2014 Big 12 Tournament – First Round
Sprint Center – Kansas City, Missouri
#8 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs #9 Texas Tech Red Raiders
Wednesday, March 12, 2014, 7:00 pm Eastern, TV: Big 12 Network
Opening Line: Oklahoma State -9
Current Line: Oklahoma State -9
Opening Total: 135
Current Total: 135
Opening Money Line: OSU -500 / Texas Tech +390
Current Money Line: OSU -400 / Texas Tech +320
The Big 12 is predicted to have at least 7 teams in the NCAA tournament and possibly 8 if West Virginia makes a deep run in the Big 12 tournament. Discounting TCU who went 0-18 in conference, any of the other teams could beat any of the other teams on a given night, especially at home. Now, the 10 teams meet for the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, and anything could happen on a neutral site.
It all gets started with a first round game Wednesday night between the #8 seed Oklahoma State Cowboys and #9 Texas Tech Red Raiders. The winner will play #1 seed Kansas in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Oklahoma State went 20-11 overall and 8-10 in conference. The Cowboys are projected to make the NCAA tournament but a loss to Texas Tech could damage those chances. The Red Raiders are 14-17 overall and 6-12 in conference. The next loss for Texas Tech will end their season.
Oklahoma State leads the series against Texas Tech 39-16, including 5-1 in the Big 12 Tournament. The Cowboys have won 7 of the last 8 games in the series. The two teams split the season series, with each winning at home. The Red Raiders won in Lubbock February 8 65-61. That game was notable because Oklahoma State star guard Marcus Smart, a projected NBA lottery pick, got into a physical confrontation with a Texas Tech fan and was suspended for 3 games. That came in the middle of a 7 game losing streak for OSU that put them on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. Smart returned from his suspension in time for the rematch against Texas Tech in Stillwater February 22. The Cowboys snapped the losing streak with an 84-62 rout of the Red Raiders.
Oklahoma State is coached by Travis Ford. The Cowboys have losses to Memphis in a tournament in Orlando, at Kansas State, at Kansas, Oklahoma twice, Baylor twice, Iowa State twice (including 85-81 in overtime in Ames Saturday), at Texas Tech and at Texas. The Iowa State loss snapped a four game winning streak for the Cowboys. OSU has key wins over Memphis at home, at South Florida, over Purdue and Butler in the tournament in Orlando, South Carolina in Stillwater, Louisiana Tech in Oklahoma City, Colorado in Las Vegas, Texas, West Virginia twice, Texas Tech and TCU twice, Kansas and Kansas State. The Cowboys are 12-14-1 ATS and the total is 15-12 this season.
OSU is outscoring teams 81-69 this season. The Cowboys are #16 in scoring nationally. Oklahoma State shoots 46.7% from the field and 37% from 3 point range. OSU makes 72.3% of their free throws. Cowboy opponents are shooting 40.4% from the field and 32.4% from 3 point range. OSU is #40 in field goal defense nationally. The Cowboys are averaging 35.8 rebounds a game and allowing 34.2. OSU is #316 nationally out of 351 teams in rebounds allowed. Oklahoma State averages 13.9 assists, 7.5 steals, 5 blocks, and 10.7 turnovers per game, and opponents average 10.9 assists, 6.3 steals, 3.7 blocks per game, and 14.1 turnovers per game.
Smart averages 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.7 steals a game. Guard Markel Brown averages 17.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. Forward Le’Bryan Nash averages 14.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game. Guard Phil Forte III averages 13.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Guard-forward Brian Williams averages 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1.1 steals per game. Guard Stevie Clark averaged 5.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals a game. He was kicked off the team after his second arrest in a month. Forward-center Kamari Murphy averages 6.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Forward-Center Michael Cobbins is out for the season with a broken foot. He averages 4.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.
Texas Tech is coached by Tubby Smith. The Red Raiders have losses at Alabama, Pittsburgh in a tournament in Brooklyn, at Arizona, LSU, at Arizona State, Iowa State twice, West Virginia twice, at Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas State twice, Kansas twice, at Oklahoma State, and at Baylor. Texas Tech has key wins over South Dakota State, Houston in Brooklyn, Texas-San Antonio, Baylor, TCU twice, Oklahoma State, at Oklahoma and Saturday against Texas 59-53. The Texas win snapped a 6 game losing streak for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are 16-12 ATS and the total is 6-20-1 this season.
Texas Tech is outscoring teams 68.6-68.1 this season. The Red Raiders are shooting 45.6% from the field and 31.2% from 3 point range. Tech is #312 out of 351 teams nationally in three point shooting. Texas Tech makes 72.6% from the free throw line. Red Raider opponents are shooting 43.6% from the field and 32.7% from 3 point range. Texas Tech averages 33 rebounds per game and opponents average 27.4 per game. The Red Raiders are #20 in rebounds allowed nationally. Texas Tech averages 12 assists, 12 turnovers, 6 steals and 4 blocks per game. Opponents average 11 assists, 12 turnovers, 6 steals and 3 blocks per game.
Forward Jaye Crockett averages 13.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1 steal per game. Forward Jordan Tolbert averages 10.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1 assist per game. Guard Robert Turner averages 9.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Guard Dusty Hannahs averages 8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Guard Toddrick Gotcher averages 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. Forward Dejan Kravic averages 7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Aaron Ross, Randy Onwuasor, Jamal Williams, Jr., and Kader Tapsoba will also get minutes in the rotation.
Oklahoma State is 4-1-1 overall and in Big 12 games, 15-5-1 against teams with losing records, 1-6-1 after a straight up loss, 1-7 in neutral site games, and 0-6-1 after failing to cover. The Cowboys are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 against the Red Raiders and were favored in each of those contests.
Texas Tech is 5-0 ATS after a straight up win, 5-1 in Wednesday games, 9-21 after a cover, 2-6 in neutral site games, 1-4 overall, in big 12 games, and against teams with winning records.
Oklahoma State lost at Iowa State Saturday, but the Cowboys had a 5 point point lead with around 30 seconds to go. OSU gave up a 3 at the buzzer that sent the game into overtime. Iowa state is a very good team, especially at home. Texas Tech meanwhile upset Texas last week in Lubbock. The game was basically meaningless for Texas after Oklahoma had beaten TCU to lock up the 2 seed in the Big 12 tournament. My point is I think a better example of what these teams are is how they were playing before the season finale. Oklahoma State had won 4 straight before Saturday, and Texas Tech had lost 6 straight games before the Texas upset. I like the Cowboys to win going away in Kansas City.
