Texas Tech got a useful preview of its problems Friday night in Lexington, even if the result won’t count anywhere except in the lessons column.
The No. 19 Red Raiders fell 76-65 to No.
23 Kentucky in their lone true road game before Big 12 play, and the missing pieces in Tech’s front line loomed large from start to finish. JT Toppin was out, and so was UCF transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell, the expected starting frontcourt partner for head coach Grant McCasland.
Without them, Kentucky controlled the interior and made Tech work for everything.
Malachi Moreno was the most obvious example of that advantage. The 7-foot sophomore posted 15 points and six rebounds, using his 250-pound frame to power through a Red Raider lineup that was missing its two best interior defenders. Stillwell’s status remains a major storyline, with the hope that the 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward will be ruled eligible by the court system in time to open the season.
Tech also ran into trouble from the perimeter, and that was a jolt considering this roster includes four players who shot better than 40% from 3-point range last season. The Red Raiders finished 8 for 30 from deep, a cold 26.7%. Donovan Atwell led the team with three made threes, but he also missed eight attempts in a rough night from outside.
Offense never really found a rhythm for Texas Tech, and Toppin’s absence was a big reason why. Without a dependable post option, the Red Raiders looked unsure on too many possessions, and Kentucky was able to sell out more aggressively on Tech’s guards at the arc. That pressure made the offense feel cramped.
Darrion Williams, back in action for Tech after returning from NC State, couldn’t provide the takeover performance the Red Raiders needed. He scored nine points on 4-for-7 shooting in his first televised game for the program. The night suggested Tech will need more assertiveness from him until Toppin gets back.
Damarion Dennis offered one of the few bright spots. The junior transfer guard from Wyoming, a Dallas native, scored 11 points off the bench. But every one of those points came in the first half, and Tech didn’t get that same spark after the break.
That left the Red Raiders leaning on two other transfer guards, Cruz Davis and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, and the production wasn’t enough. Both players came in having averaged more than 20 points per game last season at the mid-major level, but against Kentucky they combined to shoot 5 for 23 and score 17 points. They also turned it over six times, with five of those giveaways charged to Davis.
The size gap in the backcourt showed up too. Davis is 6-foot-3 and Gibbs-Lawhorn is 6-foot-1, and Kentucky’s length gave both of them fits at times on the perimeter. That adjustment will be part of the learning curve as they move into major-conference play.
Tech also lost the free-throw battle badly, getting outscored 19-5 at the line. On the road, some disparity comes with the territory, but this one pointed to a team that wasn’t aggressive enough.
Toppin’s knack for drawing contact on the blocks is part of what helps fix that issue, too, which leaves McCasland and his staff with more to sort through before the games start counting. The Red Raiders open the regular season Monday, November 2 against Jackson State in Lubbock, and Friday’s exhibition gave them plenty to think about before then.
In Other News...
Texas Tech Has A Stake In The Big 12's Next Decision
Cincinnatis upset win over Texas Tech on Saturday did more than shake up the Big 12 race. It also set off a conference review after fans stormed the Nippert Stadium field, putting the Bearcats in line for a possible $50,000 fine under the leagues field-storming policy. The Big 12 is now examining whether the appropriate security measures were in place and whether a safe path was provided for the visiting team and officials.
For Texas Tech, the interest goes beyond the loss itself, because the leagues next decision will help define how these postgame scenes are handled moving forward. The Big 12 typically reaches a ruling within days of incidents like this, so Cincinnatis situation should be settled soon, with the conference weighing both the celebration and the safety issues that came with it. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Techs QB Problem Just Changed The Big 12 Picture
Texas Techs trip to Cincinnati turned into more than just a lopsided 37-18 loss. It exposed how fragile the Red Raiders can look when the offense stalls inside the red zone and the ground game, on both sides of the ball, starts slipping away. Will Hammond threw for 227 yards, but the one interception and one fumble were part of a messy night for an offense that never found enough rhythm to keep pace.
On the other side, the Bearcats controlled the line of scrimmage in a way that changed the feel of the game and, by extension, the Big 12 conversation around Texas Tech. Cincinnati piled up 257 rushing yards, with Cole Tabb doing most of the damage, and the Red Raiders spent too much of the night chasing answers after Brendan Sorsby was unavailable because of eligibility issues tied to gambling allegations. For Texas Tech, the loss was frustrating enough on its own, but the bigger concern is what it says about how quickly the margin can disappear when the quarterback situation turns uncertain. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Faces Its First Real Road Test At Cincinnati
No. 8 Texas Tech heads to Nippert Stadium for what figures to be its first true road test of the season, and the matchup brings a familiar sort of Big 12 stress. Joey McGuire and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood spent part of the buildup circling Cincinnatis running game, while also keeping an eye on quarterback JC French IV and the ways the Bearcats try to make a defense stay honest. For a Red Raiders team that has looked sharp and physical, this is the kind of game that starts to reveal how much of that success travels.
Texas Techs defense has been one of the early talking points around the program, and recent individual performances have only added to the optimism. But road games have a way of testing discipline as much as talent, especially in a venue like Nippert where the noise and tempo can change the feel of a game quickly. The broadcast will be easy to find, but the bigger question is whether the Red Raiders can take their defensive confidence on the road and handle a Cincinnati team built to make opponents work for every stop. [Read more 🡒]