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Big 12 Basketball Notebook
By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Bob Knight’s quest to pass Dean Smith is almost over, despite a few stumbles this season.
For “The General� to catch Smith at 879 victories and pass him before Texas Tech jumps into Big 12 Conference play, though, the Red Raiders will have to play well against a beefed-up part of their schedule – especially on defense.
Tech ranks 11th in the Big 12 in scoring defense (69.3 points allowed per game) and field-goal defense (45 percent) and now heads into a stretch of four games against Arkansas (in North Little Rock), Bucknell, UNLV and New Mexico, the last three at home in Lubbock.
All four teams will likely vie for NCAA Tournament berths and are a marked jump up in competition from a recent schedule that’s included lopsided Raider wins over Louisiana Tech and Centenary.
It’s no surprise that Texas Tech is being led by its Louisiana connection. Senior guard Jarrius Jackson leads the team and the Big 12 with 22.2 points a game and is also the league’s top 3-point marksman, hitting 29-of-53 (54.7 percent). Junior backcourt mate Martin Zeno has also been solid, producing 15.7 points a game and leading the Raiders with 44 assists.
Texas Tech is in action Saturday against an Arkansas team that has suffered only one loss – to Missouri. The Razorbacks have been solid on defense, leading the SEC in rebounding defense (27.5) and blocked shots (7.6 per game). Two newcomers pace the Hogs: Freshman Patrick Beverly (12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds per game) and JUCO transfer Sonny Weems (12.3/4.9).
The Raiders lead the series with Arkansas 39-37, but this is only the second meeting between the former Southwest Conference foes since 1991. The Razorbacks left the SWC for the SEC in 1991-92, and Tech was part of the merger with the Big Eight in 1996-97. The Hogs have won the last five meetings and 10 of the last 13.
Knight will pass Smith soon, but don’t bet on Tech taking a step in that direction against a more talented and athletic Arkansas team. Check the line on WagerWeb.com on Friday.
BAYLOR: The Bears head into their last serious pre-Big 12 test this weekend with a 6-2 record. Baylor plays Syracuse at the Carrier Dome Saturday after being idle for a week following a 64-59 home loss to South Carolina. Junior guard Aaron Bruce had knocked down 16 straight free throws and has missed only two from the stripe all season. He is shooting 88.9 percent for the season.
MISSOURI: The Tigers absorbed their first loss of the season at Purdue last week, but not because Stefhon Hannah didn’t come up big. Hannah logged a career-best 21 points vs. the Boilermakers, his third game of 20 or more this season. He leads Missouri with 14.5 points and 5.4 assists a game and tops the Big 12 with 40 steals. Mizzou is idle until Tuesday when it tangles with Illinois in St. Louis.
KANSAS STATE: The Wildcats are hard to read, although an 83-81 triumph at North Dakota State is more meaningful than a lot of people might realize. K-State senior Lance Harris notched a career-high 24 points against the Bison, converting 8-of-10 field goals, including a game-winning 3-pointer with 21 seconds left in the game. Starting Sunday with a home game against Kennesaw (Ga.) State, the ’Cats play three games in five days, culminating with coach Bob Huggins’ return to Cincinnati when KSU takes on Xavier.
TEXAS: The Longhorns recorded their third straight win over a top-10 team last Sunday when they outlasted LSU 76-75 in overtime. Texas freshman point guard D.J. Augustin led the way with a career-best 25 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line against a team that recruited him very heavily when he was growing up in New Orleans. Sophomore A.J. Abrams also came up big for the ’Horns, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers in OT to help erase a 72-68 deficit.
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