The 12th ranked, Texas Tech Red Raiders will face-off against the 2nd ranked, Duke Blue Devils, in Madison Square Garden tomorrow at 6 p.m. Many basketball analysts don’t give Tech a chance. According to ESPN’s Power Index they give the Red Raiders a 25.9 percent chance to win. Here are 5 things the Red Raiders must do to take down this highly talented Duke team.
Tech must keep Duke off the offensive glass
The Blue Devils are 2nd in the country in offensive rebounds per game at 14.6 per game and are 4th in the country at extra scoring chances per game at 9.3. Tech wont out jump these super athletes but they can box them out and have all 5 guys on the floor rebound together.
Stick to your guns
The Red Raiders are top 3 defensive team in the country. Tech is 1st in PPG allowed with 51.2, 1st in opponent FG% at 32.2%, and first in adjusted defensive efficiency (87.5 points allowed per 100 possessions) If Tech can continue to play defense at an elite level and force Duke to turn the ball over, they will have a great chance to win in New York.
Play the game not the occasion
This ultimately is just another game. Yes, scouts will be in the building and this will be one of the biggest games Tech plays this season, but still they must cannot let this overwhelm them. To beat Duke, Tech will have to stick to their strengths and play efficient basketball. The Red Raiders are ranked 12th in team shooting percentage at 49.9 percent, they are also ranked in the top 25 in Team Offensive Efficiency and in the top 55 in 3-point percentage at 37.5%.
Keep Williamson and Barrett out of transition
Duke loves to get out on the break and run, by using their great athleticism for highlight reel dunks. To prevent that from happening Tech must continue to keep their turnover numbers down, Tech only turns the ball over 11.5 times per game and has one of the best assist/turnover ratios in the country at 1.278.
Unleash the beast
Tech has a potential lottery pick on their team as well in Jarrett Culver and he will give Duke all they can handle on both ends of the floor. Culver averages 19 PPG, 4.4 APG, 5.7 RPG while shooting 45.2% from 3 and 58.1 percent from the field. Culver is 1st in the Big 12 in Player Efficiency Rating and Offensive Win Shares. For Tech to win Culver has to be at his best by affecting the game in every statistical category and must score over 30 points.
Coach K and Duke’s star Freshmen will steal the headlines, but don’t sleep on this Red Raider team, they are very well coached, have tournament experience, defend and score at an elite level. This could be a potential preview of a Final 4 matchup in Minneapolis come April.
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