The season really begins tonight, when the Kansas men’s basketball team travels to Lubbock, Texas to take on Texas Tech in the Big 12 opener. The game is slated to begin at 6 p.m. in United Supermarkets Arena.
Both teams enter this league opener with the same 6-1 record and similar expectations. No. 5 Kansas and No. 14 Texas Tech both have aspirations of contending for a Big 12 title in what figures to be the toughest league race yet.
While it is just one game, it has also been a long time since the Jayhawks dropped a conference opener. They have won 29 consecutive Big 12 openers, which is a streak that dates back to the 1991-92 season. Of those 29 wins, 17 of them have come away from Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas also enters the matchup on a nice win streak, having won six games in a row since falling to top-ranked Gonzaga in the season opener. Texas Tech, meanwhile, has won four in a row and is now 5-0 at home to start the 2020-21 campaign.
KU leads the overall series with Texas Tech, 37-6, which began in 1959.
According to KenPom, the Jayhawks are actually projected to lose to the Red Raiders tonight. KU is given a 41% chance of victory, with a projected score of 68-65 going in Texas Tech’s favor for this matchup.
The game will be televised on ESPN with Dan Shulman and Jay Bilas calling the action.
Log on to KUsports.com for our live game blog coverage and follow the KUsports.com staff on Twitter: @KUSports @mctait @bentonasmith & @SJacksonLJW
**BREAKING DOWN TEXAS TECH**
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**TOP PLAYER**
*No. 0 — G Mac McClung | 6-2, 185, jr.*
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McClung has led the Red Raiders in four of seven games in scoring, including a 20-point performance in the opener and 20 points against Troy.
Through seven games, McClung is pacing Texas Tech with an average of 14.1 points per game to go along with 3.1 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. It is the type of instant impact that the Red Raiders expected from their junior guard in his first season with the program.
McClung transferred to Texas Tech after he averaged 14.2 points, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 rebounds in 50 career games at Georgetown University. He is coming off a sophomore season where he led Georgetown by averaging 15.7 points per game.
It is why McClung was named to the All-Big 12 preseason honorable mention squad entering the year, and why he’s the top player on the team thus far.
**SUPPORTING CAST**
*No. 1 — G Terrence Shannon Jr. | 6-7, 210, so.*
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As one of three players on the team averaging in double figures, Shannon is scoring 11.8 points per contest in six games so far this season. He is also averaging 4.7 rebounds per game for TTU.
Shannon missed the game against Abilene Christian due to an ankle injury, but has started every other game and was back on the court in a big way last time out.
Shannon led the Red Raiders with 15 points and seven rebounds last Saturday against Corpus Christi. He was 5-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 at the free-throw line to lead the team in scoring for the first time this season and the third in his career.
Shannon is on the Julius Erving Award Watch List for the top forwards in college basketball.
*No. 11 — G Kyler Edwards | 6-4, 195, jr.*
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In seven contests, Edwards is third on the team in scoring with an average of 11.3 points per game. He also leads the team in assists with an average of 3.6 assists per contest.
As a starter in 38 consecutive games, Edwards has been a familiar face for a quality program. Edwards played a reserve role in all 38 games as a freshman during the Final Four run and started all of Texas Tech’s games last year as a sophomore.
Edwards is a key player, but he’s always willing to do whatever it takes for the team. He wore No. 0 the first two years of his career, but offered to give that number to McClung over the summer.
For his career, Edwards has scored 641 points, accumulated 162 assists and knocked down 92 3-pointers in 76 career games.
**ONE THING TEXAS TECH DOES WELL**
The Red Raiders are once again a really good defensive team this season. KenPom actually has Texas Texas as the No. 1 team in adjusted defensive efficiency (85.1) in the country.
**ONE AREA TEXAS TECH STRUGGLES**
Texas Tech has seven new players on this year’s roster, which probably is hard to deal with in a year where Big 12 play is starting earlier and the offseason was more limited. TTU has an average experience of 1.36 years on KenPom, a mark that ranks 260th in the nation.
**MEET THE COACH**
Texas Tech is coached by Chris Beard, who is 100-45 in his fifth season at Texas Tech and 196-75 in his ninth season overall.
**VEGAS SAYS**
According to FanDuel’s Sportsbook, Texas Tech is a 3.5-point favorite as of Thursday morning. I know what KenPom projects. I know this is a tough conference, and winning on the road in this league is never a given with or without fans.
But picking against KU in a Big 12 opener seems silly.
Prediction: Kansas 73, Texas Tech 70
