the Big 12 ledger with 12.9 points per game. He has totaled 10-plus points five times and has two of Texas Tech's three best scoring efforts this season. The Evans-Livingston duo has sank 35 of the team's 69 three-pointers.
Aaron Ross returned to the fold after a five-game injury absence during the Nicholls State game. The fifth-year senior has picked up 11.8 points per game and compiled double figures in four of five games. Ross came away with a season's best 17 points versus Auburn during the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 22.
"Getting Aaron back is big for some many reasons," Beard said. "By far, he's our most experienced player in terms of playing at the Big 12 level. Aaron is off to a great start this season – shooting over 50 percent and over 40 percent from three. Our trainer, Chris Williams, has done a great job of getting him back on the court. The more comfortable he gets, the better our team will be."
Zach Smith continues to lead the Big 12 with a 64.5 field goal percentage and chipped in double figures in six of his last seven appearances. His 109 career blocks are tied for former All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year Will Flemons (1990-93) for second place on Tech's all-time list.
Justin Gray racked up his first career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds versus Nicholls State. As a starter during Texas Tech's last six games, Gray has hit on 27-of-40 shooting. He has averaged 10.3 and 6.1 rebounds per game for the season.
Devon Thomas holds the Big 12's top spot in assist-to-turnover ratio and has passed out 17 assists against one turnover over his last three games. He distributed career-highs with six assists during the UTSA and Nicholls State games.
Shadell Millinghaus, Niem Stevenson and Matthew Temple have led the Red Raiders off the bench. Millinghaus has converted on all 12 of his two-point attempts to capture 9.3 points per game in his last four games whereas Stevenson has recorded 10-plus points in back-to-back outings for the first time this season. Temple has posted 6.8 points on 13-for-18 from the floor in his last five efforts.
The Red Raiders have played their first 10 games without Odiase who has started 47 of his 51 career appearances during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
About Richmond
The Spiders have already played a challenge nonconference slate which featured matchups versus Boston College and Wake Forest from the ACC, and took then No. 22 Maryland from the Big 10 to overtime at the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, New York.
Last time out, Richmond overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to claim a 78-75 comeback victory over UMBC on Saturday. The trio of T.J. Cline, Shawn'Dre Jones and Khwan Fore combined for 49 points and knocked down 19 of its 20 free throw attempts.
Cline, a preseason All-Atlantic 10 First-Team pick and son of basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, has piled up 18.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He is one of two players nationally to average at lease 18-6-5, the other being North Carolina Central's Patrick Cole. Cline has reached double figures in 22 consecutive games and nearly compiled the program's first triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Maryland on Nov. 25.
Jones has tallied 18.4 points and 3.6 assists per game. He and Cline are one of two pair of teammates to rank among the Atlantic 10's Top 10 in scoring. Jones has provided double figures in eight of nine games and pumped in a season's best 31 points in UR's season-opening victory over VMI on Nov. 11.
Fore has garnered 10-plus points in three of his last five outings highlighted by a career-best 19 points at Bucknell on Nov. 30. He was an All-Atlantic 10 Freshman selection last year and has improved his marks to 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
Richmond's top bench performers are three talented freshmen in De'Monte Buckingham, Grant Golden and Nick Sherod. They have accounted for five or more points on nine occasions during the young season. Sherod notched a season-high 13 points in Richmond's win over Wake Forest on Dec. 3 whereas Buckingham has registered team-leading 10 blocks this season.
"Cline is a special college basketball player. One of the most impressive things is how he's improved over the course of his career which shows how well coached Richmond is," Beard said. "Our coaching staff is familiar with him, and the Tech team played him last year. He's a great passing big man. Their entire team especially their guard play is going to be a challenge to us."
Up Next
Texas Tech takes on Longwood on Wednesday afternoon before heading into the holiday break and the upcoming Big 12 schedule. Tip time is on-tap for 4 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by FOX Sports Southwest along with the FOX Sports Go app.
