Texas Tech University Athletics
Saturday, March 3
United Supermarkets Arena
3:00 PM
Texas Tech Athletics
vs
TCU
Red Raider Preview: TCU
March 02, 2018 | Men's Basketball
The Red Raiders will honor the five members of their senior class at 2:45 p.m. CT inside the United Supermarkets Arena.
LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 12 Texas Tech men's basketball team wraps up its 18-game Big 12 regular season schedule and will look to end a season's long four-game losing streak when TCU visits the United Supermarkets Arena on Saturday.
Tip time is slated for 3 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPN2 along with the ESPN app. Chuckie Kempf and Reid Gettys will serve as the announcing team.
The Texas Tech Sports Network will carry the game live on its flagship station Double T 97.3 FM in Lubbock. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the radio call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the Tune-In Radio app. Fans can interact live with Saturday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (22-8, 10-7 Big 12) will honor Keenan Evans, Justin Gray, Tommy Hamilton IV, Zach Smith and Niem Stevenson as part of Senior Day ceremonies at 2:45 p.m. CT. The five players have combined for 3,890 points, 1,738 rebounds, 730 steals, 337 steals and 272 blocks during their careers in a Texas Tech uniform.
The Red Raiders have already locked up a Top 3 seed in next week's Big 12 Tournament. Texas Tech enters the weekend one game behind West Virginia for second place in the Big 12 standings. The Red Raiders hold a one-game advantage over of TCU and Kansas State for third place in the league race.
A win Saturday would give Texas Tech the program's best Big 12 regular season finish. The Red Raiders finished in a third-place tie during the 1996-97 season under James Dickey and the 2001-02 season under Bob Knight.
The Frogs (21-9, 9-8 Big 12) have won four in a row and five of their last six games going back to Feb. 10. TCU has won a trio of Big 12 road games which include Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Last time out, the Frogs grinded out a 66-59 battle over Kansas State.
The Red Raiders possess an 80-51 series advantage and have won eight of the 12 games between the two squads as Big 12 members. Texas Tech registered an 83-71 win over TCU in Fort Worth on the strength of an 18-0 run midway through the first half back on Feb. 3.
"We are so appreciative of our crowds, and our increase in attendance this year," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard. "The biggest group of people that have made the biggest impact is our student body. On a personal note, I hope that everyone can come out Saturday and enjoy hopefully another good Big 12 game. We're playing a great opponent. TCU has won their last four games. Then just to pay respect to these five seniors. They've done a lot for the program. I think the story is still unwritten, we'll see what happens here in March. I know for Zach and the other guys, it's their last home game, so we just invite everybody to come out and be a part of it."
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders continue to be the Big 12 frontrunner in scoring defense (64.2 PPG) and opponent field goal percentage (40.2). Texas Tech has led in those two categories at the end of a season.
Keenan Evans has claimed 17.2 points, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He missed the West Virginia game due to injury. Evans is a finalist for three major national awards which include the Bob Cousy, the Wooden and Naismith Trophy. He registered 17 points and added six assists during the first meeting against TCU.
Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith have upped their season marks to 11.7 and 11.4 points per game which rank fifth and six among Big 12 freshmen. The duo has combined for 692 points which is tops for a pair of Texas Tech teammates during their freshmen seasons.
Smith has worked his way to 15.3 points per game en route to eight straight games in double figures. He has reached double figures in 21 of his last 25 outings. Smith tallied 12 points and compiled a 22-for-39 shooting clip over his last four appearances.
Culver garnered Texas Tech's first double-double of the season with career-highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds at West Virginia. He has pumped in 10-plus points in three consecutive games and six of his last eight outings. Culver has notched two of his four games of 20-plus points during the run.
Texas Tech's bench is sparked by Niem Stevenson (7.3 PPG), Zach Smith (6.2 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (5.8 PPG), Brandone Francis (5.6 PPG) and Davide Moretti (3.5 PPG).
