Red Raider Preview: Iowa State

Monday, February 20

United Supermarkets Arena

8:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

Iowa State

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February 19, 2017 | Men's Basketball

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The Red Raiders have faced the Top 4 teams in the Big 12 standings over the last 10 days.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech men's basketball team returns home for the first of its last two regular season home games when Iowa State visits the United Supermarkets Arena on Monday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT televised by ESPNU along with www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app. Brendan Fitzgerald and Paul Biancardi will call all the action.

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. Fans can interact live with Monday's broadcast @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.

The Red Raiders (17-10, 5-9 Big 12) are coming off three consecutive games against Top 10 opponents highlighted by an 84-78 home victory versus No. 4 Baylor last Monday. Texas Tech nearly collected its third win over a Top 10 opponent on the season before falling 83-74 in double overtime at No. 9 West Virginia last Saturday.

Iowa State (17-9, 9-5 Big 12) has climbed its way into a three-way tie for second place with aforementioned Baylor and West Virginia in the Big 12 standings. The Cyclones reeled off an 84-71 win over TCU last Saturday. Iowa State is on the hunt for its fifth Big 12 road win which would mark the fifth time in program history that the Cyclones have reached that mark.

Texas Tech trails the all-time series by a slim 17-13 margin which dates back to the 1954-55 season. The Cyclones have claimed six of the last eight meetings, but the Red Raiders have been able to protect their home floor during the last two seasons which include an 85-82 overtime win last season and a 78-73 victory during the 2014-15 season.

The two teams met to open the 18-game Big 12 schedule back on Dec. 30 where Iowa State used a strong finishing kick over the last 10 minutes to claim a 63-56 decision.

Fan can purchase tickets to Monday's game for as low as $8 online at www.TexasTech.com by using the promo code TIPTIME or in person at the United Supermarkets Arena Box office which opens 90 minutes prior to tipoff.

Texas Tech students are encouraged to arrive early to take advantage of the student lounge which opens 60 minutes before tip time.

Texas Tech is offering enhancements to better serve its fans. The S1 Parking Lot at the John Walker Soccer Complex will be open for free parking for all fans. Texas Tech also will provide a free shuttle beginning 75 minutes prior to tipoff and 60 minutes following the game to transport fans to and from the United Supermarkets Arena.

Fans are reminded to go clear at all Texas Tech basketball games. The clear bag policy provides a safer atmosphere and speeds up the entry process into the United Supermarkets Arena.

About Texas Tech
The Red Raiders has upped their average to 79.0 points per game over their last three games after hitting the 70-point mark on three occasions during their first 11 Big 12 games. Texas Tech has relied heavily on its starting five during that span who have scored 212 of the team's 237 points.

Keenan Evans has exploded for 17.6 points per game in Big 12 play which is third on the conference leaderboard. He has racked up 20-plus points in four straight games and heads into Monday's matchup on a 15-game run in double figures. Evans piled up 21 of his Big 12 career-high 28 points during the second half and overtimes at No. 9 West Virginia. He is second with a 46.9 three-point percentage, fourth with an 82.2 percent free throw clip and eighth with an overall 49.8 field goal ratio.

Zach Smith has filled the stat sheet with 13.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 assists per game. He has garnered double figures in 11 of his last 14 games. On the defensive end, Smith has picked up 20 of his team-leading 41 blocks in the last 14 games. He has managed 132 career blocks which is second on Texas Tech's all-time list only behind Tony Battie with 162 rejections.

Anthony Livingston and Aaron Ross have secured 10.6 points and 9.7 points per game, respectively. Ross has claimed 10-plus points in four of his last eight games and added 10 points off the bench during the West Virginia game. Livingston has hit on 48 of his 99 field goals from beyond the three-point line. He has reached double digit points in six Big 12 games.

Niem Stevenson has started Texas Tech's last five games and is on a season's best four-game streak in double figures. He has amassed his Top 3 scoring performances in the last three games highlighted by a season-high 22 points against No. 3 Kansas on Feb. 11. Stevenson has upped his scoring average to 14.1 points per game and sank 14 of his 24 treys in his last eight games.

Justin Gray has tacked on 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. He has tallied 15 of his 29 games in double figures versus Big 12 opponents, and Texas Tech has won nine of 10 games when Gray reaches 10-plus points this season.

Thomas Brandsma, Shadell Millinghaus, Devon Thomas and Matthew Temple round out the 10-man playing rotation for Texas Tech. Thomas dished out a career-best seven assists in the first matchup at Iowa State on Dec. 30.

Texas Tech has played 24 of its 27 games this season which includes its last 10 games without Norense Odiase who provided 8.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game last season.

About Iowa State
The Cyclones are one of the nation's top team in taking care of the basketball and are just ahead of Texas Tech averaging 10.3 turnovers per game which also holds the No. 7 spot nationally. Iowa State's turnover percentage is second in the nation at 14.1 and its 5.2 turnover margin is fourth in the country.

Monte Morris, the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year, has proven himself to be one of the nation's top point guards. He is the NCAA leader with a 6.0 assist-to-turnover ratio. Morris has racked up 16.0 points and 6.0 assists per game. He is attempting to become the first Big 12 player to lead the league in assists per game since Doug Gottlieb accomplished the feat while at Oklahoma State from 1998-2000. Morris became the 11th NCAA Division I player since 1992-93 to record 1,500 career points, 700 career assists and 200 career steals.

Nazareth Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas have chipped in 15.9 points and 11.6 points per game, respectively. The duo has done their damage from three-point territory and combined to make 56 treys over Iowa State's last eight games. For the season, the Mitrou-Long and Thomas combination have knocked down 140 of the team's 251 three-pointers. Mitrou-Long has dialed up 10-plus points in 23 of his 26 appearances and is coming off a 25-point performance versus TCU last Saturday.

Deonte Burton has picked up 14.3 points per game coupled with a team-leading 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He has registered double figures in seven straight games and nine of his last 11 outings fueled by a 31-point outburst at Oklahoma on Jan. 31.

Solomon Young has started the last three games for the Cyclones. He posted the best game of his career at Kansas State on Feb. 15 where he piled up 18 points and 12 rebounds en route to his first career double-double.

Up Next
Texas Tech faces one of the Big 12's hottest teams in Oklahoma State on Saturday. The Cowboys have won seven of their last eight league games. Tipoff is on-tap or 1 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPNU along with the Watch ESPN app.

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 and Instagram.