Tomorrow afternoon, Ross Hodge will get a shot at his mentor, Grant McCasland, as the Texas Tech Raiders come to Morgantown ranked 13th in the country.

Here are our picks for tomorrow’s game.

Schuyler Callihan: Texas Tech 78, West Virginia 68

This is a massive opportunity for the Mountaineers to pick up another signature win and potentially move into fifth place in the Big 12 standings. Hope Coliseum is going to be rocking for the annual Coal Rush, so that, combined with the debut of the new uniforms, should give WVU a chance to open the game much better than what we’ve seen over the majority of league play.

The high-powered duo of Christian Anderson and JT Toppin is just going to be too much for West Virginia to handle. Ross Hodge will find ways to slow them down here and there, but the Mountaineers just won’t have the shotmaking or offensive efficiency to keep up with them.

For the first time in a while, the script will flip. WVU comes out swinging and plays well for much of the first half before slipping into some sloppy play in the final minutes, which will then spill into the second half. Texas Tech hands WVU its second home loss this season.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 67, Texas Tech 65

WVU had its 16-game home winning streak snapped last weekend against Baylor and now faces the possibility of dropping back-to-back games in Morgantown for the first time since last season.

Texas Tech, meanwhile, is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season, including its first defeat to an unranked opponent, dropping to UCF and falling at home by three to red-hot Kansas, a team that hasn’t lost since it left Morgantown with an L.

While the Knights were ranked earlier in the year following a win over Kansas, the loss still exposed some vulnerability for the Red Raiders. Tech now finds itself staring at its first losing streak in nearly two years, a situation reminiscent of a stretch that featured a home game sandwiched between two road contests.

With a top-four seed in the Big 12 standings slipping out of reach, Texas Tech should enter with a heightened sense of urgency. That urgency could be problematic for a West Virginia team that has endured some sluggish starts, especially against a Red Raiders squad capable of heating up quickly from the perimeter. JT Toppin is one of the best scorers in this league and presents another challenge with his ability to finish and facilitate around the rim, which can make mounting a comeback difficult once Texas Tech establishes momentum.

Ross Hodge is well acquainted with Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland, having spent eight seasons on his staff. While familiarity cuts both ways, Hodge’s intimate knowledge of McCasland’s system could provide a subtle edge in preparation. Even with Texas Tech looking to bounce back from one of its least efficient offensive outings of the season, the Mountaineers are positioned to limit one of the league’s top offenses and grind out another upset at home, 67-65.

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