Texas Basketball: Can Texas Take Down Texas Tech Again?

The Longhorns are fighting for their postseason lives in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament

Just two weeks ago, the backcourt duo of Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey put on a show in Lubbock, leading the Longhorns to an impressive 68-58 win. Jones finished with 22 points and Ramey had 12 as the team shot a sizzling 52% from the field against one of the best defenses in the country. It was the fourth-straight win for Texas, which had been left for dead in both the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament race after dropping four straight games earlier in February.

This Thursday, Texas will travel north to Kansas City to face the Red Raiders in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. Taking a step back, it's clear that these teams are facing completely opposite directions right now. Texas Tech is on a four game losing streak including a double digit home loss to this same Texas team. 

On the other hand, Texas has won five of its last six games, once again knocking on the door of an NCAA tournament bid. While Tech has experienced a rough stretch of unfavorable results, it’s imperative to note that the recent losing streak includes an overtime loss against No.5 Baylor, and another four point loss to the No.1 team in the country, Kansas. Additionally, the Red Raiders have the best three-point shooting team (35%) in the Big 12, rarely turning the ball over, and shooting the best free throw percentage (75%) in the Big 12.

Fast Forward to present day and Texas finds itself right in the bubble of an NCAA tournament berth. With their hopes of clinching a spot in the Big Dance on the line, Shaka’s team will look to pull off one more win to keep the dream alive against a Texas Tech team who reached the Final Four just last year.

Texas (19-12, 9-9 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (18-13, 9-9 Big 12)

Thursday, March 12, 2020 - 11:30 AM Central

Sprint Center (18,972) - Kansas City, Missouri