The Red Raiders welcomed Smith back into the fold after a 13-game absence due to a foot injury against Kansas last Saturday. Both Smith and Hamilton IV are on the brink of 1,000 career points. Smith is 11 points shy followed by Hamilton IV who is 20 points away from the career milestone.
Stevenson returned to the starting lineup filling in for an injured Justin Gray and responded with a career-high 24 points aided by five three-pointers at West Virginia.
Gray and Norense Odiase have posted 5.1 and 4.3 points per game, respectively. Gray put together back-to-back games in double figures before he left the Kansas game during the first minute and missed the WVU game due to injury.
"When I think of Zach, I think of a great talent," Beard said. "He's a guy that's got a great chance to play in the NBA one day because of his athleticism and his skill. It's disappointing for so many reasons this year because he was going to have a really special season. He put a lot of time in on his ball handling and his passing. Our plan this year was to play him on the perimeter a lot more. When I think back to Zach, I'll think about how hard he worked to develop his game. Personally, he's one of my favorite players. He's just a truth teller to his core, the guy has never lied to me one time in two years. I remember sitting in his living room 24 hours after I got the job trying to re-recruit him to come back here. Zach gave us a chance pretty early on, and he gave me his word that he was going to come back. I think he was one of the leaders that decided he was going to come back. After that, I think the others decided to follow suit."
ABOUT TCU
The Frogs have turned in nine conference wins, the most for their program since a 9-7 mark during the 2000-01 season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
TCU's offense has posted 83.9 points per game, connected on 50.3 percent from the field and is rated seventh nationally in offensive efficiency according to Ken Pom. The Frogs also have distributed a 19.3 assists which leads the Big 12 conference.
Vladimir Brodziansky has picked up 15.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He recently had a run of 20 consecutive games in double figures come to a close when he was limited seven points against Kansas State on Tuesday. Brodziansky, a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, has tallied 1,322 career points which ranks fifth on the Big 12 active list.
Kenrich Williams has registered 13.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He has piled up 11 double-doubles on the season which includes a 16-point and 11-rebound effort during the Kansas State game last time out. Williams also tucked away 12 points and 13 rebounds versus Texas Tech in the first meeting.
Desmond Bane (12.8 PPG) and Kouat Noi (10.6 PPG) have dialed up a team-leading 55 treys apiece. Bane has ripped off double figures in 11 consecutive games sparked by a career-best 27 points at Iowa State on Feb. 21.
Noi has reached double figures in six of his last seven outings following the Texas Tech game on Feb. 3. He poured in a season's best 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting against Oklahoma State on Feb. 17.
The Frogs have played the last 10 games without Jaylen Fisher's 12.3 points and 5.4 assists per game due to injury. Alex Robinson has stepped into the point guard duties full time with 9.5 points and 6.0 assists per game. He posted a Big 12 season's best 22 points coupled with six assists versus Baylor on Feb. 24.
"TCU has a great team," Beard said. "It starts with Coach Dixon. He's built one of the all-time great programs at Pittsburgh, a team that was competing year-in and year-out. He's in the early stages just like we are of doing that at TCU. Obviously, we had similar seasons last year. They went onto win the NIT and that kind of spring-boarded them into having a great year this year."
"Just like us, they've overcome adversity," Beard continued. "Jalen Fisher was having a great All-Big 12 type of year and was a playmaker for them on defense. He gets injured, and their team has to change. They hit a rough spot in the middle of the Big 12 but now they're playing their best basketball. They have really good players. Alex Robinson may be the best player in our league coming off a pick-and-roll. Williams is an NBA player because he can shoot and defend. Brondziansky is a first team All-Big 12 player. They have four or five all-conference type players. They have a great coach, and they're a team we have a lot of respect for. I think TCU is a team that is built to make a run in March so we are going to have to play great on Saturday to try and protect our home floor."
