The best way I can sum up Texas Tech’s latest participation in a multi-team event is it was what this team needed at this point in the season.
It was to be expected with this significant step up in competition. Going from playing some of the legitimate bottom feeders in the nation to a team that could win the A10 and an ACC Syracuse was going to be tough.
I don’t think anybody expected the Red Raiders to head into Barclays and dog walk the competition by any means.
Let’s get the bad out of the way.
The defensive performances that this team has put together have been anything but ideal, and it really has become kind of mind boggling to me. These players are plenty athletic. They’re quick, they move laterally well at times, quite active in the passing lanes or make an attempt to be.
It ultimately boils down to wanting to be consistently effective on that end of the court. That desire, the effort and the overall tenaciousness that is a requirement of playing good defense.
Technique has been lacking at times, closeouts have been subpar and the reason for the overwhelming amount of blow bys is from poor positioning and an inability to slide over fast enough.
When I think about this team defensively, though, this does not figure to be something I see being an issue in the long term. With the attitude this head coach brings on a daily basis and the constant chase to be better, it is bound to be fixed, or improved, eventually. This team honestly is too talented to let poor defense hinder their season outlook.
I know the big talking point right now is the defense but if last season was any indication of what this staff could do with a team as the year progressed, my mind is at ease for the time being. The Red Raiders may never become a juggernaut defensively, and honestly I don’t think they have to be. Playing this bad in that facet of the game the rest of the season simply won’t cut it, but if it is improved to some degree I think you call it good.
For as sloppy as the game looked offensively at times against St. Joe’s, you have to talk about the complete turnaround that took place Friday night against Syracuse.
You have enough star power on this team to win you games. Legitimate star power from Darrion Williams and JT Toppin. That was truly something this program lacked last season. You wanted Pop Isaacs to become that, and he flashed that at times but ultimately this team last season was a conglomerate of average to above average faces.
It is ridiculous how much having Toppin has elevated the ceiling of this team offensively. If the traditional post up and baby hook are working for him, that thing is magic. And even if it isn’t and he’s having to be more of a clean-up guy, his motor and willingness to chase after a rebound is uncanny.
That being said, and I've held this opinion since the beginning of the season, Darrion Williams is this team’s heart and soul and he reaffirmed that yesterday against the ‘Cuse. There was one play he had late in the game where he backed his defender down on the right side of the basket, spun him over the right shoulder and got the contested lefty layup over two defenders. Chef’s kiss. The dime he had to Toppin driving down the baseline and Toppin was coming down the lane line? That was the stuff right there. And making the right play over and over again has been Williams’ brand of basketball.
Chance McMillian also really came into his own over this little two-game stretch. I thought he was a legitimate X-factor. He hit some big three-balls throughout the two games, in particular a couple in the second half of the Syracuse game that I felt helped keep the momentum swinging in your favor. Despite battling foul trouble against Syracuse, McMillian was again just a guy that I feel gives Tech a major boost on both ends of the court when he is clicking. His role has been elevated all season compared to what it was last year and he has stepped up in a big way.
I say all this about these guys to remind you that even when this team struggles to shoot the ball, like they did against St. Joe’s, the game as a whole is not a complete wash because you have players who are proving that they can be relied on to get you a bucket when you need it.
These games were good for this team and they came at a good time. Again, I think you saw a lot of good and definitely some not-so-good. This coaching staff deserves the trust that the defensive pitfalls will be corrected and if the offense continues to find ways at being effective, this ship will keep sailing in the right direction.
TLDR: Trust the staff to get the defense fixed and your offensive star power will carry you to be a good-to-great team.
It was to be expected with this significant step up in competition. Going from playing some of the legitimate bottom feeders in the nation to a team that could win the A10 and an ACC Syracuse was going to be tough.
I don’t think anybody expected the Red Raiders to head into Barclays and dog walk the competition by any means.
Let’s get the bad out of the way.
The defensive performances that this team has put together have been anything but ideal, and it really has become kind of mind boggling to me. These players are plenty athletic. They’re quick, they move laterally well at times, quite active in the passing lanes or make an attempt to be.
It ultimately boils down to wanting to be consistently effective on that end of the court. That desire, the effort and the overall tenaciousness that is a requirement of playing good defense.
Technique has been lacking at times, closeouts have been subpar and the reason for the overwhelming amount of blow bys is from poor positioning and an inability to slide over fast enough.
When I think about this team defensively, though, this does not figure to be something I see being an issue in the long term. With the attitude this head coach brings on a daily basis and the constant chase to be better, it is bound to be fixed, or improved, eventually. This team honestly is too talented to let poor defense hinder their season outlook.
I know the big talking point right now is the defense but if last season was any indication of what this staff could do with a team as the year progressed, my mind is at ease for the time being. The Red Raiders may never become a juggernaut defensively, and honestly I don’t think they have to be. Playing this bad in that facet of the game the rest of the season simply won’t cut it, but if it is improved to some degree I think you call it good.
For as sloppy as the game looked offensively at times against St. Joe’s, you have to talk about the complete turnaround that took place Friday night against Syracuse.
You have enough star power on this team to win you games. Legitimate star power from Darrion Williams and JT Toppin. That was truly something this program lacked last season. You wanted Pop Isaacs to become that, and he flashed that at times but ultimately this team last season was a conglomerate of average to above average faces.
It is ridiculous how much having Toppin has elevated the ceiling of this team offensively. If the traditional post up and baby hook are working for him, that thing is magic. And even if it isn’t and he’s having to be more of a clean-up guy, his motor and willingness to chase after a rebound is uncanny.
That being said, and I've held this opinion since the beginning of the season, Darrion Williams is this team’s heart and soul and he reaffirmed that yesterday against the ‘Cuse. There was one play he had late in the game where he backed his defender down on the right side of the basket, spun him over the right shoulder and got the contested lefty layup over two defenders. Chef’s kiss. The dime he had to Toppin driving down the baseline and Toppin was coming down the lane line? That was the stuff right there. And making the right play over and over again has been Williams’ brand of basketball.
Chance McMillian also really came into his own over this little two-game stretch. I thought he was a legitimate X-factor. He hit some big three-balls throughout the two games, in particular a couple in the second half of the Syracuse game that I felt helped keep the momentum swinging in your favor. Despite battling foul trouble against Syracuse, McMillian was again just a guy that I feel gives Tech a major boost on both ends of the court when he is clicking. His role has been elevated all season compared to what it was last year and he has stepped up in a big way.
I say all this about these guys to remind you that even when this team struggles to shoot the ball, like they did against St. Joe’s, the game as a whole is not a complete wash because you have players who are proving that they can be relied on to get you a bucket when you need it.
These games were good for this team and they came at a good time. Again, I think you saw a lot of good and definitely some not-so-good. This coaching staff deserves the trust that the defensive pitfalls will be corrected and if the offense continues to find ways at being effective, this ship will keep sailing in the right direction.
TLDR: Trust the staff to get the defense fixed and your offensive star power will carry you to be a good-to-great team.
