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Texas Tech Red Raiders Conference slide continues in Lubbock
Last season12-16, 3-13 Big 12
CoachJames Dickey (10th season, 157-105)
Projected starting lineupG Jamal Brown, 6-0, Jr.The transfer who replaces Rayford Young could be even quicker, though his range may not extend so far.
G Jayson Mitchell, 6-4, Sr.
F Ronald Hobbs, 6-6, So.
F Cliff Owens, 6-8, Sr.
C Andy Ellis, 6-11, Jr.
Top guy off the benchG Moses Malone Jr., 6-4, Jr. Yes, he's the son of you-know-who; shot just .232 in 19 games a year ago.
Key gamesat Indiana (Dec. 9 at Indiana Classic). Assuming they beat Ball St. in semis, Tech gets to tangle with the Hoosiers.vs. Texas A&M (Feb. 10). Red Raiders must win these games for any kind of leverage in middle of the standings. at Texas (Feb. 13). A team with 11 Texans gets a chance to show the Longhorns what they're missing.
OutlookThe Big 12 has not been kind to the Red Raiders. They ran the table with a 14-0 record in 1995-96, the Southwest Conference's swan song, but the graph has headed south every year since. Tech has won 10, seven, five and three games in the last four seasons, and this team that lost its top three full-time scorers doesn't look much better. Ellis and Owens make a great one-two punch down low. Those two were snakebitten last year, and if they stay healthy, the Red Raiders ought to win more than three Big 12 games. But with questionable depth, an unproven backcourt and five true freshmen, it's hard to see them winning too many more. --Adam Thompson
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