LUBBOCK, Texas — Coming off of a loss in which it looked soft and offensively challenged, No. 18 Texas Tech will have to bounce back against one of the most consistently excellent programs in the country.

No. 15 Kentucky has put a player in the lottery (top 14 picks) of every NBA Draft since 2009, the year John Calipari took over the Wildcats. Calipari has no problem recruiting freshman that go one-and-done: he replaces them every year.

That streak does not appear likely to end this year. Mock drafts project freshman guard Tyrese Maxey to go high this season. Maxey is just one piece of a loaded Kentucky roster, but this year’s squad doesn’t resemble most of Calipari’s more famous ones.

Each Kentucky starter besides Maxey is a sophomore or older. These Wildcats have experience to go along with their usual talent.

“It’s kind of dangerous to think about Kentucky having returning, experienced players, but that’s what this year’s team is,” Chris Beard said.

While Kentucky doesn’t have an elite scoring threat like Anthony Davis or John Wall, it has four players that have the potential to go off in any game

Calipari surrounds Maxey with well-rounded point guard Ashton Hagans, sharpshooter Immanuel Quickley and bruising big man Nick Richards. All four players average between 13.3 and 13.7 points per game.

Keeping tabs on several talented scoring puts stress on a defense. It makes lapses more costly and allows fewer spaces for a weak defender to hide. Each Red Raider will need to be locked in against a Kentucky team that is brimming with talent.

“It’s a huge challenge to our defense because you can’t really gameplan for one person or two people,” Beard said. “You have to understand that you’re playing against one of the best teams in college basketball.”

Texas Tech did not play like a team that is capable of beating one of college basketball’s best on Tuesday, falling 65-54 at TCU. After a nice start, the Red Raiders scored only 31 points in the final 28 minutes of the game.

Their 3-pointers didn’t fall and TCU packed the paint, leading to tougher inside shots and turnovers.

However, offense hasn’t been an issue over the course of the season and Beard believes that will hold up.

“I’ve been proud of our offense this year. We’re shooting good percentages. We’re getting good balance. We’ve had some great halves. We’ve beaten some great teams.”

Still, it was an ugly loss on both ends. Texas Tech had no answer for TCU’s Desmond Bane, who poured in 29 points.

The Red Raiders also struggled on the glass, allowing seven offensive rebounds to center Kevin Samuel.

It will take a better internal effort to keep Kentucky from dominating the rebound battle. No one on Texas Tech’s roster has the size to match up with the 6’11” 247-pound Richards, save for seldom-used center Russel Tchewa. And Kentucky’s power forward E.J. Montgomery is no slouch at 6’10”.

Beard said that Texas Tech needs everyone on the court to chip in on the glass. Effort will have to make up for what the Red Raiders lack in size and athleticism.

“It’ll have to be a real scrap-fest down there in that paint,” Beard said. “If we can’t get the rebound we’re gonna have to tip it out. We’re going to have to fight. We don’t want a clean, pretty game in that paint. It’s going to have to get mucked up and dirty for us to have a chance.”

The Red Raiders proved they can win big games with their defeat of No. 1 Louisville, and have the chance to do it again against another top team from the same state.