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Good teams face adversity, but great teams know how to get past their troubles. After two sloppy losses, Chris Beard and the Texas Tech Red Raiders will need to regroup if they want to keep their Big-12 title hopes alive.
On Tuesday, Tech will have a chance to get back on track when they travel to Kansas State.
The Wildcats and Red Raiders are trending in completely different directions. Tech has hit a rough patch, while K-State is on a four game win streak. Interestingly enough, the Wildcats last loss came to Texas Tech. However, make no mistake, this Wildcats team is much improved.
In the January 5th matchup, Kansas State was without Dean Wade, who is possibility the most talented player on the Kansas State roster. Since his return, Wade has played in three games and scored over 15 points in two out of the three contests. Expect Tech to throw Tariq Owens on Wade in attempt to slow the Wildcat’s star.
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Dean Wade vs. Tariq Owens will be a matchup that goes a long way in determining who wins this game, but Barry Brown vs. Matt Mooney will be the most import factor. For Kansas State, Brown is the straw that stirs the drink. The senior point guard leads his team in scoring with 15.4 points per game. After one of his worst performances of the year, Mooney will be called on by Chris Beard to lock down Barry Brown and give the Red Raiders an offensive boost.
This game is critical for both teams. Kansas State will to keep the wheels moving on their winning streak, while Texas Tech will attempt to get back in the win column