UP NEXT
Texas Tech heads to the Big 12 Tournament as either No. 2 or No. 3 seed for Thursday's quarterfinal action. Tip time is set for either 6 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. CT from the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The game will be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2 along with the 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 by liking TexasTechMBB on Facebook along with following @TexasTechMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
Tip time is slated for 3 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised by ESPN2 along with the ESPN app. Chuckie Kempf and Reid Gettys will serve as the announcing team.
The Texas Tech Sports Network will carry the game live on its flagship station Double T 97.3 FM in Lubbock. Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the radio call. The radio broadcast also will be available on the Texas Tech Sports Network radio affiliates, online at www.TexasTech.com and the Tune-In Radio app. Fans can interact live with Saturday's broadcast by following @GunsUpRadio on Twitter.
The Red Raiders (22-8, 10-7 Big 12) will honor Keenan Evans, Justin Gray, Tommy Hamilton IV, Zach Smith and Niem Stevenson as part of Senior Day ceremonies at 2:45 p.m. CT. The five players have combined for 3,890 points, 1,738 rebounds, 730 steals, 337 steals and 272 blocks during their careers in a Texas Tech uniform.
The Red Raiders have already locked up a Top 3 seed in next week's Big 12 Tournament. Texas Tech enters the weekend one game behind West Virginia for second place in the Big 12 standings. The Red Raiders hold a one-game advantage over of TCU and Kansas State for third place in the league race.
A win Saturday would give Texas Tech the program's best Big 12 regular season finish. The Red Raiders finished in a third-place tie during the 1996-97 season under James Dickey and the 2001-02 season under Bob Knight.
The Frogs (21-9, 9-8 Big 12) have won four in a row and five of their last six games going back to Feb. 10. TCU has won a trio of Big 12 road games which include Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Last time out, the Frogs grinded out a 66-59 battle over Kansas State.
The Red Raiders possess an 80-51 series advantage and have won eight of the 12 games between the two squads as Big 12 members. Texas Tech registered an 83-71 win over TCU in Fort Worth on the strength of an 18-0 run midway through the first half back on Feb. 3.
"We are so appreciative of our crowds, and our increase in attendance this year," Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard. "The biggest group of people that have made the biggest impact is our student body. On a personal note, I hope that everyone can come out Saturday and enjoy hopefully another good Big 12 game. We're playing a great opponent. TCU has won their last four games. Then just to pay respect to these five seniors. They've done a lot for the program. I think the story is still unwritten, we'll see what happens here in March. I know for Zach and the other guys, it's their last home game, so we just invite everybody to come out and be a part of it."
ABOUT TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders continue to be the Big 12 frontrunner in scoring defense (64.2 PPG) and opponent field goal percentage (40.2). Texas Tech has led in those two categories at the end of a season.
Keenan Evans has claimed 17.2 points, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He missed the West Virginia game due to injury. Evans is a finalist for three major national awards which include the Bob Cousy, the Wooden and Naismith Trophy. He registered 17 points and added six assists during the first meeting against TCU.
Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith have upped their season marks to 11.7 and 11.4 points per game which rank fifth and six among Big 12 freshmen. The duo has combined for 692 points which is tops for a pair of Texas Tech teammates during their freshmen seasons.
Smith has worked his way to 15.3 points per game en route to eight straight games in double figures. He has reached double figures in 21 of his last 25 outings. Smith tallied 12 points and compiled a 22-for-39 shooting clip over his last four appearances.
Culver garnered Texas Tech's first double-double of the season with career-highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds at West Virginia. He has pumped in 10-plus points in three consecutive games and six of his last eight outings. Culver has notched two of his four games of 20-plus points during the run.
Texas Tech's bench is sparked by Niem Stevenson (7.3 PPG), Zach Smith (6.2 PPG), Tommy Hamilton IV (5.8 PPG), Brandone Francis (5.6 PPG) and Davide Moretti (3.5 PPG).
The Red Raiders welcomed Smith back into the fold after a 13-game absence due to a foot injury against Kansas last Saturday. Both Smith and Hamilton IV are on the brink of 1,000 career points. Smith is 11 points shy followed by Hamilton IV who is 20 points away from the career milestone.
