The number one thing I was looking at in this game was how Texas Tech played against a team they are a lot better than, on the road, in a game that means zero to the Red Raiders. I was not disappointed. I was in fact encouraged.
The days of UCF laissez-faire effort, focus, and care are long over. This is a mature, cohesive team that works. They bear down and take care of business, their minds are focused on the task at hand - that won't always mean wins, but it will always mean this team comes to play.
There is one grind in front of the Red Raiders now in the form of the Big 12 conference money tourney, which means nothing to Texas Tech with regard to NCAA tourney seeding. I know we all want to believe winning the conference tourney will propel Tech up a seed, but in the past the selection committee has never rewarded teams to that degree. In another thread I posted quotes from three or four committee members over years past addressing this very thing. The NCAA looks at conference tourney results for two teams: Bubble teams, and teams that stumble. Could that operating parameter change this season? Of course it could, but based on past action I won't believe it until it happens.
Despite this, it is a conference event and Tech must play so they may as well win the whole thing. Hang that banner, hoist that trophy, rub it in the face of doubters. There is no such thing as playing to avoid injuries, so go play and hopefully Tech avoids injuries.
Is Tech a 2 seed or a 3 seed in the NCAA tourney? I don't know, but I also don't think there is much difference between those seeds. They play each other in the Sweet 16, so why worry about which seed Tech gets. From a Texas Tech perspective, they have never been a 2 seed so that's something to shoot for I suppose. On the other hand, the 3 seed has treated the Raiders pretty well so if you are superstitious, or even moderately stitious, that's something to consider.
I continue to be mystified by the sentiment that there are teams in the field that Tech should avoid. Wait, what? No there are not! You have to win them all anyway so bring on Florida, bring on Duke, bring on Auburn, bring on Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (they are first in the field, qualified last night). All comers are welcome and encouraged to bring their best game, because they will need it! I said what I said!
The days of UCF laissez-faire effort, focus, and care are long over. This is a mature, cohesive team that works. They bear down and take care of business, their minds are focused on the task at hand - that won't always mean wins, but it will always mean this team comes to play.
There is one grind in front of the Red Raiders now in the form of the Big 12 conference money tourney, which means nothing to Texas Tech with regard to NCAA tourney seeding. I know we all want to believe winning the conference tourney will propel Tech up a seed, but in the past the selection committee has never rewarded teams to that degree. In another thread I posted quotes from three or four committee members over years past addressing this very thing. The NCAA looks at conference tourney results for two teams: Bubble teams, and teams that stumble. Could that operating parameter change this season? Of course it could, but based on past action I won't believe it until it happens.
Despite this, it is a conference event and Tech must play so they may as well win the whole thing. Hang that banner, hoist that trophy, rub it in the face of doubters. There is no such thing as playing to avoid injuries, so go play and hopefully Tech avoids injuries.
Is Tech a 2 seed or a 3 seed in the NCAA tourney? I don't know, but I also don't think there is much difference between those seeds. They play each other in the Sweet 16, so why worry about which seed Tech gets. From a Texas Tech perspective, they have never been a 2 seed so that's something to shoot for I suppose. On the other hand, the 3 seed has treated the Raiders pretty well so if you are superstitious, or even moderately stitious, that's something to consider.
I continue to be mystified by the sentiment that there are teams in the field that Tech should avoid. Wait, what? No there are not! You have to win them all anyway so bring on Florida, bring on Duke, bring on Auburn, bring on Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (they are first in the field, qualified last night). All comers are welcome and encouraged to bring their best game, because they will need it! I said what I said!
