So I was in attendance last night for Texas Tech basketball's preseason season ticket holder event, and I just wanted to share some thoughts with you all on what I saw and observed. Also, pics I took of the new video board and remodeled players lounge are at the bottom...
*First, it's very apparent to me, and I think everyone inside Tech athletics, that Red Raider fans are clearly very excited for basketball season. While I don't have a number exactly, I do know more people showed up for the event than I think even those inside the athletic department were expecting.
*Second, this new video board is something else. While I thought it was going to be big, and the picture is below, I don't think pictures truly even do it justice as far as giving you the scale of just how massive this thing is. It's flat out gigantic, but it's going to add so much to the gameday atmosphere, specifically sound-wise. The speaker upgrade from before is essentially akin to going from listening to a phone speaker to have full on bumpin surround sound. It's just wildly improved. Also, fun fact: The board is the same one that the Toronto Raptors just put in as well. Gameday production is getting a monumental boost here.
*As for the event, it's still just so great to see the level of interaction that Coach Beard wants the Red Raider community to have with his team. Season ticket holders were allowed to chat with any player and anyone on staff as long as they wanted to while mingling was going on in the first half of the event and after it was over. And I think it's going to really endear quite a few people to what I think is a really good group of kids overall, especially the seniors and juniors, as they're a really mature and fun group to be around.
*The chemistry this team has is very apparent, and that shone through during the brief workout the coaching staff put them through as fans and media watched on. The energy was palpable in the room between the players and the staff, and you can tell they're having a lot of fun together.
*The most interesting unknown tidbit about the team I learned last night: Green light shooters. Beard gives the total green light to quality three point shooters, as they're allowed to take any open three they want unless the team is trying to do something specific to win a game late in the second half. However, there are a litany of tests you've got to pass during the offseason in order to get your green light shooter card. First, you have to be able to hit a known certain percentage of threes continually throughout the offseason. Second, you have to come in and shoot A LOT of threes on your own free time, and I believe the staff tracks how many. And finally, you have to be able to hit 20 shots in under 2 minutes in what's essentially an around-the-world three point shooting drill from five spots around the three point line: The two corners, the wings, and at the top of the key. However, there's another kicker: You have to hit back to back threes from a single point before you're allowed to rotate on to the next point. So, it's all the way around the three point line from corner to wing to key to wing to corner and back again, which constitutes the 20 makes. I just thought it was intriguing that Beard will let you fire off as many threes as you want....but you've got to go through some rigorous practice steps in order to get that fire away card.
*This team is going to impressive you physically across the board. They look to have had a great offseason, and I think the group as a whole finally looks like a real deal Big 12 basketball team, which is saying something. The way Beard has improved this group before even coaching a game is just so impressive.
*Also, while they won't get to play this year, Tommy Hamilton and Brandone Francis are going to be some bonafide playmakers for this squad in 2017-18. Hamilton is a big, big boy, and the fact that he's a shooter on top of that is going to make him a big time threat offensively for this team. Francis is an elite talent, too, and you can just see it from the way he shoots, moves, and looks.
*That's really it, but just know that I think you can go ahead and keep getting excited for this basketball season. It's going to be a ton of fun.
NEW VIDEO BOARD:
NEW PLAYERS LOUNGE:
*First, it's very apparent to me, and I think everyone inside Tech athletics, that Red Raider fans are clearly very excited for basketball season. While I don't have a number exactly, I do know more people showed up for the event than I think even those inside the athletic department were expecting.
*Second, this new video board is something else. While I thought it was going to be big, and the picture is below, I don't think pictures truly even do it justice as far as giving you the scale of just how massive this thing is. It's flat out gigantic, but it's going to add so much to the gameday atmosphere, specifically sound-wise. The speaker upgrade from before is essentially akin to going from listening to a phone speaker to have full on bumpin surround sound. It's just wildly improved. Also, fun fact: The board is the same one that the Toronto Raptors just put in as well. Gameday production is getting a monumental boost here.
*As for the event, it's still just so great to see the level of interaction that Coach Beard wants the Red Raider community to have with his team. Season ticket holders were allowed to chat with any player and anyone on staff as long as they wanted to while mingling was going on in the first half of the event and after it was over. And I think it's going to really endear quite a few people to what I think is a really good group of kids overall, especially the seniors and juniors, as they're a really mature and fun group to be around.
*The chemistry this team has is very apparent, and that shone through during the brief workout the coaching staff put them through as fans and media watched on. The energy was palpable in the room between the players and the staff, and you can tell they're having a lot of fun together.
*The most interesting unknown tidbit about the team I learned last night: Green light shooters. Beard gives the total green light to quality three point shooters, as they're allowed to take any open three they want unless the team is trying to do something specific to win a game late in the second half. However, there are a litany of tests you've got to pass during the offseason in order to get your green light shooter card. First, you have to be able to hit a known certain percentage of threes continually throughout the offseason. Second, you have to come in and shoot A LOT of threes on your own free time, and I believe the staff tracks how many. And finally, you have to be able to hit 20 shots in under 2 minutes in what's essentially an around-the-world three point shooting drill from five spots around the three point line: The two corners, the wings, and at the top of the key. However, there's another kicker: You have to hit back to back threes from a single point before you're allowed to rotate on to the next point. So, it's all the way around the three point line from corner to wing to key to wing to corner and back again, which constitutes the 20 makes. I just thought it was intriguing that Beard will let you fire off as many threes as you want....but you've got to go through some rigorous practice steps in order to get that fire away card.
*This team is going to impressive you physically across the board. They look to have had a great offseason, and I think the group as a whole finally looks like a real deal Big 12 basketball team, which is saying something. The way Beard has improved this group before even coaching a game is just so impressive.
*Also, while they won't get to play this year, Tommy Hamilton and Brandone Francis are going to be some bonafide playmakers for this squad in 2017-18. Hamilton is a big, big boy, and the fact that he's a shooter on top of that is going to make him a big time threat offensively for this team. Francis is an elite talent, too, and you can just see it from the way he shoots, moves, and looks.
*That's really it, but just know that I think you can go ahead and keep getting excited for this basketball season. It's going to be a ton of fun.
NEW VIDEO BOARD:
NEW PLAYERS LOUNGE:
