Texas Tech @ Oklahoma preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 4, 2017 ) Oklahoma 69, Texas Tech 77

No 8 Texas Tech is off to a 3-0 start in Big 12 play for only the second time in school history and has yet to trail in conference action, quite an accomplishment when you consider two of the wins were over then-No. 18 Baylor (77-53) and at 13-time defending champion Kansas (85-73). But now the Red Raiders play two top-10 ranked teams in the span of five days this week beginning with a Tuesday night game at No. 9 Oklahoma.

The Sooners had a 10-game win streak snapped Saturday at current No. 2 West Virginia (89-76) which begins the week tied with Texas Tech for first place in the Big 12. The Mountaineers, who have won 14 in a row, will visit Lubbock on Saturday. Red Raiders coach Chris Beard, who was an assistant under Bobby Knight the last time Texas Tech started 3-0 in Big 12 play in 2003-04, knows his team will have to be at its best this week to build on its eight-game win streak. "These games are so hard to win," Beard said after his team's 74-58 victory over visiting Kansas State. "I don't think people understand how hard it is to win a game in the Big 12 Conference. There is great preparation, and you have to play well. ... We found a way to win out third Big 12 game. We are looking forward to the next one."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (14-1, 3-0 Big 12): The Red Raiders rank fourth nationally in scoring defense allowing 59.2 points per game and fifth in field goal percentage defense (37.3 percent) while also topping the Big 12 in rebound margin (plus-8.5) but will be put to the test by Oklahoma, which leads in the nation in scoring (94.4) and is led by dynamic freshman guard Trae Young. Tech also has some pretty talented guards led by senior Keenan Evans, who leads the team in scoring (17.2), assists (3.6) and steals (23). Zhaire Smith, a 6-5 freshman guard, is second in scoring (10.7) and has scored in double figures in 10 straight games while freshman guard Jarrett Culver also is averaging in double digits (10.3).

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (12-2, 2-1): The 6-2 Young, who is drawing comparisons to NBA star Stephen Curry, leads the nation in both scoring (29.4) and assists (10.2) by wide margins but is coming off what for him was a so-so game in the loss to the Mountaineers, finishing with 29 points on just 8-of-22 shooting and turning the ball over a season-high eight times while dishing off just five assists. The Sooners had 17 turnovers at West Virginia which finished with a 21-9 edge in points off turnovers and held the Sooners to 43.1 percent shooting. Junior guard Christian James (12.6 points) and 6-9 freshman forward Brady Manek (11.0) also are averaging in double figures while senior forward Khadeem Lattin leads the team in rebounding (7.7).

TIP-INS

1. Young already has had seven games with at least 25 points and 10 assists, the most for a player in a college career over the last 20 years.

2. Evans has scored 25 or more points in a game four times this season and 20 or more points in a game 14 times in his career.

3. Texas Tech has outrebounded all three Big 12 opponents by double figures.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 88, Texas Tech 82