For many years, Kansas has reigned supreme in the Big 12. But it is Texas Tech which has most recently appeared in a national championship. That’s the backdrop as these two powers clash in Lubbock on Thursday night.

Texas Tech has found a way to blend high-level transfers and recruits into a collective that plays stifling defense under coach Chris Beard. The Red Raiders rank third in the nation in fewest points allowed on a per-possession basis.

Kansas does not have the raw efficiency numbers to match Texas Tech’s, but the Jayhawks have played a much tougher schedule, with wins over St. Joseph’s, Kentucky and Creighton along with a loss to the current top-ranked team, Gonzaga.

The Jayhawks have a bevy of outside threats, as four of their top five scorers are making at least 37.9 percent of their 3-point shots.

Both teams are in the top 25 in percentage of misses the lead to an offensive rebound, there should be lots of second-chance points. With Texas Tech ranking in the top 30 among Division I teams in opponents’ 2-point shooting percentage, they should have the upper hand in this early conference showdown.

The play: Texas Tech, -2.