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Lon Kruger and his Oklahoma Sooners have started conference play with a bang. After taking to the road and coming away with a win in Morgantown, WV against the Mountaineers, the Sooners made a home stand against in-state rival, the Oklahoma St. Cowboys. Now, they will once again take the court in Norman, OK against the 8-6 Texas Tech Red Raiders.
In 14 total games, the Red Raiders have 13 of those at home while losing 5 of the last 8. Their single road game and subsequent victory came against conference newcomers, the TCU Horned Frogs.
On the season, Texas Tech is shooting 43.9% from the field and 27.5% from beyond the arc. On the opposite end of the floor, opponents are averaging a 44.7% shooting percentage, a number ranking them last in the conference. However, the bright side for this squad is that they crash the boards affectively to the tune of a 3.5+ margin on the season.
Leading the way for the Red Raiders is Jaye Crockett who averages 14 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds, both team highs. While this TTU team is averaging 71.2 points per game, they lack a real scoring thread behind Crockett as no other player averages in double figures. Jordan Tolbert is name many fans will be familiar with as he led the team in scoring last season as a freshman. This season under interm coach Chris Walker, Tolbert has seen his numbers dwindle while he still remains a factor. Could this mean that someone will go off for a career high?
Recently, the Sooners have found themselves climbing the ladder in projected NCAA Tournament Seedings. This week, the projections have them at a no. 8/9 seed. A loss at home to a Red Raider team struggling to find their identity under Coach Walker would be a major set back.