As former conference foes for decades, there is a lot of history between Texas Tech and Arkansas. But the freshest memories are prominent for both programs as they get set to collide in an enticing neutral-site game this weekend.
The 16th-ranked Red Raiders (7-2) and No. 17 Razorbacks (7-2) tangle on Saturday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, nine months after a memorable showdown in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Texas Tech walked off the floor in San Francisco that night with an 85-83 victory after erasing a 16-point second-half deficit that ended Arkansas’ bid for a deep Cinderella run.
The Razorbacks insisted this week that revenge is their only motivation, but they also remember that night and the gut-wrenching feelings that followed.
“It’s a regular game for us,” Arkansas guard Karter Knox said. He scored 20 points vs. the Red Raiders in the last meeting, buoyed by four 3-pointers. “It’s a game that we have to get — very big game for us. They did beat us last year, but it’s not a revenge game. I feel like this game we’re going to make a statement.”
There are a slew of new faces for both teams, but there are enough players back who played in that thriller and both coaches don’t have to be nudged much to recall how the 80th meeting between the former Southwest Conference rivals played out.
For preparation purposes, Razorbacks coach John Calipari broke a trend and went back and watched video of the gut-wrenching loss and wound up mad all over again.
“I had to this year because we are going to play them again,” Calipari said this week on his weekly radio show. “Now I’m even more mad that we lost that game after watching it. How? Every time I stop the tape, how the heck did we lose this?”
Two of the major reasons why Arkansas lost are back for the Red Raiders, who squandered a similarly big lead two days later against Florida in the Elite Eight.
J.T. Toppin tormented the Hogs for 20 points, 10 rebounds and a career-best five blocked shots, while Christian Anderson pumped in 22 points, his career high at that point.
Both decided to return this season and are again cornerstones for a Texas Tech team hunting for a signature win after losing its only two games against ranked opponents this season — No. 14 Illinois and top-ranked Purdue.
Toppin is averaging 20.8 points and a Big 12 Conference-best 11.5 rebounds this season, while Anderson is providing 19.1 points a contest and leads the Red Raiders with 65 assists.
As good as that duo has been, defense has been a huge key to Texas Tech’s success and that will take center stage on Saturday. The Razorbacks average 87.6 points a game and have produced 79 or more in every victory — including 89 last week in a win at then 6th-ranked Louisville.
Arkansas’ guard tandem of Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas leads the way with 17.4 and 16.9 points a game, respectively.
“We know we have to play great defense against an Arkansas team that is offensively prolific,” said Red Raider coach Grant McCasland, whose crew is allowing 70 points a contest. “They’re big, they’re fast, they’re aggressive and those two guards together are as good as any we have faced so far.”
Texas Tech has relied heavily on the 3-point shot this season and is coming off a day where they connected on 13-of-27 in a neutral-site win against LSU.
In that tuneup for the Hogs, the Red Raiders delivered one of their best performances of the season in an 82-58 romp by limiting the Tigers to 33.3 percent shooting and dominating the glass 45-32. Anderson scored 27 points and eight assists to help his team hand LSU its first loss.
