QUICK PREVIEW
No. 17/17 Oklahoma (18-8, 9-5) looks for its seventh win in eight games when it plays at Texas Tech (12-15, 2-11) Saturday at 11 a.m. CT inside United Spirit Arena in Lubbock. The Sooners, who are coming off a 71-69 home win over Texas, beat the Red Raiders 81-36 in Norman on Jan. 28 to establish a Big 12 record for fewest points allowed in a league game. Texas Tech, which is 12-5 at home (2-5 in conference home outings), has lost four straight contests. It is coming off a 54-49 home defeat to Baylor on Tuesday.
ON THE AIR
Saturday’s game will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM “The Franchise” in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Mike Houck announcing. It will be televised by ESPNEWS with Doug Bell and Rich Zvosec calling the action.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma holds a 35-21 all-time advantage over Texas Tech and is 12-13 in the series in Lubbock. The Sooners have won four of the last five overall matchups and 11 of the last 16. OU is 26-13 against the Red Raiders since the formation of the Big 12 (11-7 in Lubbock).
PREVIEWING TEXAS TECH
Texas Tech enters Saturday’s game 12-15 overall and 2-12 in Big 12 play, and has lost four in a row. The Red Raiders have been much more competitive at home than on the road. In Big 12 home games (2-5 record), they have been outscored by an average of 6.4 points a contest. In conference road games (0-7), their average scoring margin is -25.0. Texas Tech’s two wins in Big 12 action came at home against then-No. 9/12 Iowa State (78-73 on Jan. 24) and Kansas State (64-47 on Feb. 4). In league play, Tech averages 52.4 points a contest on .347 field goal shooting (both rank last in league), .295 3-point shooting (eighth) and .625 free throw shooting (ninth). It ranks eighth in the league in scoring defense (68.1), ninth in field goal percentage defense (.461) and seventh in 3-point percentage defense (.358).
Junior college transfer Devaugntah Williams is averaging a team-high 10.5 points a game and ranks second with 1.7 assists an outing. The junior guard has made a team-high 43 3-pointers and is shooting a team-best .358 from long distance. Williams is coming off a team-high 15-point effort against Baylor in which he was 5 for 10 from the field (3 for 8 from deep) and had 3 steals. Senior guard Robert Turner averages 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists a contest. Junior guard Toddrick Gotcher averages 6.7 points, freshman forward Norense Odiase averages 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds, and freshman forward Zach Smith contributes 5.7 points and a team-high 4.9 boards a game.
Tubby Smith is in his second year as Texas Tech’s head coach. Formerly the head coach at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky (1998 NCAA champion) and Minnesota, he owns a 537-259 (.675) career mark.
