How No. 15 Kentucky and No. 18 Texas Tech match up — with a game prediction
How the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats (14-4, 5-1 SEC) and No. 18 Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-6, 3-3 Big 12) match up at each position — with a game prediction:
Small forward
▪ One of three guards in Kentucky’s most recent starting lineup, Tyrese Maxey (13.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.9 apg) had a quiet showing (seven points, five rebounds) in UK’s 89-79 win over Georgia on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-3, 198-pound product of Garland, Texas, (361 miles from Lubbock) has been lights out this season against ranked teams, however. Maxey had 26 points vs. then-No. 1 Michigan State; 15 against then-No. 5 Ohio State; and 27 vs. then-No. 3 Louisville.
▪ A 6-4, 200-pound sophomore, Texas Tech’s Kyler Edwards (11.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg) is also part of a three-guard alignment. Last year as a true freshman, Edwards “came on” late in the season. In Tech’s agonizing 85-77 overtime loss to Virginia in the national championship game, Edwards made four of five shots, two of three treys, and scored 12 points. In recent games, the Arlington, Texas, product had been scalding hot, going for 24 points (9-of-14 field goals) in a win at Kansas State on Jan. 14 and 22 points (6-of-9) in a victory over Iowa State on Jan. 18. Edwards had only nine points (4-of-10), however, in Tuesday’s 65-54 loss at TCU.
Advantage: Kentucky
Power forward
▪ Kentucky’s EJ Montgomery (7.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) made an active, positive contribution (10 points, six rebounds in 18:50 of playing time) in Tuesday’s victory over Georgia. If the 6-10, 228-pound sophomore from Fort Pierce, Fla., replicates that effort consistently, UK’s March Madness prospects will be substantially enhanced.
▪ Texas Tech’s Chris Clarke will be a familiar face to Kentucky fans. The graduate transfer from Virginia Tech played against UK in Rupp Arena during the 2017-18 season. In the Wildcats’ 93-86 win over the Hokies, the 6-6, 220-pound Clarke came off the bench to produce nine points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Now, Clarke leads Texas Tech in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and assists (5.6 apg) while scoring 6.4 ppg.
Advantage: Texas Tech
Center
▪ Kentucky’s Nick Richards (team bests of 13.7 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 2.4 blocks) continues to stake his claim as the nation’s most improved player. More strong play from the 6-11, 247-pound junior from Kingston, Jamaica, will be important against a smallish Texas Tech team that has proven vulnerable on the boards.
▪ Another graduate transfer, Texas Tech’s TJ Holyfield (8.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) is a second Red Raiders player who has played against Kentucky for a different school. During the 2016-17 season, Holyfield played for Stephen F. Austin in an 87-64 loss to UK in Rupp Arena, scoring five points and fouling out in nine minutes. At 6-8, 225 pounds, Holyfield is more of a “4 man” than a true post..
Advantage: Kentucky
Shooting guard
▪ After UK’s Immanuel Quickley (13.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.9 apg) hit a scorching 14 of 21 three-point attempts in the Wildcats’ first four SEC games, the 6-3, 188-pound sophomore has cooled (2-of-10) in the past two contests. Yet showing the development the Havre de Grace, Md., product has made in his second season, Quickley has made big contributions to Kentucky wins even without his outside shot falling. In UK’s 73-66 road win at Arkansas, Quickley had 10 rebounds; in Tuesday’s victory over Georgia, Quickley’s defense held Bulldogs star Anthony Edwards scoreless in the first half.
▪ Texas Tech’s Jahmi’us Ramsey (team-high 15.5 ppg; 4.9 rpg; 40.3% three-point field goals) has so far lived up to the hype of having been the highest-ranked prospect (No. 21 in the class of 2019 Rivals 150) to sign with Texas Tech. A 6-4, 195-pound product of Arlington, Texas, Ramsey has been in a shooting lull (13-of-35) over the past three games, however.
Advantage: Even
Point guard
▪ Kentucky’s Ashton Hagans (13.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, team bests of 7.3 apg and 2.2 steals) bounced back from a slog (2-of-10 field goals, five turnovers) in UK’s unexpected loss at South Carolina to play well at Arkansas (13 points, six rebounds, six assists) and vs. Georgia (23 points, five rebounds, nine assists, four steals). In what figures to be a raucous road environment, the Cats will need Hagans at his best in the United Supermarkets Arena.
▪ Texas Tech’s Davide Moretti (13 ppg, 2..3 apg) is the sole returning starter back from last season’s NCAA runner-up team. The key to defending Moretti is not to let the Bologna, Italy, product get to the foul line. The 6-3, 180-pound junior is 54-of-59 on foul shots this season, and has missed only 17 free throws in 192 attempts as a college player. In Tech’s upset of Louisville, Moretti hit only four of 15 field goals, two of 10 three-pointers, but had a game-high 18 points thanks to going 8-of-8 from the line.
Advantage: Kentucky
Bench
▪ Kentucky freshman forward Keion Brooks (5.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg) has produced back-to-back positive games. The 6-7, 205-pound product of Fort Wayne, Ind., had 10 points and seven rebounds in the win at Arkansas, then came back with eight points and five boards vs. Georgia. Freshman wing Johnny Juzang (2.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg) had his best game as a collegian vs. Georgia, making three of five shots and scoring six points while claiming three rebounds. Grad transfer power forward Nate Sestina (6.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) has gone seven games without scoring in double figures since having 17 points vs. Ohio State.
▪ Texas Tech’s Terrence Shannon (11.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg), a 6-6 freshman, is a frequent starter. In the upset of Louisville, the Chicago product had 13 points. Guards Kevin McCullar (4.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg) and Avery Benson (2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg) have each appeared in every game.
Advantage: Even
Intangibles and history
▪ Kentucky is 3-3 all-time in the Big 12/SEC Challenge — 1-0 vs. Texas; 1-0 vs. West Virginia; 1-2 vs. Kansas; and 0-1 vs. Baylor. Texas Tech is 4-2 in the event — with wins over Arkansas (last year), Auburn, LSU and South Carolina and losses to Alabama and Arkansas.
▪ UK leads the all-time series with Texas Tech 4-0, but the teams have not met since an 83-68 Wildcats victory on Dec. 17, 1994.
▪ Texas Tech is 9-1 at United Supermarkets Arena this season, with the sole loss coming against now-No. 1 Baylor, 57-52, on Jan. 7. The Red Raiders have won their last 54 home games against non-league opponents.
▪ Coach Chris Beard’s Red Raiders’ most impressive victory of the season was a 70-57 upset of then-No. 1 Louisville in New York’s Madison Square Garden on Dec. 10. John Calipari’s Wildcats also have a victory over the Cardinals, 78-70 in overtime, on Dec. 28 at Rupp Arena.
Advantage: Texas Tech
Prediction
Kentucky 66, Texas Tech 63
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 7:31 AM.
