Final Four 2019: Each team’s fatal flaw

Texas Tech: Pace

Saying that a team’s pace of play is their weakness is a slippery slope to glide on, especially when looking at this Final Four field. None of the four teams remaining in March Madness play a particularly fast brand of basketball, so you might not think that the pace of the Texas Tech Red Raiders should matter all that much. Having said that, it very well could against a team like Michigan State, or any of the potential opponents in the National Championship Game.

There’s no escaping the fact that Chris Beard’s Texas Tech team thrives off their ability on the defensive end of the floor. Having said that, their offense has been playing at an extremely high level recently as well. This isn’t a one-man show featuring Jarrett Culver either as the Red Raiders’ complementary pieces have been stepping up quite a bit too.

When you look back at when this Texas Tech team stumbled throughout the regular season and in the Big 12 Tournament, though, it was all in games where their defense wasn’t able to completely lock down and control their opponents. With experienced teams like Michigan State, Virginia and Auburn, there’s a chance that could happen in the Final Four, which is where the pace comes into play.

Texas Tech is relentless in pursuing playing their style of basketball, but if their defense isn’t at its normal dominant level, the pace they play at becomes an issue because, put simply, it’s not one that’s designed to be playing from behind. If they get into that situation and are forced to change the course from their normal pace and style, they could be in trouble.