A tough one tonight, ya'll. No doubt about it. A couple quick thoughts, as I think this game is pretty simple to dissect..
*An 8-0 to start the game is what ended up winning this game for Kansas. Well, that and Devonte Graham was an absolute animal on the offensive end for the Jayhawks down the stretch. KU started out scorching hot on the offensive end, and they were as lasered in as you can be. They made perfect rotations to get shooters open shots at the end of shot clocks throughout the first half, and then they drained them. You can play as much great defense as you want, but it won't matter if the other team passes perfectly on an offensive possession. Kansas did it double digit times in this game, and again, mostly in the first half. They were stellar, and this KU team is absolutely playing their best basketball here down the stretch. Hate em or not, you have to respect the hell out of how they're playing, and again, in particular Graham. He was hitting shots in this game that you can't do anything about.
*And all that being said, I don't know if you can be prouder of a team in a loss than you can be of this Tech team today. Kansas was playing perfect basketball, and these Red Raiders never let them run away with it. They fought their tails off the whole game. They got big rebound after big rebound. They hit big shot after big shot, often matching Graham and Kansas.They fought this thing to the bone and never once gave in. Regardless of the outcome, and regardless of being down Justin Gray (who likely suffered a concussion), having a majorly limited Keenan Evans, and only getting a shell of Zach Smith as he gets used to playing again. They had all those odds stacked against them, even being down 11 points at times, and they had this thing tied with 2:32 to play, 68-68. They went toe to toe with a Kansas team that was as locked in as I've seen them all season. THAT is something, and had they won, this group would've sealed themselves in Tech history books with one of the grittiest wins in Tech athletic history, regardless of sport.
*And wouldn't you all have taken a 68-68 tie with 2:30 left to play against Kansas, chance to beat them twice in a year with a real shot to win the league title with two games left on the schedule? I would have, and if you play that last 2:30 out 10 times, I think it probably comes out 5-5. This was a true display of two elite basketball teams going blow for blow in a title-fight-esque matchup. It was something to see in person.
*And get this: The only stat categories Tech lost were defensive rebounding (lost by 3), blocks (5 to 2), and shooting. Tech won the turnover battle (just 8 to 10), points off turnovers (10 to 7), total rebounds (34 to 29), offensive rebounds (15 to 7), 2nd chance points (16 to 10), bench points (22 to 7), points in the paint (28 to 26), fast break points (4 to 0), and they tied in steals (4) and assists (12). Again, KU shot the lights out in this game. Otherwise the Red Raiders win.
*Hats off to Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith for the way those two freshmen played today. They played like battle-tested, crafty seniors. They played fearless, ferocious basketball. I cannot say enough about these two and the plays they made in this game to give the Red Raiders a chance to win. If they play like that the rest of the season? This story isn't anywhere near from over, my friends. This duo has a chance to be so special at Tech. SO special. They're a two headed monster that punked Kansas multiple times in that game. That doesn't happen very often for Kansas opponents.
*It was good to see Zach Smith back in the lineup, but he's clearly far from being himself right now. His conditioning isn't there, and he just isn't in the flow of it on either end with missing so much time. He only played the minutes he did tonight because of Justin Gray's injury, and Coach Beard acknowledged as much in the postgame presser. But it is a step in the right direction. My hope is that by next Saturday he's in a better rhythm and can feel himself out more.
*I don't know why the college basketball gods were so cruel as to take away Keenan Evans from this team in its most crucial stretch of the regular season. He's playing, but he's not himself. He looked better today than he did on Wednesday, but his explosive step to the basket is just not there off the dribble at the top of the key right now while he fights through this injury. It's taken a major part of this offense away. And it's taken a Big 12 title for this team, a Big 12 POTY award away from Keenan Evans as a result. They win in Waco and they win tonight both if they have him at full strength. I know that for a FACT. I don't know about in Stillwater, but regardless, this team should be up on KU by a game with two to play and looking down a 1 seed in the tournament. But they aren't, and I just cannot properly express in words how unfair all this is. Keenan Evans and this basketball team didn't get to do it on their terms down the stretch here. Fate is cruel.
*But this team's season isn't over. Not by a long shot. If they play with the level of effort, gumption, onions, want-to, however you want to phrase it, that they did tonight, they can play with any team in the country. Get Keenan Evans and Zach Smith healthy? They can beat any team in the country.
