I know a lot of people are focused on scoring, but it hasn't been that long since Texas Tech was the defensive scourge of the Big 12 and maybe the entire country. This Red Raider club does not have an imposing shot blocker, but they do have a guy who hustles and tries and can get a block and can change shots. Yesterday's game did not feature much scoring anywhere, but it featured some defense.
Texas Tech still employs some sideline defense, you can really see it when the other team has the ball at the free throw line extended. Raider defenders will get completely parallel to the side and force the dribbler to pick up the ball or go baseline, where hopefully help is waiting. We are still seeing that, and we are seeing it combined with old school hard nosed man-ball-you defense. There's no clean look at the basket, there's no straight line to the rack. 17 point first half the other night and a pair of 21 point halves tonight - that's going to win some games.
With 3:06 to play, Isaacs hits a second free throw and Tech goes up 5 and I thought that San Jose State did not have enough time to outscore Tech by six to win. Five points at this time in the game, the way Texas Tech got that lead, the way the defense was playing, felt like 9 points to me.
We all know the Big 12 competition is a different beast, and it really is. This is not a league where a team with one post typically wins night in and night out, but with that I will note that Texas Tech has some guards. Pop Isaacs led both teams in rebounds and assists, and was tied with two other Raiders for the lead in steals. Of players getting more than 12 minutes, the guy who I think elevated Tech's play - Joe Toussaint - had the fewest rebounds with 3.
Texas Tech is guard heavy and that's ok. Good guards can take you a long way. Really good guards can help your interior defense by making it difficult to make good entry passes.
Individually, I thought Isaacs had a good game despite having trouble hitting shots. 34 minutes, no fouls, hit his free throws, passed the ball, rebounded the ball, got some steals. Jumpers don't always fall, but hustle is always available and he hustled, always kept his head up.
Toussaint I thought was the catalyst and I imagine he will be all season. He'll likely end up with the most minutes played, though he won't be far ahead of Isaacs or Darrion Williams.
Warren Washington only played 24 minutes but it felt like a lot more than that. I think he only got one block but I have him down for four altered shots.
Williams looks like a steal, guy does it all. Score, rebound, defend, pass. He's never lost to San Jose State as his Nevada team beat them last season.
I liked that things got a little chippy. This Tech team has some JYD in them for sure. We are only two games into the season so things can change, but for now, after two games, the Red Raiders are tough to play against. I'm very excited to continue to watch them and see what kind of team they become. Highly interested to see them play both away from Lubbock and against what should be a higher level of competition. After the Islanders this week, Tech plays Villanova on the 22nd, and one of North Carolina or Northern Iowa on Thanksgiving, then one of Michigan, Arkansas, Stanford, or Memphis.
Islanders coming to town in a few days, they have a guard who is off to an interesting start. Jordan Roberts starts for them, shoots a lot, and has yet to take a free throw this season. Pretty much all he does is catch and shoot, his next assist this season will be his first. Some past Raider teams could have let a guy like this get some great looks at the basket, it will be interesting to see how Texas Tech defends him. Overall the Islanders have twelve guys averaging over 10 minutes a game. Most recently they got the beatdown by Houston, 82-50.
Texas Tech still employs some sideline defense, you can really see it when the other team has the ball at the free throw line extended. Raider defenders will get completely parallel to the side and force the dribbler to pick up the ball or go baseline, where hopefully help is waiting. We are still seeing that, and we are seeing it combined with old school hard nosed man-ball-you defense. There's no clean look at the basket, there's no straight line to the rack. 17 point first half the other night and a pair of 21 point halves tonight - that's going to win some games.
With 3:06 to play, Isaacs hits a second free throw and Tech goes up 5 and I thought that San Jose State did not have enough time to outscore Tech by six to win. Five points at this time in the game, the way Texas Tech got that lead, the way the defense was playing, felt like 9 points to me.
We all know the Big 12 competition is a different beast, and it really is. This is not a league where a team with one post typically wins night in and night out, but with that I will note that Texas Tech has some guards. Pop Isaacs led both teams in rebounds and assists, and was tied with two other Raiders for the lead in steals. Of players getting more than 12 minutes, the guy who I think elevated Tech's play - Joe Toussaint - had the fewest rebounds with 3.
Texas Tech is guard heavy and that's ok. Good guards can take you a long way. Really good guards can help your interior defense by making it difficult to make good entry passes.
Individually, I thought Isaacs had a good game despite having trouble hitting shots. 34 minutes, no fouls, hit his free throws, passed the ball, rebounded the ball, got some steals. Jumpers don't always fall, but hustle is always available and he hustled, always kept his head up.
Toussaint I thought was the catalyst and I imagine he will be all season. He'll likely end up with the most minutes played, though he won't be far ahead of Isaacs or Darrion Williams.
Warren Washington only played 24 minutes but it felt like a lot more than that. I think he only got one block but I have him down for four altered shots.
Williams looks like a steal, guy does it all. Score, rebound, defend, pass. He's never lost to San Jose State as his Nevada team beat them last season.
I liked that things got a little chippy. This Tech team has some JYD in them for sure. We are only two games into the season so things can change, but for now, after two games, the Red Raiders are tough to play against. I'm very excited to continue to watch them and see what kind of team they become. Highly interested to see them play both away from Lubbock and against what should be a higher level of competition. After the Islanders this week, Tech plays Villanova on the 22nd, and one of North Carolina or Northern Iowa on Thanksgiving, then one of Michigan, Arkansas, Stanford, or Memphis.
Islanders coming to town in a few days, they have a guard who is off to an interesting start. Jordan Roberts starts for them, shoots a lot, and has yet to take a free throw this season. Pretty much all he does is catch and shoot, his next assist this season will be his first. Some past Raider teams could have let a guy like this get some great looks at the basket, it will be interesting to see how Texas Tech defends him. Overall the Islanders have twelve guys averaging over 10 minutes a game. Most recently they got the beatdown by Houston, 82-50.
