What to Watch for: Texas Tech

Texas Tech remains the lone conference team that Kansas has yet to face this season. The Red Raiders, no longer the doormat of the Big 12, have put together five conference wins including impressive wins at Oklahoma and at home against Oklahoma State. Tech did fall at Iowa State over the weekend, but hung in there pretty well, losing by only six points. Needless to say, Kansas can’t show up with the kind of energy they had in the first half of the TCU game and expect to win. They have stuggled in Lubbock before and they could struggle again against this improved Tech team. Here are some things to watch for:

1. Joel Embiid’s triumphant return? Embiid got a nice break from action, missing a week of practice and the TCU game over the weekend. According to sources, he went full speed in practice on Sunday and is expected to play. I remarked on Twitter that he should not play unless he is completely ready. I said that he should have at least two full speed practices before he takes the court. It sounds like that will happen. Texas Tech is not a team like TCU where the Jayhawks really didn’t need their full complement of players, so Embiid should play if he is ready. Tech struggles to rebound the ball, ranking 9th in the Big 12 and 248th in the nation in rebounds per game so soaking up defensive boards may be just what Embiid needs to get his sea legs back.

2. Can KU build on their second half defense against TCU? I am no fan of this team’s defensive effort. And I really think that is what it boils down to. At this point in the season, they know the sets and the principles, they just have to have some pride and make it happen. You have to “buy in”. They did that against TCU in the second half. Guys were flying to the ball, running hard through screens, trapping in the corners, heding out to 30 feet, boxing out and skying for rebounds. That is all energy and effort and it made TCU look inadequate for most of the second half. I don’t know if that can serce as a case-study for this team, showing them what kind of defensive team they can be if they try, but I sure hope so. Defense wins championships, and if this KU team doesn’t start locking people down like that on a regular basis, I don’t like their chances to cut down the nets. You are going to have one or two off games offensively in the tournament, and the way you win those games and move on is by suffocating your oppoenent on defense. Let’s see if KU can hold Tech under 42% from the floor.

3. Who stops Crockett? Jaye Crocket is one of the Raiders’ biggets playmaker, and the biggest matchup problem for KU in this one. He is that classic stretch 4 that can beat you off the dribble, post you up inside if he has a mismatch and also drain the three pointer. Embiid and Black will likely be tied up with Kravic, so it will require good defensive efforts from Ellis and Traylor to make life diffcult for Jaye.