Fans can purchase four tickets for $16 to the Longwood game on Sunday, Dec. 18 as part of the Wreck The Halls ticket special by using the promo code WRECKTHEHALLS online at www.TexasTech.com. The United Supermarkets Arena Ticket Office opens 90 minutes prior to tipoff, and tickets start as low as $10 on gameday.
Texas Tech is encouraging fans to arrive as early as possible to men's and women's basketball home games due to the temporary closure to the entrance and exit of the Commuter West Lot at the Texas Tech Parkway and Knoxville Avenue. This entrance and exit will be closed from Dec. 5 to Jan. 13 for construction. Fans are asked to use the entrances and exits off Indiana Avenue when arriving from the north along with the entrances and exits at Indiana Avenue and 18th Street when arriving from 19th Street or the Marsha Sharp Freeway.
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 along with @TexasTechMBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Tipoff is slated for 11:30 a.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU as part of the Atlantic 10's television package along with the Watch ESPN app. Mike Corey and Dalen Cuff 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. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the TuneIn Radio app.
Texas Tech (9-1) blitzed Nicholls State in a convincing an 89-46 win out of its week-long finals break on Wednesday and have posted a 26.5 points per game margin during its six-game winning streak. The Red Raiders turned in their most impressive performance on the glass with a 46-18 advantage sparked by 16 offensive boards during the Nicholls State game.
Richmond (5-4) is one of the Atlantic 10's top programs and amassed 87 conference victories over the last nine seasons, second only to Dayton. The Spiders are extremely tough at home with a 93-27 record since 2009-10 and have won six of their last seven decisions against ranked opponents.
"Not only for this game against Richmond but for the rest of the season, we're going to have to show in Big 12 play the ability to compete on the backboards," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said. "We've made great strides through the early part of our season in rebounding. Richmond is a game that gives us a great opportunity to play against a high level team on the road which hopefully will prepare us for conference play."
Saturday's matchup is the second of a home-and-home series where Texas Tech emerged with an 85-70 decision over the Spiders at the United Supermarkets Arena last season. Keenan Evans was one of four players to secure double figures with 14 points and five assists, while Norense Odiase tacked on 14 points and nine rebounds. The Red Raiders managed a healthy 43-20 margin in rebounding.
About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders head into Saturday's action in a four-way tie for second place in the Big 12 standings with No. 3 Kansas, Kansas State and TCU. Texas Tech is only behind undefeated and No. 4 Baylor.
The Red Raiders have been among the NCAA's Top 10 in field goal percentage over the last couple of weeks with a 52.4 clip. Texas Tech has shot over 50 percent in seven of its first 10 games which includes a stretch of five of its last six outings. On the defensive end, the Red Raiders have limited opponents to 58.5 points per game and under the 50-point mark four times.
Evans has pieced together double figures in a career-long five consecutive games and his 14.1 points per game are ninth in the Big 12 rankings. He has buried 47.2 of his three-point attempts and equaled his career-best with five treys en route to a 23-point performance against Nicholls State.
Anthony Livingston is second on the squad and 13th on the Big 12 ledger with 12.9 points per game. He has totaled 10-plus points five times and has two of Texas Tech's three best scoring efforts this season. The Evans-Livingston duo has sank 35 of the team's 69 three-pointers.
Aaron Ross returned to the fold after a five-game injury absence during the Nicholls State game. The fifth-year senior has picked up 11.8 points per game and compiled double figures in four of five games. Ross came away with a season's best 17 points versus Auburn during the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 22.
"Getting Aaron back is big for some many reasons," Beard said. "By far, he's our most experienced player in terms of playing at the Big 12 level. Aaron is off to a great start this season – shooting over 50 percent and over 40 percent from three. Our trainer, Chris Williams, has done a great job of getting him back on the court. The more comfortable he gets, the better our team will be."
Zach Smith continues to lead the Big 12 with a 64.5 field goal percentage and chipped in double figures in six of his last seven appearances. His 109 career blocks are tied for former All-American and Southwest Conference Player of the Year Will Flemons (1990-93) for second place on Tech's all-time list.
