Four games into the Big 12 season, the ISU men’s basketball team is preparing to play a Texas Tech team that has only won one game in conference play.

On the outside, the Red Raiders (8-8, 1-4 Big 12) have only beaten a TCU squad that is winless in the Big 12. However, ISU coach Fred Hoiberg reassured the media at his weekly news conference that Texas Tech is a much different team than last year. 

“It’s a team that’s been pretty competitive and been in some pretty tough games,” Hoiberg said. “A team that’s played much differently than they did last year as far as pace is concerned; they play much faster and they play with freedom.”

Texas Tech is led by one of the best scorers in the Big 12 in Jaye Crockett, an efficient 6-foot-7 forward who is second in the conference in field goal percentage. 

Crockett is averaging 13.6 points per game, but his field goal percentage of .526 makes him one of the most efficient scorers in the Big 12. 

“He’s definitely a skilled player,” said Chris Babb. “He can shoot it pretty well; he plays hard; he’s athletic. I think we can match that with the way Melvin, Georges — the way we’ve been playing, I think we’ll be able to match that pretty well.”

Crockett, coming in at No. 4 in the Big 12 in rebounding, highlights an area Hoiberg said would be stressed in practice on Monday and Tuesday leading up to the game: offensive rebounding. 

“These guys, not only are they long, but they’re very athletic and they crash hard; they really get after it,” Hoiberg said. “It’s a big thing for us, we always talk about it — if we can get this, that thing off the glass, it should create some transition opportunities and that’s when we’re at our best, there’s no doubt about it.”

This game can easily be considered a “trap game” for Iowa State, but with a senior-laden team full of experience, the team isn’t worried about its focus when a strong Kansas State opponent looms large on Saturday. 

“We’ve still got to focus on Texas Tech even though they may be struggling,” said Will Clyburn. “It is [hard to not look to Kansas State], sometimes people fall into that trap, but we’ve got to come together as a team and just take care of business.”

Hoiberg echoed his leading scorer’s mentality, reiterating the fact that Texas Tech has been in close games the entire season. This included a game against Oklahoma and even Kansas, where the Red Raiders only trailed by three points at one point early in the second half. 

“I don’t think our guys are like that,” Hoiberg said. “They’re going to go out and have that same approach, hopefully for every game, regardless of who we’re playing.”