*An 8-0 to start the game is what ended up winning this game for Kansas. Well, that and Devonte Graham was an absolute animal on the offensive end for the Jayhawks down the stretch. KU started out scorching hot on the offensive end, and they were as lasered in as you can be. They made perfect rotations to get shooters open shots at the end of shot clocks throughout the first half, and then they drained them. You can play as much great defense as you want, but it won't matter if the other team passes perfectly on an offensive possession. Kansas did it double digit times in this game, and again, mostly in the first half. They were stellar, and this KU team is absolutely playing their best basketball here down the stretch. Hate em or not, you have to respect the hell out of how they're playing, and again, in particular Graham. He was hitting shots in this game that you can't do anything about.
*And all that being said, I don't know if you can be prouder of a team in a loss than you can be of this Tech team today. Kansas was playing perfect basketball, and these Red Raiders never let them run away with it. They fought their tails off the whole game. They got big rebound after big rebound. They hit big shot after big shot, often matching Graham and Kansas.They fought this thing to the bone and never once gave in. Regardless of the outcome, and regardless of being down Justin Gray (who likely suffered a concussion), having a majorly limited Keenan Evans, and only getting a shell of Zach Smith as he gets used to playing again. They had all those odds stacked against them, even being down 11 points at times, and they had this thing tied with 2:32 to play, 68-68. They went toe to toe with a Kansas team that was as locked in as I've seen them all season. THAT is something, and had they won, this group would've sealed themselves in Tech history books with one of the grittiest wins in Tech athletic history, regardless of sport.
*And wouldn't you all have taken a 68-68 tie with 2:30 left to play against Kansas, chance to beat them twice in a year with a real shot to win the league title with two games left on the schedule? I would have, and if you play that last 2:30 out 10 times, I think it probably comes out 5-5. This was a true display of two elite basketball teams going blow for blow in a title-fight-esque matchup. It was something to see in person.
*And get this: The only stat categories Tech lost were defensive rebounding (lost by 3), blocks (5 to 2), and shooting. Tech won the turnover battle (just 8 to 10), points off turnovers (10 to 7), total rebounds (34 to 29), offensive rebounds (15 to 7), 2nd chance points (16 to 10), bench points (22 to 7), points in the paint (28 to 26), fast break points (4 to 0), and they tied in steals (4) and assists (12). Again, KU shot the lights out in this game. Otherwise the Red Raiders win.
*Hats off to Jarrett Culver and Zhaire Smith for the way those two freshmen played today. They played like battle-tested, crafty seniors. They played fearless, ferocious basketball. I cannot say enough about these two and the plays they made in this game to give the Red Raiders a chance to win. If they play like that the rest of the season? This story isn't anywhere near from over, my friends. This duo has a chance to be so special at Tech. SO special. They're a two headed monster that punked Kansas multiple times in that game. That doesn't happen very often for Kansas opponents.
*It was good to see Zach Smith back in the lineup, but he's clearly far from being himself right now. His conditioning isn't there, and he just isn't in the flow of it on either end with missing so much time. He only played the minutes he did tonight because of Justin Gray's injury, and Coach Beard acknowledged as much in the postgame presser. But it is a step in the right direction. My hope is that by next Saturday he's in a better rhythm and can feel himself out more.
*I don't know why the college basketball gods were so cruel as to take away Keenan Evans from this team in its most crucial stretch of the regular season. He's playing, but he's not himself. He looked better today than he did on Wednesday, but his explosive step to the basket is just not there off the dribble at the top of the key right now while he fights through this injury. It's taken a major part of this offense away. And it's taken a Big 12 title for this team, a Big 12 POTY award away from Keenan Evans as a result. They win in Waco and they win tonight both if they have him at full strength. I know that for a FACT. I don't know about in Stillwater, but regardless, this team should be up on KU by a game with two to play and looking down a 1 seed in the tournament. But they aren't, and I just cannot properly express in words how unfair all this is. Keenan Evans and this basketball team didn't get to do it on their terms down the stretch here. Fate is cruel.
*But this team's season isn't over. Not by a long shot. If they play with the level of effort, gumption, onions, want-to, however you want to phrase it, that they did tonight, they can play with any team in the country. Get Keenan Evans and Zach Smith healthy? They can beat any team in the country.
