What Texas Tech Must Clean Up Before Facing West Virginia on the Road

Texas Tech is coming off a tough loss to Kansas at home and will travel to Morgantown to face West Virginia, hoping to get back on track. After their perfect home record fell to the Jayhawks, the Red Raiders need to learn from that defeat and apply those lessons to come out with a win on the road.

The good news? They won't be shorthanded this time.

Luckily for the Red Raiders, they won’t be without Christian Anderson this time, who missed the last game due to an illness. That helps jumpstart the Red Raiders immediately and put the odds further in their favor.

Next, they have to get JT Toppin going early and often. They must get him settled in and working the paint early in this one and it will set the stage for him and allow Texas Tech to get off to a strong start.

Toppin was held to just 5-of-18 shooting against Kansas, a frustrating night that saw him struggle to find his rhythm. If he can dial in a better shooting percentage and be effective and efficient from the jump, it could be a major key in this game, and turn the tides early on.

The Red Raiders also need to get some bench points and utilize their depth in this game, which should be easier now that Anderson is back in the starting lineup. Against Kansas, they essentially operated with a five-man rotation, and that lack of depth became a problem down the stretch. Getting a few bench players impactful minutes would be a major key to escaping with a win. Fresh bodies matter in these types of conference games, and especially in a major bounce-back test.

Another thing Texas Tech needs to focus on is continuing what they did well against Kansas. Despite the loss, they out-rebounded the Jayhawks and kept turnovers to a minimum for the most part. They need to continue protecting the ball and not let the Mountaineers capitalize on any points off of their own mistakes. Limiting turnovers and not allowing themselves to lose this game will be key.

If Texas Tech can execute in these areas and play like we know this team is capable of, there's no doubt they should be able to leave with another conference win. Now more than ever, this team cannot afford to be hungover from the home loss to Kansas. They need to get right back in the win column immediately.

College basketball has no sympathy and moves fast. The Red Raiders have to respond, and they have to do it on the road.

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