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Big 12 Tournament Preview: Kansas State v. Texas Tech

V.
Game 6: No. 4 Kansas State v. No. 5 Texas Tech

Game Time: 2:00 p.m.

ESPNU and ESPN Plus
Team Pts. Reb. FG% 3P% KP Rank Off. Eff. Def. Eff.
Texas Tech 72.1 31.0 .457 .418 58 40 83
Kansas State 71.5 36.2 .429 .332 51 70 37

Kansas State Players to Watch (* Denotes Probable Starter):

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Min. Pts. Reb. Ast.
20 Cartier Martin F 6-7 Sr. 220 26.6 16.9 4.4 1.3
15 *David Hoskins F 6-5 225 Jr. 26.7 14.7 5.8 2.5
33 *Lance Harris G 6-5 190 Sr. 26.6 10.5 3.4 2.0
5 *Clent Stewart G 6-4 195 Jr. 25.4 6.5 2.4 2.8
34 *Akeen Wright G 6-6 190 Sr. 26.5 6.4 6.0 2.2
2 Blake Young G 6-2 180 Jr. 19.5 5.4 1.9 2.3
23 Jermaine Maybank G 6-4 180 Sr. 13.9 3.6 2.3 1.4
55 Jason Bennett C 7-3 265 Fr. 13.2 2.1 2.8 0.3
50 *Luis Colon F 6-10 260 Fr. 10.0 2.0 1.9 0.4

Texas Tech Players to Watch (* Denotes Probable Starter):

No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Min. Pts. Reb. Ast.
22 *Jarrius Jackson G 6-1 185 Sr. 37.9 20.2 3.4 1.7
3 *Martin Zeno G 6-5 202 Jr. 35.5 16.5 5.5 3.3
42 *Charlie Burgess G 6-1 190 Jr. 30.8 8.9 4.0 2.6
32 *Jon Plefka F 6-8 245 Sr. 18.8 6.8 3.1 0.7
44 Darryl Dora F 6-9 250 Sr. 18.2 5.3 2.7 1.5
13 Decensae White F 6-6 200 Fr. 13.3 4.3 2.2 0.6
20 *Alan Voskuil G 6-3 170 So. 13.8 3.7 1.5 0.9
30 Michael Prince F 6-7 205 So. 12.9 2.0 2.0 0.9
41 Damir Suljagic F 6-8 248 So. 9.5 1.4 1.9 0.5

Keys To The Game:

  • Control the Frontcourt: In Tech's prior meeting with the Wildcats, Tech actually outrebounded K-State by 6 and that was without Plefka or Dora playing any meaningful minutes. Plefka has certainly improved the frontcourt to the point of respectability. I'd love to see Tech repeat their performance and really work the boards, because if Tech can limit K-State's offensive opportunities then I like the Red Raiders' chances.
  • Defend the Perimeter: The Red Raider guards have done an excellent job of defending the permimeter players in recent games and it would be great if Tech could continue that trend against K-State.
  • Jackson Must Step Up: I mentioned in my game review from yesterday that Jackson has to step up and be accountable. I'll give Jackson a pass on the Colorado game, but against Kansas State he'll have to make an impact and the best way that Jackson can impact the game is by scoring.
  • Control the Ball: I'd love to see Tech control the offense a little better than they did against the Buffaloes. It's not that there were that many turnovers, but there appeared to be times where the offense was a little uneven. I expect Plefka to cause some serious matchup problems with Kansas State's frontcourt (so long as Jon doesn't break the backboard) if given the opportunity. Plefka and Dora (if given the opportunity) could stretch the Kansas State defense in a way that they are not accustomed.