Justin Gray racked up his first career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds versus Nicholls State. As a starter during Texas Tech's last six games, Gray has hit on 27-of-40 shooting. He has averaged 10.3 and 6.1 rebounds per game for the season.
Devon Thomas holds the Big 12's top spot in assist-to-turnover ratio and has passed out 17 assists against one turnover over his last three games. He distributed career-highs with six assists during the UTSA and Nicholls State games.
Shadell Millinghaus, Niem Stevenson and Matthew Temple have led the Red Raiders off the bench. Millinghaus has converted on all 12 of his two-point attempts to capture 9.3 points per game in his last four games whereas Stevenson has recorded 10-plus points in back-to-back outings for the first time this season. Temple has posted 6.8 points on 13-for-18 from the floor in his last five efforts.
The Red Raiders have played their first 10 games without Odiase who has started 47 of his 51 career appearances during his freshman and sophomore seasons.
About Richmond
The Spiders have already played a challenge nonconference slate which featured matchups versus Boston College and Wake Forest from the ACC, and took then No. 22 Maryland from the Big 10 to overtime at the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, New York.
Last time out, Richmond overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to claim a 78-75 comeback victory over UMBC on Saturday. The trio of T.J. Cline, Shawn'Dre Jones and Khwan Fore combined for 49 points and knocked down 19 of its 20 free throw attempts.
Cline, a preseason All-Atlantic 10 First-Team pick and son of basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, has piled up 18.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He is one of two players nationally to average at lease 18-6-5, the other being North Carolina Central's Patrick Cole. Cline has reached double figures in 22 consecutive games and nearly compiled the program's first triple-double with 18 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against Maryland on Nov. 25.
Jones has tallied 18.4 points and 3.6 assists per game. He and Cline are one of two pair of teammates to rank among the Atlantic 10's Top 10 in scoring. Jones has provided double figures in eight of nine games and pumped in a season's best 31 points in UR's season-opening victory over VMI on Nov. 11.
Fore has garnered 10-plus points in three of his last five outings highlighted by a career-best 19 points at Bucknell on Nov. 30. He was an All-Atlantic 10 Freshman selection last year and has improved his marks to 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game.
Richmond's top bench performers are three talented freshmen in De'Monte Buckingham, Grant Golden and Nick Sherod. They have accounted for five or more points on nine occasions during the young season. Sherod notched a season-high 13 points in Richmond's win over Wake Forest on Dec. 3 whereas Buckingham has registered team-leading 10 blocks this season.
"Cline is a special college basketball player. One of the most impressive things is how he's improved over the course of his career which shows how well coached Richmond is," Beard said. "Our coaching staff is familiar with him, and the Tech team played him last year. He's a great passing big man. Their entire team especially their guard play is going to be a challenge to us."
Up Next
Texas Tech takes on Longwood on Wednesday afternoon before heading into the holiday break and the upcoming Big 12 schedule. Tip time is on-tap for 4 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by FOX Sports Southwest along with the FOX Sports Go app.
Fans can purchase four tickets for $16 to the Longwood game on Sunday, Dec. 18 as part of the Wreck The Halls ticket special by using the promo code WRECKTHEHALLS online at www.TexasTech.com. The United Supermarkets Arena Ticket Office opens 90 minutes prior to tipoff, and tickets start as low as $10 on gameday.
Texas Tech is encouraging fans to arrive as early as possible to men's and women's basketball home games due to the temporary closure to the entrance and exit of the Commuter West Lot at the Texas Tech Parkway and Knoxville Avenue. This entrance and exit will be closed from Dec. 5 to Jan. 13 for construction. Fans are asked to use the entrances and exits off Indiana Avenue when arriving from the north along with the entrances and exits at Indiana Avenue and 18th Street when arriving from 19th Street or the Marsha Sharp Freeway.
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 along with @TexasTechMBB on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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Forward
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Center
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
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Forward
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