No. 13 Texas Tech heads to Tempe, Ariz., on Tuesday night to face Arizona State riding momentum from its 78-75 upset victory at then-No. 1 Arizona on Saturday.
Texas Tech (19-6, 9-3 Big 12) has won three consecutive games after losing two straight to UCF and Kansas.
“I don’t know if anyone is ever prepared for Big 12 play, but you’d better be prepared for a grind,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said. “It’s going to be a fight. Our intent was how well can we fight every day, and our team is believing in that aspect.
“We don’t have it all figured out. We’re just scratching the surface.”
Arizona State (13-12, 4-8) has not played since Feb. 10 when it beat Oklahoma State at home. The Sun Devils will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak against Oklahoma, Northern Arizona and Santa Clara from Dec. 6-13.
Texas Tech post player JT Toppin is coming off a 31-point, 13-rebound performance in the win over Arizona.
The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year is in position to earn that award again. He is averaging 21.9 points and 11 rebounds per game.
Christian Anderson complements Toppin as the point guard. He had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds against the Wildcats. He also made 6 of 15 shots from 3-point range.
“I love the fight of this team,” McCasland said. “JT and Christian weren’t going to let us lose. JT Toppin was not going to be denied at the end of this game.
“You don’t come into (Arizona’s) building and win unless you’re fighting and competitive. I love being part of this team.”
Arizona State will counter Toppin and Anderson with 7-foot-2 freshman Massamba Diop and journeyman point guard Maurice Odum, who previously played for Pacific and Pepperdine.
Diop is averaging 13.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Odum is at 17 points and six assists per game.
Arizona State has struggled with rebounding this season, ranking last in the Big 12 with a minus-2.7 differential per game.
In the win over Oklahoma State, the Sun Devils finished with a 45-34 rebounding advantage, including a 19-10 edge on offensive rebounds. That contributed to a points-in-the-paint advantage of 38-26.
“It looks like we figured out how to rebound,” Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley said. “I thought the balance was really good. We set the tone early in the game with establishing our ability to get some rebounds.
“We missed some shots, but were able to get second-chance opportunities. It’s probably the biggest differential we’ve had in second-chance points all season, so great job for the guys.”
Arizona State would need a miracle late-season run to become an NCAA Tournament candidate.
Beating Texas Tech would enhance Arizona State’s NET ranking, which stood at No. 71 through the weekend. The Red Raiders’ NET ranking was No. 16. The Sun Devils also have opportunities against Kansas and Iowa State to conclude the season.
The Sun Devils are 2-9 against Quad 1 opponents with victories over Texas and Santa Clara.
