Texas Tech well rested, confident heading into West Virginia contest
After securing a pair of wins over nationally-ranked opponents in Big 12 Conference play, Texas Tech coach Mark Adams decided to give his players a much-needed break.
The Red Raiders, who downed No. 12 Kansas State last Saturday and No. 6 Texas on Monday, warranted the rest after playing two games in the span of three days.
“I think these guy needed a couple of days off,” Adams said Thursday. “We’ve been going at it pretty hard, especially the last Saturday-Monday games. Unfortunately, the staff didn’t take any time off. … They should be well rested. I think everybody’s in good spirits and ready to go.”
More so, the injury-riddled squad could always use some time off the court to heal up some injuries — including Pop Isaacs (sprained ankle), Daniel Batcho (foot) and Fardaws Aimaq (bruised foot).
The trio is expected to play a critical role in Texas Tech earning an NCAA Tournament berth.
The Red Raiders have an opportunity to continue to be in that conversation when they take on West Virginia at 11 a.m. Saturday inside WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.
"It's important that you’re playing your best basketball in February, which I think we’re beginning to play, but so are all the other teams (In the Big 12 Conference)," said Adams, who secured the second win in Morgantown in program history. "Oklahoma’s playing well and so is West Virginia. We’re all in a dogfight for getting into the NCAA Tournament.
All the other teams are trying to position themselves to get a higher seed. This is a great time of year if you’re basketball fan. It's so important that we play our best basketball the rest of the way out."
Indeed.
To do so, the Red Raiders will have to at least match — or better — outdue the Mountaineers' aggression on defense and physicality under the basket and win the rebounding battle unlike the previous meeting last month.
WVU outrebounded Texas Tech 44 to 27 and outscored the Red Raiders 50-15 on bench scoring en route to a 15-point victory in Lubbock.
Much of that was due to the play of reserves Joe Toussaint (22 points) and Seth Wilson (15 points), while starter Erik Stevenson (16 points, 10 rebounds) led the way with a double-double performance.
Much like the Red Raiders (14-12, 3-10), the Mountaineers (15-11, 4-9) are fighting for an NCAA Tournament berth, as well. WVU hosts TTU, the first of two homes games in three days.
“Our focus is to try to win the rest of our games here (at home) and move up obviously in the league standings and obviously move up in where we are seeded in the NCAA Tournament,” said West Virginia coach Bob Huggins, whose squad has won three of its four conference contests at home. ”That’s our focus. We haven’t really talked at all about the conference tournament. We need to win games, and I think our guys realize that.”
Aimaq missed the last meeting against the Mountaineers due to injury after playing in the previous three games — logging 72 total minutes in those contests. The Utah Valley transfer, who recorded 12 points and eight rebounds in the win over the Longhorns at the start of the week, may suit up when the two squads face-off in front of a sold-out crowd.
“I think our guys are playing more physical and doing much better at positioning and block out,” said Adams, whose squad is looking to secure its second true road win of the season. ”It helps to have Fardaws in the lineup with his size and experience. He certainly gives us a lot more rebounding on both ends of the floor.”
Isaacs also sprained his ankle in the prior loss to WVU back on Jan. 25. But, the freshman guard who has not been sporting a walking boot, practiced Thursday and was listed as a game-time decision by Adams. Batcho will not play as he deals with a foot injury, but is expected to be out of his walking boot next week, via Adams.
”They’ve won some games. I think they’re playing with a lot more confidence now,” Huggins said of Texas Tech. ”They’re driving the ball, doing a really good job of driving the ball.”
Stevenson agreed with his head coach.
”We know that they’re playing really well, right now,” Stevenson said. ”I think it’s three top-15 wins in a row at home. They’re playing well and this is the time of year where teams — crazy stuff happens this time of year.”
TEXAS TECH AT WEST VIRGINIA
When: 11 a.m. Saturday
Where: WVU Coliseum, Morgantown, West Va.
Records: Texas Tech 14-12, 3-10. West Virginia 15-11, 4-9
TV: ESPNU
Radio: FM 97.3
Fast fact(s): Texas Tech has been solid at home, touting an 11-4 mark. It's a different story on the road where the Red Raiders are 1-6 this season. ... WVU is 11-3 at home.
BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE STANDINGS
Team, Big 12 record, Overall record
Kansas 9-5, 21-5
Texas 9-4, 20-6
Baylor 9-4, 20-6
Iowa State 8-5, 17-8
Kansas State 7-6, 19-7
Oklahoma State 7-6, 16-10
TCU 6-7, 17-9
West Virginia 4-9, 15-11
Oklahoma 3-10, 13-13
Texas Tech 3-10, 14-12
Saturday schedule
Texas Tech at West Virginia, 11 a.m. (ESPNU)
Iowa State at Kansas State, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
Oklahoma State at TCU, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Oklahoma at Texas, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
Baylor at Kansas, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech well rested, confident heading into West Virginia contest
