Mike Singletary will not graduate. Seriously. Hasn't he been playing for Tech for a decade now? He is like the Jordan Shipley of Big 12 basketball. On top of that he is showing up big for the Red Raiders as of late. He scored 33 in a road win over Iowa State on Wednesday. He leads all Texas Tech scorers by averaging just under 14 points a game. Going to Lubbock and winning will not be easy for the Pokes. Coming back from a huge road win, Tech is going to be playing with a lot of confidence. With that said, this is a game that OSU must have in order to keep their NCAA tourney hopes alive.
Some breakdown after the jump.
This is a game that can possibly be ugly from start to finish. Neither team can shoot the ball especially well. Tech averages barely over 45% from the field while OSU averages just over 44%. The key is keeping Singletary off the free throw line and out of conventional three point play situations. He has shot 127 free throws this season. To put that in perspective Jean-Paul Olukemi has only taken 114.
Still, the Red Raiders are still 10-11 overall and 2-4 in conference. Past Singletary, they have John Roberson lighting it up from beyond the arc. Those two guys are the primary scorers. If OSU can hold them in check for the majority of the game, the Red Raiders will not have much to counter with. On top of that, Texas Tech is not a very good rebounding team either. That should allow for Marshall Moses and company to clean the glass and get some easy put backs.
If OSU wants to make a serious push for the Big Dance, it has to start with this game. OSU cannot afford to let up or play without focus. Perimeter defense will be key along with closing off the cutting lanes. I hope Coach Ford gave the guys a really good pep talk because if this road trip results in a loss, it is going to be a steep uphill climb from here on out.