Texas Tech got the bounce-back performance it needed with a victory against Milwaukee last Friday and now has to ramp back up for higher level competition with a trip to the Bahamas this week.
The 15th-ranked Red Raiders (3-1) get tested for two days at the Baha Mar Championship, starting Thursday when they tangle with Wake Forest.
A busy early stretch to begin the season — four games in 11 days — gave Texas Tech a variety of tests. The lone setback came on the road at Illinois, which is similar to how the Demon Deacons’ initial slate has unfolded.
Wake Forest (3-1) owns three home wins, the last on Sunday against UMass-Lowell by a 109-75 score, which came after a setback against Michigan on Nov. 11.
Now two teams with NCAA Tournament aspirations collide with a game against either Memphis or No. 1-ranked Purdue looming on Friday.
“We’re excited about our trip to the Bahamas,” Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland said. “Especially with the competition that is going to be there. Wake Forest is a tremendous team that played great to start the season and had Michigan on the ropes. We know we have our hands full and are excited to travel and get to spend some time together and play great opponents.”
Against Wake and whoever awaits, Texas Tech is likely to follow the same MO that has worked so far and will lean on its two most experienced standouts.
Pre-season All-American JT Toppin has been on a tear since missing the season opener and heads to the Bahamas averaging 24.3 points and 11.7 rebounds a game, ranking third and first, respectively, in those categories in the Big 12 Conference. He erupted for 35 points and 11 boards in the loss to Illinois.
Playmaking guard Christian Anderson ranks second nationally with nine assists per game and led the way to a comfortable win against Milwaukee with 18 points and seven assists. Donovan Atwell was also big against Milwaukee with five 3-pointers and has knocked down 18 shots from beyond the arc this season.
The Red Raiders connected on 13 of 31 treys vs. Milwaukee, the third time in four games they cranked in 12 or more field goals from deep.
That trend has helped Texas Tech average 88.3 points a game, a shade less than the Demon Deacons, who come in averaging 90.5 points an outing.
Wake has also been solid defensively, limiting foes to 23.1% accuracy from 3-point territory and forcing 12.5 steals a contest.
“Wake Forest is super aggressive,” McCasland said. “They’re a great defensive team and put pressure on the rim in transition. They have a lot of active ballhandlers who can score. I love their team. I love their physicality and how they compete.”
Juke Harris is the Demon Deacons’ leading scorer with 21.8 points and is also grabbing seven rebounds an outing. Tre’Von Spillers supplies 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds a game, while Mekhi Mason has added 12.5 and 5.5.
That balance was on full display against UMass-Lowell with five double-digit scorers and a dominant 61-point second half.
“We came out with the right level of intensity in the second half and started turning defense into offense,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said.
“We shot threes well and we shot a lot of free throws (20 of 24), and when we do those two things well, we can be a pretty good basketball team.”
A game earlier, the Demon Deacons pushed Michigan into overtime and had chances to prevail but couldn’t close the deal. How his team bounced back is a positive sign to Forbes.
“I was impressed with the level of disappointment in losing that game and how they responded,” Forbes said. “They understood why we lost and they didn’t like the way that felt. They handled it really well and showed it (Sunday).”
