Basketball in the Bahamas for the Baha Mar wraps this week with a matchup straight from the dreams of paradise as No. 1 Purdue and No. 15 Texas Tech meet late on CBS Sports Network for the event’s championship game. The matchup features two preseason top-10 teams who have each been tested this week in the Bahamas, and who each have responded with resilience to march into Friday’s finale.
No. 1 Purdue punched its championship game ticket after stiff-arming a tougher-than-expected push from Memphis on Thursday. Memphis led by as many as nine points early before the Boilermakers tracked them down and raced out for what turned out to be a cushy 80-71 victory.
College basketball rankings: Purdue survives Memphis to set up clash vs. Texas Tech for Baha Mar Championship
Gary Parrish
No. 15 Texas Tech defeated Wake Forest in its own battle Thursday after it traded blows with Wake Forest for a full 40 minutes. The game featured nine lead changes and finished with an 84-83 Red Raiders victory.
Here is everything you need to know about Friday’s showdown.
Where to watch Purdue vs. Texas Tech live
Date: Friday, Nov. 21 | Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Location: Baha Mar Convention Center — Nassau, Bahamas
TV: CBS Sports Network [Channel finder]
Live stream: CBSSports.com | Mobile: CBS Sports App
Purdue vs. Texas Tech: Need to know
Offensive fireworks: Purdue owns the No. 1 offense in adjusted efficiency metrics at KenPom.com this season, while Texas Tech — No. 12 in adjusted efficiency — is no slouch itself on that end. That combo along with both team’s inconsistent early defensive sequences could give us a shootout. Vegas seems to think that may be the case, too: The over/under on the game is 153.5.
Stars aplenty: Texas Tech forward JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, leads all Big 12 players this season in rebounds per game (10.0) and is averaging 23.5 points per game to boot. Purdue guard Braden Smith is averaging 9.0 assists per game — second in college basketball — while teammate Trey Kaufman-Renn is averaging 16.0 points and 13.7 boards per game. There’s enough star power here to deliver us a dandy tonight. Good chance there are at least three All-Americans — and maybe more! — taking place in tonight’s action.
3-point strength: Texas Tech’s scoring this season has been boosted significantly by a reliance on its 3-point shot. Of all its points scored, 41.2% of its offense can be attributed to 3-pointers, per KenPom data — which is 23rd-most in college basketball. That strength may match up well vs. a Purdue team that is 147th in 3-point percentage allowed this season. Tech’s propensity to fill it up from deep and to do it a consistently high level will be among the bigger storylines that decides the outcome.
Purdue vs. Texas Tech prediction, pick
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Texas Tech keeps this game close but Purdue pulls out a close one. That’s my official prediction. Tech has the size, skill and physicality to match the Boilermakers, and their offense can be good enough not just to keep it close, but to pull off the upset. I think the play here for me would be to take the points on the underdog in what on paper is a pretty even matchup. Pick: Texas Tech +3.5
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