I often find myself exasperated with Texas Tech's play on the court, even frustrated. The team does things routinely that bother me as a basketball fan and as a guy who wants to see Texas Tech be the best they can be. January basketball is over, there's only one full month of conference play left. The conference money tourney starts on March 11.
But you know, if I step back a bit and view this team from 10,000 feet maybe what I'm seeing is a team evolving to be the best team they can be.
Look at all the nagging injuries, a couple ankles, some flu. In how many conference games has Tech's 8 man rotation been all healthy at the same time?
I look at that game last night and I found myself gritting my teeth and rolling my eyes half the time, but I think that's unfair of me. The Raiders were without a starter who is also maybe the best player on the team (although JT Toppin is certainly a beast). There are no teams that can sit their best player and not suffer a drop in the overall level of play and performance, there's just not. Imagine if the best player from each of Tech's remaining opponents were to miss playing the Raiders? That reminds me of TCU playing against second string quarterbacks to reach the football finals.
Texas Tech is just like any team, they are a work in progress and if we look backwards I think we see the positive results of that work. This team lost to UCF at home, do you think right now they would lose to UCF at home even without Darrion Williams? No way. Good teams get better as the season goes on.
Raiders are alone in 4th place in the Big 12, and but for some untimely free throw woes would be in 2nd place. They smoked out the 2nd place team Arizona two weeks ago, beat them by 16 in a game that was never in doubt because Tech got any shot they wanted.
The Raiders really are road warriors in conference play, and they are going to need to be on Saturday. I am not going to be surprised at all if Tech plays their best game, I'm kind of expecting it though the Williams injury situation is a concern.
Oh, last night's game. Well Toppin was Toppin and it felt like he never came off the court. I thought Federiko Federiko played the best game he's played, and I'm sure Kerwin Walton answered the bell in big fashion. Talk about a sight for sore eyes! I don't like the situations Tech finds themselves in oftentimes when they take a late three pointer, but when I look at game results maybe that's a me problem and not a Tech problem.
But you know, if I step back a bit and view this team from 10,000 feet maybe what I'm seeing is a team evolving to be the best team they can be.
Look at all the nagging injuries, a couple ankles, some flu. In how many conference games has Tech's 8 man rotation been all healthy at the same time?
I look at that game last night and I found myself gritting my teeth and rolling my eyes half the time, but I think that's unfair of me. The Raiders were without a starter who is also maybe the best player on the team (although JT Toppin is certainly a beast). There are no teams that can sit their best player and not suffer a drop in the overall level of play and performance, there's just not. Imagine if the best player from each of Tech's remaining opponents were to miss playing the Raiders? That reminds me of TCU playing against second string quarterbacks to reach the football finals.
Texas Tech is just like any team, they are a work in progress and if we look backwards I think we see the positive results of that work. This team lost to UCF at home, do you think right now they would lose to UCF at home even without Darrion Williams? No way. Good teams get better as the season goes on.
Raiders are alone in 4th place in the Big 12, and but for some untimely free throw woes would be in 2nd place. They smoked out the 2nd place team Arizona two weeks ago, beat them by 16 in a game that was never in doubt because Tech got any shot they wanted.
The Raiders really are road warriors in conference play, and they are going to need to be on Saturday. I am not going to be surprised at all if Tech plays their best game, I'm kind of expecting it though the Williams injury situation is a concern.
Oh, last night's game. Well Toppin was Toppin and it felt like he never came off the court. I thought Federiko Federiko played the best game he's played, and I'm sure Kerwin Walton answered the bell in big fashion. Talk about a sight for sore eyes! I don't like the situations Tech finds themselves in oftentimes when they take a late three pointer, but when I look at game results maybe that's a me problem and not a Tech problem.
