Look, I don't want this post to come off badly. I'm as big a rah-rah basketball guy that there is, I hardly ever have anything negative to say even when Tech looks like garbage and loses.
Did Tech look like garbage? No, not even close to it. But they did lose and really I put that responsibility wholly on Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders did what every Just A Guy program does, what happens at the Rec every day - they kept shooting shots that weren't going in. And I don't mean they were just missing, what I mean is it takes a mature team and program to realize when something is not working during a game and do something else. Well shooters going to shoot, right? Wrong. If your shot isn't falling then get closer to the basket or get it to the guy who is making shots. Stop wasting possessions shooting dumb shots. Teams that don't value the basketball lose a lot of games. Tech goes 3-16 from the arc, a frosty 19%. Nineteen percent. Stop the madness. Oh Tech has so many great shooters! Wrong. Tech has one really good three point shooter in McMillian, and maybe they have another in Overton, and that's it. I know Walton can shoot it, when he catches the ball in a position to shoot it - but you have to be able to stay on the court for that to happen. He got 8 minutes yesterday.
So McMillian shoot some threes, Overton shoot some threes, and Walton if you can stay on the floor be ready to shoot some threes but everyone else needs to knock it off and work a little to get into a position to score. The next time Toppin fires off a three point attempt he can walk home. I don't care if the feedback he got from the NBA is he needs to have longer range, that's an NBA thing not a Texas Tech thing.
You know how a guy like Darrion Williams can play 28 minutes and only attempt 1 free throw? By not working. Work a little, get inside, use some muscle, score and draw some fouls. He's more than good enough to do that, he just didn't do it.
The whole team needs to come to the gym ready to work. You know who worked hard? Federiko worked hard, Toppin, Hawkins...that's the list I have.
This team was soft as warm butter yesterday, other than missing more shots I don't think they could play any more poorly overall than they did. This game should be the bottom of the conference barrel for Tech. If it's not then there is zero chance of meaningful post season play (sorry NIT - love ya, mean it).
Now having uncharacteristically beat up on the basketball team, I will pump them up and say having watched at least 3 halves for every team in the conference, this Texas Tech team has some good players and when playing well will be able to hang with anyone in the conference. I'm optimistic and think better games are ahead even though the non conference was cotton soft and Tech still managed to lose a couple they should not have lost.
At Utah on Saturday then at BYU on Tuesday, coming off a home loss to start the season this isn't ideal but if this team is going to be good I think we see them play better. Better enough to win I don't know. You can play winning basketball and still lose, but it's hard to play losing basketball and get a win.
Did Tech look like garbage? No, not even close to it. But they did lose and really I put that responsibility wholly on Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders did what every Just A Guy program does, what happens at the Rec every day - they kept shooting shots that weren't going in. And I don't mean they were just missing, what I mean is it takes a mature team and program to realize when something is not working during a game and do something else. Well shooters going to shoot, right? Wrong. If your shot isn't falling then get closer to the basket or get it to the guy who is making shots. Stop wasting possessions shooting dumb shots. Teams that don't value the basketball lose a lot of games. Tech goes 3-16 from the arc, a frosty 19%. Nineteen percent. Stop the madness. Oh Tech has so many great shooters! Wrong. Tech has one really good three point shooter in McMillian, and maybe they have another in Overton, and that's it. I know Walton can shoot it, when he catches the ball in a position to shoot it - but you have to be able to stay on the court for that to happen. He got 8 minutes yesterday.
So McMillian shoot some threes, Overton shoot some threes, and Walton if you can stay on the floor be ready to shoot some threes but everyone else needs to knock it off and work a little to get into a position to score. The next time Toppin fires off a three point attempt he can walk home. I don't care if the feedback he got from the NBA is he needs to have longer range, that's an NBA thing not a Texas Tech thing.
You know how a guy like Darrion Williams can play 28 minutes and only attempt 1 free throw? By not working. Work a little, get inside, use some muscle, score and draw some fouls. He's more than good enough to do that, he just didn't do it.
The whole team needs to come to the gym ready to work. You know who worked hard? Federiko worked hard, Toppin, Hawkins...that's the list I have.
This team was soft as warm butter yesterday, other than missing more shots I don't think they could play any more poorly overall than they did. This game should be the bottom of the conference barrel for Tech. If it's not then there is zero chance of meaningful post season play (sorry NIT - love ya, mean it).
Now having uncharacteristically beat up on the basketball team, I will pump them up and say having watched at least 3 halves for every team in the conference, this Texas Tech team has some good players and when playing well will be able to hang with anyone in the conference. I'm optimistic and think better games are ahead even though the non conference was cotton soft and Tech still managed to lose a couple they should not have lost.
At Utah on Saturday then at BYU on Tuesday, coming off a home loss to start the season this isn't ideal but if this team is going to be good I think we see them play better. Better enough to win I don't know. You can play winning basketball and still lose, but it's hard to play losing basketball and get a win.
