Big 12 Tournament First Round
#9 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs #8 West Virginia Mountaineers
Wednesday, March 13, 2013. 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: YES, MASN, Altitude
Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
Opening Line: West Virginia -8 1/2
Current Line: West Virginia -8 1/2
Opening Total: 132
Current Total: 131
Opening Money Line: West Virginia -420 / Texas Tech +335
Current Money Line: West Virginia -420 / Texas Tech +335
The 13-18 West Virginia Mountaineers finished in 8th place in the Big 12 in their first year in the conference with a 6-12 record. The Mountaineers will take on #9 seed Texas Tech in the first round of the Big 12 tournament Wednesday in Kansas City. The Red Raiders are 10-19 overall and were 3-15 in the Big 12 ahead only 2 win TCU. The winner of this game will face #1 seed Kansas in the quarters Thursday.
This is the fourth ever meeting between West Virginia and Texas Tech. West Virginia leads the series 3-0. The Mountaineers won both meetings this year, 77-61 in Lubbock February 2 and 66-64 in Morgantown February 16.
Texas Tech is led interim coach Chris Walker. Walker became the head coach when Billy Gillespie had to step down for health reasons just before the season started. The Red Raiders have home losses to Arizona, McNeese St, Alabama, Arizona St, Kansas twice, West Virginia, Kansas St twice, Oklahoma St and Oklahoma, along with road losses at Oklahoma, Oklahoma St, Texas twice, Baylor, West Virginia and Iowa St. Texas Tech has key wins at TCU twice and at home against Iowa St. The Red Raiders have lost 11 of the last 12 games, and lost to Texas 71-69 in overtime. The other Tech wins are all over inferior teams. Texas Tech is 9-13 ATS and the total is 8-11 this season.
Texas Tech is being outscored 72-65 this season. The Red Raiders are #302 out of 347 teams in points allowed. The Red Raiders are shooting 42.1% from the field and 27.8% from 3 point range. Tech is #339 in three point shooting. The Red Raiders make 65.7% of their free throws. Texas Tech averages 32.4 rebounds per game, and give up 32.6 rebounds per game. Red Raider opponents are shooting 45.9% from the field and 37.1% from 3 point range. Tech is #308 or worse in both categories. Texas Tech averages 11 assists, 8 steals, 3 blocks, and 15 turnovers.
Forward Jaye Crockett averages 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. Guard Josh Gray averages 9.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2 steals. Forward Jordan Tolbert averages 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1 block per game. Forward Dejan Kravic averages 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.3 assists per game. Dusty Hannahs averages 6.8 points per game. Daylen Robinson, Jamal Williams, Jr., Todrick Gotcher and Ty Nurse also get significant minutes in the rotation. Forward Aaron Ross is out for the season with a knee injury. Trency Jackson is out for the season due to being ineligible. He averaged 6.6 points a game.
West Virginia is coached by Bob Huggins. West Virginia has losses at Gonzaga, Davidson and Oklahoma in tournament in Orlando, at Duquesne, to Michigan in Brooklyn, at home against Oklahoma twice, Kansas St twice, and Kansas twice, and road losses at Iowa St twice, Purdue, Oklahoma St and Baylor twice. The Mountaineers have lost 6 straight games to close out the regular season, including 83-74 at home against Iowa St Saturday. The Mountaineers have wins over Marist in Orlando, Marshall in Charleston, Virginia Tech, Oakland, at Texas twice, TCU twice, and Texas Tech twice. The Mountaineers’ six Big 12 wins have come against the other 3 worst teams in the Big 12. Texas, Texas Tech, and TCU are all under .500. WVU is 9-18-2 ATS and the total is 14-15 this season.
West Virginia is being outscored 68-66 this season. The Mountaineers are shooting 40.6% from the field and 31.5% from 3 point range. WVU makes 69.3% of their free throws. The Mountaineers average 35.3 rebounds per game and give up 30.8. West Virginia opponents are shooting 44.7% from the field and 37.5% from 3 point range. The Mountaineers are #322 in three point defense. The Mountaineers average 12 assists, 7 steals, 4 blocks, and 13 turnovers.
Guard Eron Harris averages 9.9 points and 2.2 rebounds. Center Aaric Murray averages 8.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. Forward Deniz Kilicli averages 8.9 points and 4.4 rebounds. Guard Juwan Staten averages 7.8 points, 3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Jabarie Hinds averages 7.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Terry Henderson averages 7.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and an assist. Gary Browne averages 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and a steal per game. Matt Humphrey, Keaton Miles, Dominique Rutledge, and Kevin Noreen also get significant minutes.
Texas Tech is 8-17 ATS in Big 12 games, 3-7 in Wednesday games, and against teams with losing records, 5-16 after a cover, and 0-4 in neutral site games.
West Virginia is 0-6 ATS after a straight up loss, 0-4 after failing to cover, 0-5 overall, and in Big 12 games.
These are two terrible teams that are just playing out their season. Whichever of these teams survives will likely get smoked by Kansas who already beat both of these teams by 26 and 37 points earlier in march. For the loser their season ends tonight. I think West Virginia wins but they shouldn’t be favored by 8.5 points over anybody right now.
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