Monday, December 22, 2014 7:00 p.m.
Orleans Arena, Las Vegas

If there’s a winnable matchup for Loyola against a Big 12 team, you can’t do much better than facing Coach Tubby Smith’s Texas Tech on a neutral floor. The only Red Raiders loss on the season came in overtime at LSU in their only game away from home, but a few of their home games have been a struggle. Texas Tech eked out a one point win against Air Force and an ugly two-point win against a mediocre Auburn team. Loyola MD led by 11 points midway through the first half of TTU's home opener. Despite their gaudy 9-1 record and eight game winning streak coming into the game with the Ramblers, the Red Raiders are 0-1 against teams with records above .500.

The Red Raiders feature balanced scoring from a very deep squad, and will present the biggest inside defensive threat the Ramblers have faced thus far on the season. Six-nine freshman center Norense Odiase fills up the lane with his 270 pounds, and averages 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Joining him in the frontcourt is 6’8” freshman forward Zach Smith, who averages 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 5.5 points per game. Another freshman, 6’6” small forward Justin Gray, adds 8.1 points and 3.5 boards. The starting point guard is Robert Turner, a 6’3” senior who leads the team in assists and steals while scoring an average of 9.0 per game. Six-three junior guard Devantaugh Williams leads the team in scoring with 11.4 per game while shooting 53% from behind the arc and chipping in 2.3 assists per contest.

Coming off the bench are 6’4” junior shooting guard Toddrick Gotcher, 6’3” sophomore guard Randy Onwuasor, 6’3” freshman guard Keenan Evans, and 6’10” freshman center Isiah Manderson, each of whom averages between 4.3 and 7.7 points per game playing double-digit minutes. Gotcher is the second best three point shooter on the team (48% on the season), and Manderson is a young but strong inside presence.

The Red Raiders are exceptionally balanced in their attack, almost to the point of a preoccupation. Every one of the players in their nine-deep rotation has taken between 29 and 86 shots on goal for the season, and each one has taken between 19 and 39 attempts from the free throw line. Their depth and balance allows them to be more physical, and getting to the free throw line is a major part of their game—they’ve taken 120 more trips to the free throw line than their opponents. If any of the frontcourt players have foul trouble, 6’8” sophomore forward Alex Foster and 6’8” senior forward Clark Lammert could also see some significant minutes.

It will take a monumental effort from the undersized Ramblers to beat a young but very deep Texas Tech team, but it is possible, as Texas Tech has had some close calls a home. The Ramblers will need to create some sort of offense in the paint to avoid the fate that Missouri State suffered against them, in which MSU shot only 37% from inside the arc while shooting 52% from outside. Auburn nearly beat them by forcing more turnovers, hitting some threes, and effectively cutting off their passing lanes—they just fouled them a few too many times. And the Ramblers will have to not let up their energy during the long grind of the game, like Air Force did when they coughed up a 19-point second half lead in Lubbock. Slowing the game down, making the young Red Raiders work hard on offense, forcing turnovers, keeping the rebounding deficit respectable, and setting good screens for open threes may be the way to go against Texas Tech. When Texas Tech scores less than 70 points, their record is 2-1-- with the two wins coming by a total of three points at home. This is a team that is bigger and much deeper than Kent State, and it will take a sustained effort even better than the Ramblers’ best game thus far to knock them off.

Loyola game notes: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/loy ... 221aaa.pdf

Texas Tech game notes: http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/tex ... 222aaa.pdf

Television: None

Audio: http://www.loyolaramblers.com/collegesp ... dia=474628

Gametracker live stats: http://www.loyolaramblers.com/gametrack ... rtschool=&

Vegas line: Texas Tech by 5.5

Nice preview, JCT. I think you should make a portfolio of your previews and submit them to the new AD. They are of much higher quality than the pathetic efforts of the current Loyola SID. Not to put too fine a point on it, but he sucks. At least his prose does.

Back to the game, I don't see how the Ramblers can match up against the big front line of Texas Tech. I figure we are going to play zone most of the game and help out when the ball goes inside. This means we will be vulnerable to Tech getting a bunch of offensive rebounds. It's going to be Tech's 6'8"-6'9" guys battling our 6'4"- 6'5" all night. I think our smaller guys might run out of gas doing such heavy lifting.

I think two keys to the game are whether the Rambler "big" guys can stay out of foul trouble, and whether the Ramblers have a good three point shooting night. Turk has had 2 good shooting games following an extended cold streak, so I hope that trend continues. Ben Richardson hitting a couple threes would be an added bonus.

This game will be a good test to see how we do playing against a bigger and better opponent and clarify whether our gaudy win-loss record is merely a product of our weak schedule a reflection of our big improvement over last year.

Thanks for the kind words, Swella.

I see the inside game requiring a lot of close teamwork from Christian Thomas and Montel James. It's going to be a challenge, but Texas Tech is not invincible by any means. We've won against a couple of bigger teams-- UTSA was much bigger, Kent State was slightly bigger, and UIC had a very capable frontcourt guy that we did a great job to limit.

Most of the damage against Tech by Air Force (a game where they trailed by 19 in the second half and won by one point) was by a 6'4" guard off the bench who scored 25 points. Air Force's biggest starter was 6'9", and their second tallest starter was 6'6". Auburn lost at Texas Tech by two, and their starting lineup was 6'8", 6'7", 6'4", 6'0", and 5'9"-- and the top scorer was the 6'4" guy.

In those two close games, Tech had 13 and 20 more trips to the free throw line, respectively. In their loss at LSU, they had only five more.

Anyone know if there will be any kind of stream for the game? Really hoping there is something.

According to CBSSPORTS we are 1 1/2 point favorites. I hope we play like it. Odds guys must think we are faster and shoot better--OR did WALTER loot his doggie bank to make a huge bet ????

If we do what we have done in past four games and do it a tad better we should prevail---say 71-65 !!!

KenPom has 63-60 tech. Do we know about Doyle's status tomorrow?

Knowing very little as we all are aware, I say we win with or without Milton--If he is REALLY ready, it will be easier. We MUST play as we have been--no nerves , just do it !!

Brot, I'm not sure what you saw, but here CBSSPORTS predicts a 72-62 Texas Tech win.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/expert-picks

Vegas has the Ramblers a 5.5 point underdog.

Walter, of course, is rooting for the Ramblers, but is worried about the size differential and how the Ramblers will respond when stepping up in class.

Good to know that they go in depth in the analysis...also, the only thing they say about us, they get wrong: http://texastech.247sports.com/Article/ ... s-34059680

Then there is this: http://www.vivathematadors.com/2014/12/ ... ed-raiders


Just curious. Are all Texas Tech "journalist" idiots?

_________________
Cigarboy sucks!

Also, feel free to monitor their message board post:

http://texastech.scout.com/forums/1651- ... ghts?s=188

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Cigarboy sucks!