JT Toppin-less No. 16 Texas Tech forges on at No. 4 Iowa State
No game in the Big 12 Conference rates as a breathe-easy tuneup because most teams are capable of jumping up and biting one of the league's frontrunners on any given night.
So, taking the first two steps of the rest of the season without preseason All-American JT Toppin were by no means easy outings for No. 16 Texas Tech.
The third step in that process certainly looms as the toughest yet, though, with a road trip north to face No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday in Ames, Iowa.
The Red Raiders (21-7, 11-4 Big 12) and Cyclones (24-4, 11-4) are half of the quartet in a second-place logjam in the standings behind leader Arizona with three games to go.
Texas Tech lost Toppin in a road loss at Arizona State, and the adjustments have worked out very well so far in home victories against Kansas State and Cincinnati. This will be the Red Raiders' first game outside of Lubbock without the star forward, who is done for the season with a knee injury.
In his absence, point guard Christian Anderson has elevated his game in a big way with performances of 21 points and 10 assists, then 31 points and seven assists. He added another welcome wrinkle against the Bearcats with a career-high 11 rebounds.
Anderson and his backcourt running mates, Jaylen Petty and Donovan Atwell, have the full attention of Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger.
"Their speed is real," he said during a media session Thursday. "Anderson is as dynamic as any lead guard in the country in terms of playmaking, decision-making, shooting and scoring.
"They've just got so many offensive weapons and a lot of confidence in their ability to score. They're a very well put-together team that, offensively, has a lot of firepower."
So do the Cyclones, which is part of the plot for another enticing Big 12 showdown.
Milan Momcilovic is Iowa State's leading scorer with 17.4 points per game, and the Cyclones' most dynamic offensive weapon is Joshua Jefferson with 16.6 points and 5.2 assists an outing. He adds 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per contest and has garnered Big 12 Player of the Year buzz.
Iowa State ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 82.8 ppg, two spots above the Red Raiders (82.0). The two teams share the best 3-point shooting percentage in the Big 12 (39.2%), although Texas Tech depends on hitting from beyond the arc much more, with 46.9% of its shot attempts from deep.
Where the Cyclones might have an edge, especially at Hilton Coliseum, where they are 15-0 this season, is with a defense that can torment foes. Iowa State is limiting opponents to 64.9 ppg and tops the Big 12 in rebounds allowed.
"They're one of the best defensive teams in the country and one of the most connected," Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. "They haven't lost a home game and present all kinds of challenges. They have great senior leadership, are tough and are competitive in every aspect of the game. ... We're going to have to play our best to put ourselves in position to win the game."