Stevenson returned to the starting lineup filling in for an injured Justin Gray and responded with a career-high 24 points aided by five three-pointers at West Virginia.
Gray and Norense Odiase have posted 5.1 and 4.3 points per game, respectively. Gray put together back-to-back games in double figures before he left the Kansas game during the first minute and missed the WVU game due to injury.
"When I think of Zach, I think of a great talent," Beard said. "He's a guy that's got a great chance to play in the NBA one day because of his athleticism and his skill. It's disappointing for so many reasons this year because he was going to have a really special season. He put a lot of time in on his ball handling and his passing. Our plan this year was to play him on the perimeter a lot more. When I think back to Zach, I'll think about how hard he worked to develop his game. Personally, he's one of my favorite players. He's just a truth teller to his core, the guy has never lied to me one time in two years. I remember sitting in his living room 24 hours after I got the job trying to re-recruit him to come back here. Zach gave us a chance pretty early on, and he gave me his word that he was going to come back. I think he was one of the leaders that decided he was going to come back. After that, I think the others decided to follow suit."
ABOUT TCU
The Frogs have turned in nine conference wins, the most for their program since a 9-7 mark during the 2000-01 season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
TCU's offense has posted 83.9 points per game, connected on 50.3 percent from the field and is rated seventh nationally in offensive efficiency according to Ken Pom. The Frogs also have distributed a 19.3 assists which leads the Big 12 conference.
Vladimir Brodziansky has picked up 15.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. He recently had a run of 20 consecutive games in double figures come to a close when he was limited seven points against Kansas State on Tuesday. Brodziansky, a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar award, has tallied 1,322 career points which ranks fifth on the Big 12 active list.
Kenrich Williams has registered 13.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He has piled up 11 double-doubles on the season which includes a 16-point and 11-rebound effort during the Kansas State game last time out. Williams also tucked away 12 points and 13 rebounds versus Texas Tech in the first meeting.
Desmond Bane (12.8 PPG) and Kouat Noi (10.6 PPG) have dialed up a team-leading 55 treys apiece. Bane has ripped off double figures in 11 consecutive games sparked by a career-best 27 points at Iowa State on Feb. 21.
Noi has reached double figures in six of his last seven outings following the Texas Tech game on Feb. 3. He poured in a season's best 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting against Oklahoma State on Feb. 17.
The Frogs have played the last 10 games without Jaylen Fisher's 12.3 points and 5.4 assists per game due to injury. Alex Robinson has stepped into the point guard duties full time with 9.5 points and 6.0 assists per game. He posted a Big 12 season's best 22 points coupled with six assists versus Baylor on Feb. 24.
"TCU has a great team," Beard said. "It starts with Coach Dixon. He's built one of the all-time great programs at Pittsburgh, a team that was competing year-in and year-out. He's in the early stages just like we are of doing that at TCU. Obviously, we had similar seasons last year. They went onto win the NIT and that kind of spring-boarded them into having a great year this year."
"Just like us, they've overcome adversity," Beard continued. "Jalen Fisher was having a great All-Big 12 type of year and was a playmaker for them on defense. He gets injured, and their team has to change. They hit a rough spot in the middle of the Big 12 but now they're playing their best basketball. They have really good players. Alex Robinson may be the best player in our league coming off a pick-and-roll. Williams is an NBA player because he can shoot and defend. Brondziansky is a first team All-Big 12 player. They have four or five all-conference type players. They have a great coach, and they're a team we have a lot of respect for. I think TCU is a team that is built to make a run in March so we are going to have to play great on Saturday to try and protect our home floor."
UP NEXT
Texas Tech heads to the Big 12 Tournament as either No. 2 or No. 3 seed for Thursday's quarterfinal action. Tip time is set for either 6 p.m. CT or 8:30 p.m. CT from the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The game will be televised by either ESPN or ESPN2 along with the 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 by liking TexasTechMBB on Facebook along with following @TexasTechMBB on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
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