Early Look: Texas Tech

In the final two-and-a-half minutes Saturday, the third-seeded Red Raiders got big plays from their stars to pull away from Florida and advance to the Sweet 16.

All-Big 12 First-Team senior Keenan Evans drilled the go-ahead triple with 2:32 left in the second round game in Dallas, then Zhaire Smith, a member of the conference All-Defensive Team, got a block on the other end. Finally, the duo combined for an alley-oop, giving Texas Tech a five-point lead in an eventual 69-66 win over the sixth-seeded Gators.

Two days earlier, Tech beat No. 14-seed Stephen F. Austin 70-60, getting 23 points, six rebounds and five assists from Evans and 10 points and eight rebounds from Smith.

Texas Tech has had to deal with injuries this season, leading to a lull in the first half of the Big 12 season. First, starting forward Zach Smith suffered a right foot injury, after TT had started the season 14-1, including a win at then-No. 10 Kansas. But he missed 13 games from early January to late February, when the Raiders went only 8-5.

But bigger than Zach Smith's absence was that of Evans, who suffered a toe injury against Baylor Feb. 17 and wasn't the same for a couple weeks. While Evans battled the injury, the Raiders lost four straight — he played in three of them — while he averaged only four points.

Evans returned to 100 percent, however, and Zach Smith did, too. In the five games since his injury, Evans has averaged over 21.2 points per contest, including 22.5 in the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders have won four of five, with the lone defeat suffered in the Big 12 Tournament against Sweet 16 participant West Virginia.

Zach Smith had six points and three rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench vs. Florida.

Purdue last limited history against Texas Tech, having played the Lubbock program only twice, with wins in 1987 and '88. But the Boilermakers are familiar with Red Raiders coach Chris Beard. The second-year Texas Tech boss was the leader at Little Rock when the Trojans, as a 12-seed, upset fifth-seeded Purdue in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

That win, likely, helped raise Beard's profile, and soon after he accepted the position at Texas Tech.

Coach: Chris Beard (44-23 in second season)

Record: 26-9 overall, 11-7 (tie, second) in the Big 12

Bid: At-large

Seed: 3

Previous NCAA appearances (record): 17 (10-16)

Series vs. Purdue: Purdue leads 2-0 with victories in 1987 and 88.

Keenan Evans • 6-3, Sr., G • 17.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg | First-team All-Big 12

Zhaire Smith • 6-5, Fr., G • 11.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg | Big 12 All-Defensive Team

Jarrett Culver • 6-5, Fr., G • 11.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg

Justin Gray • 6-6, Sr., G • 4.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg

Norense Odiase • 6-9, Jr., C • 3.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg

Statistical notes: Texas Tech was 17-1 at home this season, the only loss a 74-72 defeat to Kansas in late February. But the Red Raiders were only 4-6 in true road games this season and are 5-2 on neutral courts. ... Tech had the best defense in the Big 12, allowing only 64.6 points per game; it allowed opponents to shoot only 40.2 percent from the floor and 32.7 percent from three-point range, both also the best in the 10-team league. ... Texas Tech was middle of the road offensively in the Big 12, averaging 74.9 points (seventh), 46.3 FG percentage (fifth) and 36.4 percent from three-point range (third). ... The Red Raiders hit only 69.6 percent of their free throws, ninth in the Big 12. ... Purdue and Texas Tech have one common opponent: The Raiders beat Northwestern 85-49 on Nov. 19; Purdue beat the Wildcats 74-69 on Dec. 3.

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