The only thing better than Texas Tech women’s basketball returning to the NCAA Tournament would be grabbing some of that March Madness and going on a run.
The last Lady Raiders win in the big dance was in 2005, when the team reached the Sweet 16 before a loss to Tennessee.
Tech has ended a lot of droughts during its turnaround season. Could the Lady Raiders also duplicate that run — or more? Here are our thoughts as the team prepares to head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Can Texas Tech women’s basketball make Sweet 16?
Why the Lady Raiders can
Defense — Tech is one of the best defensive teams in the country. The Lady Raiders hold opponents to 58.1 points per game, which is tied for 34th-best in the NCAA. The 36.8% opposing shooting is tied for 22nd, and Tech averages 5.8 blocks — tied for eighth.
Strength of competition — The Lady Raiders are battle-tested and have taken down high-level competition. Tech won’t be intimidated after matchups with different styles and finding success. The team boasts wins over TCU and West Virginia, each of whom will host NCAA Tournament games. The Lady Raiders beat WVU on the road, as they did against Baylor, so winning in hostile territory is in the cards as well.
Why the Lady Raiders can’t
Recent inconsistency — The peaks for Tech have been some of the highest in decades. The valleys have not been great, and those have been more frequent lately. The Lady Raiders started 19-0, including 6-0 in Big 12 play, but have struggled to find consistency since. Tech went 6-7 from that point on, including an ugly 58-51 loss to Kansas State in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
LSU — Teams don’t stumble into a No. 2 seed and hosting privileges. Three years removed from winning a national championship, LSU is still one of the top teams in the country. The Tigers racked up eight Quad 1 wins, including victories over Texas, Duke and Oklahoma (twice). Kim Mulkey is also one of the most successful coaches in women’s basketball history.
Buy Texas Tech women’s basketball NCAA tickets vs. Villanova
Texas Tech women’s basketball March Madness predictions
The Lady Raiders are slight favorites over Villanova in what should be a tight first-round matchup. It’s a coin-flip game, but expect Tech to bounce back from a forgettable Big 12 tournament exit to win that one. After that, it’s hard to predict the Lady Raiders would take down a team the caliber of LSU on its home floor. Look for Tech to bow out in the second round, a feat to be appreciated after a long drought.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Can Texas Tech reach Sweet 16 in Women’s March Madness?
Predictions for why, why not
Reporting by Stephen Garcia, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
