Links, Quotes & Photos
All quotes are from Tubby Smith.
Opening Statement
“I just want to commend our players. It was really an intense game and a great college basketball game against one of the top teams in the country. There’s no one in the business that I respect more than Lon Kruger. He’s a great friend, and he’s a real gentleman in this business. Our guys were ready to play. They came with the right attitude. I just can’t say enough about the effort that we gave tonight.”
On the team’s fight and toughness…
“I think we are hungry. We’ve been underdogs for quite a few games. We have the incentive to get to postseason play – it’s at hand and a possibility for us. I believe the kids have really bonded. You can tell that they’re really enjoying each other and playing for each other. When you do that, you pull for one another to be successful, and consequently that’s what happened. When you believe it, sometimes things happen for you. They’re truly playing as one unit. We’re getting assists and cutting back on our turnovers. Once again we had over 40 deflections again tonight. That’s where the difference has been – in our defensive intensity. It takes a while for players to understand our philosophy. We’ve done some subtle things to help alleviate some of the defensive problems we’ve had – and it’s been a big help.”
On the crowd and atmosphere of the game…
“It couldn’t have been a better atmosphere. I’m so happy for our fans and our students. You can tell the difference it makes in a game like this. The noise really rattles your opponents, and I thought that was a huge part of us being able to pull out this win. We got a big stop at the end, a big rebound, and it’s hard for them to communicate. We need it like this all the time.”
What tonight’s game means for the team…
“It means a lot. It’s good anytime you can get a win against a ranked team. We’ve played a tough schedule – probably one of the top 5 toughest schedules in the country. We’ve got to continue to play to our potential. I told our players that it’s all about getting the wins. You can’t wish it. You can’t hope on Selection Sunday. You’ve got to make it happen. The only way to make it happen is to win the day, win the practice. If you win in practice, you’ll probably win in the game. We’ve tried to take the approach of one day at a time.”
Video
Recap:
Highlights:
Post Game Press Conference:
Court Storming:
Tweets and Grams
Kingsbury Greets the Team and Locker Room with Tubby Smith:
Watch Coach Smith's locker room talk after Tech's 3rd straight win over a Top 25 opponent #WreckEm #UpsetsLiveHerehttps://t.co/lTHXe5JSRI
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) February 18, 2016
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB6sViTg73I/
📷💯👌🏻: https://t.co/1hfI7NdvG4 pic.twitter.com/XgIKxwtlr6
— Logan Hawk (@iamLoganHawk) February 18, 2016
And the victory bells will ring out! #wreckem #nuffsaid @TexasTechMBB @SaddleTrampsTTU pic.twitter.com/w2gKlL7OdP
— Ben Montecillo (@BenMontecillo) February 18, 2016
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB6oUzJA7ya/