Holiday Wish No. 8 for Texas Tech Fans
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This holiday season has seen its fair share of holiday wishes for Texas Tech fans, as we continue the countdown to wish No. 1.
Many Texas Tech fans are patiently waiting to see if the Red Raiders will play Oregon or James Madison in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. However, this wish focuses instead on both the men's and women's basketball teams.
Holiday Wish No. 8: For the Men’s and Women’s Teams To Both Win the Conference Regular Season Title for the First Time Since 1996
It hasn't happened since 1996, when both the men's and women's teams were in their last season as members of the since-extinct Southwest Conference; both the men's and women's basketball teams won the regular-season conference titles in the same year.
What the Men’s Team Needs To Do To Win the Big 12 This Year
Grant McCasland is in his third year as the head coach of the men's team, and they have become one of the best offensive teams in the country. This year, the Big 12 is really deep. TTU needs to beat Houston (the incumbent conference champion and preseason favorite), Kansas, Arizona, and Iowa State to win the regular-season conference title.
The first step to make this wish come true is to win at home in conference play. Tech needs to keep playing almost perfectly at home. The "Dust 'Em" atmosphere gives the host team a huge edge. JT Toppin, the Big 12 Player of the Year last season, needs to keep controlling the paint and consistently putting up double-doubles.
To win the regular-season crown, the Red Raiders need to win at least 60 to 70% of their road games. They need to focus on "swing games" versus clubs like Oklahoma State or Baylor. The Big 12 has an 18-game schedule that is balanced with nine home and away games, so the head-to-head games against Arizona and Houston could potentially serve as tiebreakers.
What the Women’s Team Needs To Do To Win the Big 12 This Year
The Lady Raiders are off to their best start in years, thanks to head coach Krista Gerlich; they are currently 13-0. Iowa State, Arizona State, and TCU are three of the best teams in the Big 12 through non-conference play, as all three are off to a great start with no losses and at least 12 wins.
Holding opponents to only 23.7% from the 3-point line has contributed to Tech's undefeated start. It is not up for debate that this elite defense must hold up against powerful offenses like Iowa State's.
TTU is making 36.5% of its shots from outside the arc. As scouting reports become more thorough in conference play, their guards need to maintain these percentages. In the midst of the Big 12 schedule, teams regularly play several ranked teams in conference play. You could win or lose titles during this time if you have a "slump" and lose two or three games in a row.
It would be amazing if both teams could take home the Big 12 regular-season title this March to make this holiday wish come true.
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Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.