Texas Tech University Athletics
Red Raiders at No. 14 in National Polls
February 18, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – On a four-game winning streak and continuing to lead the nation in field-goal percentage defense, Texas Tech has moved up one spot to No. 14 in this week's Associated Press Top-25 and USA TODAY Coaches Poll along with staying at No. 10 in the NCAA NET Rankings.
The Red Raiders (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) have outscored their last four conference opponents by a 24.0 scoring margin and top the nation by limiting opponents to 36.1 percent shooting for the season. TTU, which is the top Big 12 team in the NCAA NET Rankings and is at No. 9 in the Pomeroy Ratings, is also second in the country by holding teams to 57.2 points per game and is fourth with opponents being limited to 27.6 percent shooting on 3-pointers. In Big 12 Conference stats, the Red Raiders lead with 7.4 steals per game, turnover margin (3.3), forced turnovers (16.35 per) and are second in blocked shots per game (4.9) and free-throw percentage (71.5). Offensively, Tech is shooting 46.6 as a team which ranks third in the Big 12 and the team is fourth in the conference with 13.9 assists per game.
Texas Tech improved to 14-1 on its home court this season with an 86-61 win over Baylor last Saturday and will now host No. 12 Kansas at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the United Supermarkets Arena. The Red Raiders have run off four straight wins over West Virginia (81-50), Oklahoma (66-54), Oklahoma State (78-50) and then the Bears. The team has also won six of seven with the only loss during that stretch coming in a 79-63 loss at Kansas on Feb. 2 in Lawrence.
TTU was ranked No. 15 last week in the AP Top-25 and USA TODAY Coaches Polls and has been ranked as high as No. 8 in the Week 10 and 11 AP Top-25 this season. The team has now been ranked in 13 straight polls after starting the season unranked following advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight last season.
Individually, Texas Tech senior Tariq Owens is 11th in the nation with 63 total blocks and 15th with 2.42 blocks per game. His 63 blocks are currently fourth all-time at Tech for a single season are currently behind only Tony Battie who set the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season, Brodney Kennard who had 69 blocks in 1999-2000 and Battie who is third on the list with 68 blocks in the 1995-96 campaign. Jarrett Culver is third in the Big 12 with 17.7 points per game and is sixth with 3.7 assists per game after he went for 18 points and four assists in the win over the Bears. Matt Mooney ranks second in the conference with 1.77 steals per contest with 11 in the past four games.
Duke has moved back into the top spot in the polls and NET Rankings with a 23-2 record, followed by Gonzaga (25-2), Virginia (22-2), Kentucky (21-4) and Tennessee (23-2) in the AP Top-25. They Jayhawks (20-6) moved up two spots in this week's rankings to No. 12 while the Big 12 is also represented by No. 19 Iowa State (19-6) and No. 23 Kansas State (19-6).
The Red Raiders (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) have outscored their last four conference opponents by a 24.0 scoring margin and top the nation by limiting opponents to 36.1 percent shooting for the season. TTU, which is the top Big 12 team in the NCAA NET Rankings and is at No. 9 in the Pomeroy Ratings, is also second in the country by holding teams to 57.2 points per game and is fourth with opponents being limited to 27.6 percent shooting on 3-pointers. In Big 12 Conference stats, the Red Raiders lead with 7.4 steals per game, turnover margin (3.3), forced turnovers (16.35 per) and are second in blocked shots per game (4.9) and free-throw percentage (71.5). Offensively, Tech is shooting 46.6 as a team which ranks third in the Big 12 and the team is fourth in the conference with 13.9 assists per game.
Texas Tech improved to 14-1 on its home court this season with an 86-61 win over Baylor last Saturday and will now host No. 12 Kansas at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the United Supermarkets Arena. The Red Raiders have run off four straight wins over West Virginia (81-50), Oklahoma (66-54), Oklahoma State (78-50) and then the Bears. The team has also won six of seven with the only loss during that stretch coming in a 79-63 loss at Kansas on Feb. 2 in Lawrence.
TTU was ranked No. 15 last week in the AP Top-25 and USA TODAY Coaches Polls and has been ranked as high as No. 8 in the Week 10 and 11 AP Top-25 this season. The team has now been ranked in 13 straight polls after starting the season unranked following advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight last season.
Individually, Texas Tech senior Tariq Owens is 11th in the nation with 63 total blocks and 15th with 2.42 blocks per game. His 63 blocks are currently fourth all-time at Tech for a single season are currently behind only Tony Battie who set the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season, Brodney Kennard who had 69 blocks in 1999-2000 and Battie who is third on the list with 68 blocks in the 1995-96 campaign. Jarrett Culver is third in the Big 12 with 17.7 points per game and is sixth with 3.7 assists per game after he went for 18 points and four assists in the win over the Bears. Matt Mooney ranks second in the conference with 1.77 steals per contest with 11 in the past four games.
Duke has moved back into the top spot in the polls and NET Rankings with a 23-2 record, followed by Gonzaga (25-2), Virginia (22-2), Kentucky (21-4) and Tennessee (23-2) in the AP Top-25. They Jayhawks (20-6) moved up two spots in this week's rankings to No. 12 while the Big 12 is also represented by No. 19 Iowa State (19-6) and No. 23 Kansas State (19-6).
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— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 18, 2019
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