One of the most anticipated games of this year’s Big 12-SEC Challenge is the showdown between the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats and the No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders. At home, Texas Tech is a four-point favorite, with an over/under of 132.5 points.
It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for Texas Tech one year after losing in the national championship game. The Red Raiders suffered a three-game losing streak during their non-conference schedule, only to snap it with an upset win over then-No. 1 Louisville.
They’ve hit yet another rough patch since the start of conference play, losing three of their last five games, including a disappointing midweek loss to TCU in their last time out.
John Calipari’s Wildcats are once again in the mix for an SEC championship. The Wildcats also had some disappointing moments during non-conference play, especially an early-season loss to Evansville.
But Kentucky finished its non-conference schedule with a win over Louisville and has proceeded to win five of six games at the start of SEC play heading into this week’s road trip to Lubbock.
Getting Richer
While Kentucky is accustomed to letting freshmen and sophomores take the lead, it’s junior Nick Richards who is leading the way during SEC play. After averaging four points per game last year, Richards is averaging close to 14 points per game this season.
The big man from Jamaica is shooting 67 percent from the field, as he’s been close to unstoppable when he gets the ball in the paint. He started the season slowly, but Richards is now dominating inside and making Kentucky a much better team.
Of course, it’s not all about Richards for the Wildcats, as Kentucky has three other players averaging at least 13 points per game. Calipari recently called Ashton Hagans the best guard in the country. With Hagans averaging over 13 points and seven assists per game, that’s not the craziest thing to ever come out of Calipari’s mouth.
Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey have also been steady contributors in the Kentucky backcourt this season.
New Kid on the Block
Filling the void in Texas Tech’s lineup left by Jarrett Culver is freshman Jahmi’us Ramsey. He’s leading the Red Raiders with 15.5 points per game, in part because he’s shooting better than 40 percent from the perimeter.
Meanwhile, junior Davide Moretti is also shooting a high percentage from the outside, knocking down 38.5 percent of his three-point shots while averaging 13 points per game.
The problem for Texas Tech is that Ramsey has hit a little bit of a slump during Big 12 play. He’s been held to 10 points or less in three of his last four games, and the Red Raiders don’t have enough scorers to overcome an off night from Ramsey or Moretti.
They also lack an inside scoring presence, putting pressure on Texas Tech to win with defense and good outside shooting.
Wildcat Attack
With the emergence of Richards this season, Kentucky has a good outside-inside balance that Texas Tech won’t be able to match. The Wildcats also have the athletes in the backcourt to hinder Tech’s outside shooting. Bet on Kentucky as road underdogs to beat the Red Raiders.
