Oklahoma 91, Texas Tech 67
* The Flex is a shout-out to Tubby Smith’s flex offense and a place for us to set some screens, make some cuts and discuss the game.
- Buddy Hield scored 30 points on 12 shots. Devaugntah Williams scored 12 points on 12 shots. That’s the difference in being able to make your shots (and Williams, for once in a good while, was okay and at least looking for his shots) and get to the line and not being able to do that. Texas Tech couldn’t stop Hield, but no one in the nation has been able to stop Hield this year, so don’t feel too terrible.
- If you want any solace after last night’s game, consider that Oklahoma has a crew of three and four year starters. Texas Tech hasn’t been able to experience close to the success that Oklahoma had last year, but Texas Tech had a much bigger hole to dig out of than OU. Progression and getting to the point of respectability takes time and Texas Tech is still working their way towards that point.
- Justin Gray was really terrific. Again. He led the team with 20 points and he is the most dynamic player on the team. I suppose that if he doesn’t start, he’s playing starter minutes. He’s the best player on the team right now and it’s not even close. I suppose Zach Smith could make a case as well, but Gray is the most dynamic offensive player on the team and he scores in a handful of different ways.
- Williams did make 4 of 6 from the three-point line and that’s an improvement and he actually got off 12 shots (as mentioned above) and that is an improvement. I hate seeing Williams struggle because it wasn’t supposed to be this way.
- Rokas Ulvydas played 6 minutes and I did want to clarify one thing about Ulvydas, which is that Level said that although Texas Tech pulled off his redshirt, he still will have three more years of eligibility, even though he is listed as a redshirt sophomore. Don’t ask me to explain it because Level didn’t explain it either (I got the impression that it’s a bit complicated). Knowing that Ulvydas really is pretty much like a freshman makes pulling off that redshirt easier to take.
- Oklahoma shot 53% from the floor overall and 52% from the three-point line, including 8 of 12 from the three-point line in the first half and 57% from the floor. Oklahoma just makes shots, that’s what they do, and when you can’t hold a team to under 50% from the floor, you’re most likely going to lose that game. Again, OU is the best team in the nation with the best player in the nation. They’re just deadly offensively. And I should also mention that they are pretty good defensively too, as Texas Tech shot just 32% from the floor for the night and 35% from the three-point line. Oklahoma had 14 blocks on the night, including 8 blocks by their center / forward Khadeem Lattin, while he only had 2 fouls. Can’t let that happen.
- The fact that Texas Tech did crash the boards helped significantly, as the Red Raiders had 21 offensive rebounds on the day. That means you’re also missing a lot of shots, but I’ll take positives where I can get them in a game like this.
- I thought Zach Smith, although he didn’t shoot very well, only 2 of 11, did have a monster night on the boards, grabbing 14 of those rebounds, including 5 offensive boards. I also thought Matt Temple looked more comfortable, as he had 11 points, making 4 of 8, I think his first double-digit game of his career, as well as 4 rebounds.
- This was just one of those games. Arkansas is up next on Saturday.
