:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27273267/20140118_ajl_sh2_040.0.jpg)
Game Day Vitals
- West Virginia Mountaineers (10-8, 2-3 Big XII) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-8, 2-3 Big XII)
- Series Record: 4-1, last met a few weeks ago in Lubbock leading to an OT win 89-86
- Location: Oliver Garden (Capacity: 14,000) Morgantown, West Virginia
- Vegas Lines: (-7) for the good guys O/U: 141
- Date:January 22nd, 2013 at 8:00 pm ET
- Television: Big XII Network / ESPN3 / WatchESPN
- Stations carrying the game locally include: MASN (Capital region), PCNC (Pittsburgh), WIYE-My 5 (Parkersburg), WVFX (North Central West Virginia), WQCW (Charleston-Huntington), and WTOV-DT2 (Northern Panhandle).
- O/U on Tubby/GG Smith name drops: 2.5 (GG Smith coaches the Loyola MD squad WVU played earlier)
Opponent Information
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (10-8, 2-3 Big XII)
- Head Coach - Tubby Smith (yeah, that one), First year at Texas Tech, 513–228 (.692) for career
- Last Result - Win @ TCU in Fort Worth 60-49
- Official Red Raiders athletics website
- SBN Texas Tech blog - Viva the Matadors
Blast from the Past....
circa 1990
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Via Arizona State athletics, sweet old photo of Tubby Smith, Pitino, Herb Sendek, Billy Donovan <a href="http://t.co/gPQ6p7Czaq">pic.twitter.com/gPQ6p7Czaq</a></p>— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattNorlander/statuses/414087730604568576">December 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Tubby Smith kinda looks like Morgan Freeman in Lean on Me (plus a mustache.) Don't smoke crack, kids.
Game Preview
The last few games for the West Virginia men's basketball team hasn't exactly went well and we have been in full sulk mode. Losing streaks aren't fun, but there's something more going on about this one. Maybe, as Priddy said, it's that this team is regressing. Maybe it's that this fan base hasn't had much to cheer about over the past few years and everything inevitably turns to gray. Maybe it's that we are all tired of the excuses and just want to win. Yeah, let's go with that.
The (-7) Vegas line in favor of the Mountaineers makes no sense at all to me. WVU is playing the worst basketball they've played all year while Tubby Smith has his Red Raiders looking for a third straight win including knocking off #12 Baylor last Wednesday. Jaye Crockett and Jordan Tolbert are still the usual suspects when it comes to Texas Tech's scoring, but Dusty Hannah's has been stepping up recently to contribute.
This game is an opportunity for the Mountaineers to get back on the horse. While Tech is playing well, they don't travel the best with a win at TCU last game being their first victory on the road. One big thing for the Eers this time around is to not let Tolbert rack up 18 points and 12 rebounds. If he dominates on the inside in the Oliver Garden and WVU doesn't shoot well, it could be a long night.
Prediction: WVU 71, Texas Tech 75