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CAREY TALKS TECH VISIT, 'BIG COUNTRY'
Rosenberg (Texas) Lamar Consolidated hoop star and Texas Tech commit
Michael Carey visited Lubbock last weekend to watch the Red Raiders
close out a tough regular season against Missouri.
Despite the outcome of the game, the 6-foot-5 point guard had some great things
to say about his first time ever watching a game in the United Spirit Arena.
"The fans were amazing and they still support the team even though they've
struggled this season," Carey said. "The United Spirit Arena is awesome. It's
almost like a NBA arena. The lineup introductions were very cool as well."
Carey has followed head coach Billy Gillispie's career since he turned things
around at Texas A&M and then onto Kentucky. On Saturday, he was able to get his
first live glimpse of his future coaching staff's in-game demeanor and was
pleased with what he saw.
"I love them and the aggressiveness they bring to the game," he said. "They are
all about business and Coach Gillispie is on top of every small detail during
the game. I like how he gets with his players during the game and you can feel
yourself getting better each and every day."
To the average fan, the win-loss column would not be a great indicator of
progress being made within the basketball team or the tremendous effort given
forth by the players throughout the entire season.
However, Michael Carey seemed to understand the vibe of the team and appreciate
other nuances of Tech's program.
"I was impressed. Even though they guys are going through a tough time this
season, they are still dedicated to playing and practicing hard," he said. "It's
an amazing thing to watch. They trust what Coach Gillispie is doing and know
he's going to get everything turned around."
Part of the revival of post season play for Tech basketball will come from
bringing in talented recruits like Michael Carey and Wanaah Bail.
Friends since kindergarten, the two have been a "package deal" ever since their
recruiting process began. Both were in Lubbock this weekend and both did a
little recruiting of their own to add even more talent to the incoming 2012
class.
He wasn't an official Red Raider that weekend, but when Aaron Ross
left Lubbock, Carey was convinced he would be very soon.
"We call him 'Big Country.' It was my first time meeting him and we clicked
right away. We were shooting around and he fit the eye ball test for me," Carey
said. "After that, I was recruiting him a bit the rest of the time and I knew he
was going to commit after the visit."
And that's exactly what happened a few days later, on Tuesday, when Ross became
a confirmed Texas Tech commit.
Making things happen, true to his point guard tendencies, Carey was already able
to facilitate things in favor of Texas Tech basketball. However, on the court is
where the point guard feels like he can make an even bigger impact and he's
ready to put in the work required to make the team better.
"I'm a pass-first point guard. I like to get everyone involved and feel like I
can make everyone better with solid play," Carey said. "Everything we do has to
be at a higher level. The coaches told me to focus on coming in and working hard
and they would take it from there."
Carey said he is looking forward to playing with everyone and the next step for
him is to get prepared for summer workouts, which he described as "intense"
under Coach Gillispie.
- Rosen
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NEW TURF COMING TO JONES STADIUM?
I haven't been able to verify this, but I have been told by several people
recently that the 2012 football season will likely be the last for Jones
Stadium's current turf surface. The stadium's Field Turf surface was installed
prior to the 2006 season, meaning that after this fall Tech will have gotten
seven seasons out of it.
If Tech does replace it, there is some talk that the endzones would be red, like
the endzones on the practice field.
There remains a possibility that Tech will spend some money repairing the
current surface, instead of replacing it entirely, so that they can get a few
more seasons out of it.
- Level
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BARRETT VISITS BAYLOR, PLANS SECOND VISIT
One of Tech's top quarterback prospects in J.T. Barrett took a
trip to Baylor this past weekend.
"It was a good visit," Barrett said. "I actually got to see the (Heisman) trophy
and you got to take pictures with it and everything and that was fun. It was
exciting and it just goes to show they can develop a quarterback into a Heisman
winner with what they did with RG3 so it was a good visit. I enjoyed myself."
Barrett also said he's picked up an offer from Kansas State. He now has offers
from Tech, Baylor, K-State as well as notables like Ohio State and Arizona among
others.
Barrett said Tech is doing everything it can to land him and his relationship
with the Red Raider coaching staff is a strong one.
"Texas Tech writes me a lot of letters," Barrett said. "I get like five letters
every other day from coaches from Texas Tech. I'm trying to find a place that
fits me as a quarterback. I think I can fit into a pro-style offense, and I'm
just trying to find a place for me and a place where I can have success after
football. I don't think distance or a conference really matters, I'm just trying
to find a place that fits me."
Having already visited Tech and Baylor, Barrett is planning a trip to Ohio State
on Monday and plans to visit LSU on March 17 and then plans on going back to
Baylor for their pro day on March 21. Barrett's summer plans are a little up in
the air right now because he's going to be in summer school so he can graduate
in December.
"Visiting the pro day at Baylor gives me a glimpse about what's happening at
Baylor and what's going on now that they're producing players in the NFL Draft,"
he said. "I think it'll be a good experience. The NFL Network is going to be
flying around there and it's just something that I think is going to be good."
- Graham
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LATEST ON A&M TRANSFER
I was told again this week that everything still points to former Texas A&M
offensive lineman Brian Thomas joining Texas Tech's roster on
or around June 1. The expectation is that he's good enough to start for the Red
Raiders; at the very minimum, he'll be expected to be a top backup.
While Jim Turner is no longer on Tech's staff, I've been told that he was
instrumental is ensuring that Thomas landed at Tech if the standout offensive
lineman wasn't going to finish his career in College Station.
- Level
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COLLINS STAYING PATIENT
Livingston (Texas) wide receiver Chevoski Collins has seen a
bit of a lull in the recruiting process over the last couple of weeks, but with
a visit to TCU coming up this weekend, he feels that things are about to speed
up again.
"It's been a little bit slow, but it's starting to pick back up like it was at
first," he said, "(I've been hearing from) Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, and TCU."
Collins recently visited Austin for one of UT's junior days, and the wideout
enjoyed his time there.
"It was a really nice place, really family oriented. It just seemed like a good
place to be at."
Another school in heavy contact with the receiver is Texas Tech. Collins was
originally scheduled to take a visit to Lubbock about a month ago, but had to
cancel last minute. The Livingston prospect said that he's been invited to
Tech's spring game on March 24 and plans to head out the Hub City that weekend.
"I think I'm going up there like March 24th or something for their spring game,"
he said. "(I've been hearing from them) a lot. They've been writing me every
week, asking me how I'm doing and different things like that."
Collins likes what offensive coordinator Neal Brown has been trying to do with
the Red Raider offense and has been keeping contact with the OC on a regular
basis.
"It's a very good place. I like what they do with their offense. They spread the
ball and pass it.," he said. "I've been mostly talking to (coach Brown). He's
just asking me how I've been doing, seeing how everything's been going. He's a
real great guy. I like everything about him, real easy to talk to him and stuff
like that."
The wideout also visited Waco for one of Baylor's junior days in recent weeks.
Collins had a good time with Art Briles and Co., saying that the family
atmosphere at Baylor is an attractive option.
"When I went up to Baylor, it was a real nice place. It looked real nice and
everything. Everybody treats you like you're family up there."
Collins is also headed to Fort Worth this weekend for a visit to TCU. It's his
first trip there, and the playmaker wants to get a scope of everything that the
campus and program has to offer.
"This is going to be my first time on the campus. (I just want to) visit the
campus and see how everything is up there."
Collins said that he currently has no favorites and has no timetable for making
a decision.
He currently holds offers from Tech, Baylor, and Utah.
- McKay
--
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This post was edited on 3/9 12:03 AM by A. Dickens
