Nonconference play has concluded, meaning the Texas Tech basketball team can now turn its focus to what is sure to be a grueling 20-game Big 12 Conference schedule, starting with UCF on Dec. 31.
The first 11 games of the season have been a mixed bag for the Red Raiders (9-2), mostly because the team continues to shuffle bodies in and out of the lineup. Texas Tech has yet to have all of its main rotational pieces available at the same time, making Grant McCasland’s job a bit more difficult.
Still, there are a few things that have stood out so far. Here’s a look at what we’ve learned about the Red Raiders to this point, plus a peak at Texas Tech’s NCAA tournament and Big 12 outlook.
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Chance McMillian is ascending for Texas Tech basketball
Darrion Williams and JT Toppin have gotten most of the focus for the Red Raiders, and for good reason. Chance McMillian, though, has not only emerged as a very good third guy, he’s playing the best basketball of his career.
McMillian continues to be an assassin from 3-point range, but the super-senior guard has taken everything else to another level. He’s become elite in the mid-range game and reliable on the glass, utilizing the tip board for even more points.
Entering Saturday’s nonconference finale, McMillian was second in the country in 3-point percentage (53.85%) and 28th in the country in total field goal percentage (60.22%). Listed at 6-foot-2 on the NCAA website, he is tied with Kentucky’s Lamont Butler for the shortest player among the top 30 in the country in this category.
Darrion Williams is the ultimate chess piece
There’s no shortage of options when it comes to using Darrion Williams. Most affective operating out of the wing, Williams spent plenty of time as Tech’s defacto 5 man against Lamar and the results were about the same, if not better for the team’s ability to have five shooters on the floor together at the same time.
Williams said earlier this year he doesn’t believe in defined basketball positions. That’s because he’s a positionless player, a true 1-to-5 option for the Red Raiders. Moving him around the floor gives Texas Tech a ton of variables to throw at opponents.
NCAA Tournament bid will have to come in conference play
Some of it can be pointed to the Texas A&M switch, but Texas Tech’s nonconference schedule left much to be desired. The Red Raiders had one game against a projected NCAA tournament team, the Aggies, and lost.
Metrics still favor Texas Tech getting to the NCAA tournament. They’re 15th at KenPom, 12th at BartTorvik (both of which are used to consider March Madness selections) and entered Saturday 25th in the NCAA’s NET rankings.
Bracketologists, however, haven’t been impressed by Tech’s nonconference slate. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi began the year projecting Tech as a 5-seed in the tournament but his latest bracket, released Tuesday, sees the Red Raiders as a 10-seed.
This isn’t unusual since it was the same position Texas Tech was in last season, and that ended with the Red Raiders being a 6-seed (or one of the top 24 teams in the country). There’s ground to make up, but it’s not a major concern. Tech should still be a single-digit seed when it comes time for the tourney.
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Quick look at the Big 12 competition
The Big 12 Conference has been considered the best league in college basketball for some time. That honor now belongs to the SEC, much for the same reasons the Big 12 held the title for so long: depth.
This year’s version of the Big 12 doesn’t seem to be as powerful as years past, but that means the league may be more open than ever.
Iowa State seems to have separated itself from the pack with Kansas not far behind. Watching the league on a regular basis, it’s hard to find a true weakness for the Cyclones, which is not the case for the rest of the conference.
Kansas spent a lot of money to add proven depth, but their new additions have found it hard to find their rhythm and flow as second, third and fourth options. Houston will have to rely on defense more than ever, proving you don’t just swap somebody else into Jamal Shead’s place and expect the same results. Baylor is still bad on defense. Cincinnati, the preseason media darling, has just as many questions as last year.
West Virginia has become a surprise team, though it’s hard to say if that will translate to conference play. Like Texas Tech, BYU looks good on offense but doesn’t have a signature win to stand on. And Arizona may have more issues than expected.
The level of competition may not be as strong as before, but the field remains wide open for anybody to jump up and impress. Teams will begin stating their case starting next week, kickstarting a three-month grudge match to the end.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Examining Texas Tech basketball’s play ahead of Big 12 action
