The Texas Tech Red Raiders fell out of the AP Top 25 rankings after a rough week including a loss on the road to TCU and in overtime against the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats.

As Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard always says, it's on to the next game on the schedule, that game welcomes in the No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers, who rolled over Missouri in their Big 12-SEC Challenge matchup over the weekend.

Beard said the No. 12 Mountaineers are a legitimate top team in the country, and rightfully so. In addition, Beard said West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins has one of the best college defenses he has ever seen. The Mountaineers have seven players whose height reaches 6’7’’ or taller, which rings the bell they can protect the rim at a high level.

In addition, Beard talked about the dynamic play of freshman guard Miles McBride, who had the game-high 22 points in the last matchup against Texas Tech.

“He can score, he can create his own shot,” Beard said. “He’s on a team where they’re empowering him to be who he is.”

Beard talked about the current relationship West Virginia has with McBride showing out similar to how former Red Raiders Zach Smith and Keenan Evans let Zhaire Smith showcase his abilities with Zhaire was a freshman.

“Those guys let Zhaire be Zhaire,” Beard said. “I see the same thing in West Virginia where they’re letting the freshman (McBride) play his role, and that’s to be aggressive offensively, scores and is a talented player. Plays on both ends. You have to to play for Coach Huggins.”

Back to the height of West Virginia, Beard noted how the Mountaineers’ interior players (notable Oscar Nshiebwe and Derek Culver) present a real challenge, a reason why he calls the duo two of the better big guys in all of college basketball.

“Two NBA players in my opinion,” Beard said.

“We did a lot of good things in game one,” Beard said on his team. “We gave ourselves a chance that night at West Virginia. We didn’t play well enough to it into like a one or two-possession game, but we were right there for the majority of the game. We’ll have to build upon some of those things and then certainly try to play better in different areas.”

Freshman guard Terrence Shannon Jr. did not play in the last matchup against the Mountaineers due to injury. Now that he’s back, Beard said Shannon brings a lot to the table on both ends of the floor.

“Certainly, you want to have your full roster when you’re going to any games,” Beard said. “We’re definitely a better team with TJ being able to play than we’re not. So, if anything, he’s just another one of our guys we can count on.”

Something that certainly did not favor Tech in Morgantown earlier in the month was free throws, specifically the six of seven on the night. Beard addressed that and said victory will favor the aggressive team.

“It’s really hard to get on the free throw line in somebody else’s gym in the Big 12,” Beard said. “The bottom line is that we have to control what we can control, and that’s to be aggressive. In West Virginia, we fell in love with the jump shot. We just got to find that balance between being aggressive.”

Beard had a chance to talk about former Los Angeles Laker and NBA legend Kobe Bryant and a memory he had of him.

Beard said he felt like he grew up with Kobe. When Beard was a kid, he said he watched Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson dominate the NBA at the time. By the time Beard got into coaching, he remembers a young kid, called it Kobe carrying the torch.

“I was starting my second year of college coaching.” Beard said, “I was in Abilene, Texas, coaching Abilene Christian, and that game was on (TNT or TBS). I just remember watching this 18-year old, got out there playing NBA minutes, and all the things that you’d heard about him. Twenty years later, I vividly remember the last game, you know, cheering for him in the game where he scored 60.

Really, I just grew up watching him play basketball. Also, a lot of things we do today are really directly related to him.”

Beard also took a moment to settle the dispute over the whole ‘Who’s better?’ deal, but not in the way many people argue.

“Who’s the most competitive guy ever?” Beard asked. “No debate. A lot of the things we try to do in basketball wherever I’ve coached have been about getting that guy who has the edge and just the work ethic.

Terrible deal (about Kobe’s death), but it just reminds us all how short life is, and me being a dad and having daughters. You can’t imagine, but just from a basketball standpoint; as I’ve reflected the last couple of days, probably nobody that’s had a bigger impact on me just because that was my - it was my generation. I’ve probably watched 80 percent of his games for 20 years.”

Beard said they are running out of time with regarding freshman Tyreek Smith. Beard said they would try to do anything to hurt a kid’s eligibility, but Smith has been cleared to practice, as announced already last press conference.

Today will be Smith’s second practice of live contact, and Beard said they will have to make the decision sooner than later.

“Right now, we’re really not spending much time thinking about that,” Beard said. “We’re just trying for him to have good days. He’s had some good days, a little bit sore when he works hard, nothing to do with the injury. He’s completely 100 percent healed but trying to get you legs back under you.”

Nothing said about Joel Ntambwe and the latest regarding his eligibility being decided by a committee.

Beard loves the opportunity of playing tough teams back-to-back, as such Kentucky, now West Virginia followed by a road trip to Kansas.

The West Virginia game is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday night.