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Nov 27, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Caleb Mills (2) and guard Quentin Grimes (24) react after a play during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
via Imago
Nov 27, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Caleb Mills (2) and guard Quentin Grimes (24) react after a play during the second half against the Boise State Broncos at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Men’s Basketball has been thriving following its restart this week. While we have lost teams to positive COVID tests, the Bubbleville in the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut is proving its utility. We have been getting nonstop basketball action, and that will continue even outside the Bubble.
Back home in Texas, we will see 2 rival ranked teams face off. The Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0) will face the Houston Cougars (2-0) on 29 November, and the excitement can be felt. It is one of the few clashes we have had early this season between 2 opponents ranked in the AP 25 Poll.
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It's insane how much talent this Texas Tech team has…
– A 5 star, top-25 recruit (McDonald's All-American)
– The 3rd leading scorer from a 23 win Wichita State team
– The 3rd leading scorer from a 17 win UNLV team
– Two 4 star recruitsAnd that's just coming off the bench.
— Eric Kelly (@EricKellyTV) November 26, 2020
Texas Tech opened the season with a 43-point win over Northwestern University (101-58). They followed it up with a 32-point win over the Sam Houston Bearkats.
Their mercurial talent Mac McClung is making a massive splash for himself, averaging 19 points for himself through these games. Meanwhile, the Cougars are led by Quentin Grimes and have also picked up back-to-back wins.
Who will emerge victorious in this all Texas clash?
NCAA Men’s Basketball: Texas Tech carry their momentum over the Cougars?
The Cougars had a dominant 40+ point win over the Lamar Cardinals, but that wasn’t even a good test for them. Their second matchup against the Boise State Broncos was closer, but the Cougars got a 10-point win over them.
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Both squads have wins, but the Texas Tech wins have been a little flashier. Both teams have a fast-paced style of play run by their lead guards.
However, they also have plenty of scoring from around the team as well. The Cougars are led in scoring by Marcus Sasser and not Quentin Grimes.
USA Today via Reuters
Nov 25, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Mac McClung (0) shoots over Northwestern State Demons guard Jouan Zelenbaba (15) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The Cougars literally embody small-ball, with their 6’5 guard Grimes playing at the four spot. Their tallest player is 6’8 Brison Gresham, who will end up playing a lot more this season. However, this is a favorable matchup compared to the 6’7 center that Texas Tech have in their lineup.
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Both these teams embody small-ball and have lineups designed to exploit that. However, it just feels like Texas Tech might prove why they are considered marginally better than the Cougars in this early matchup between the teams.
