Oklahoma State 83, Texas Tech 64
- I don’t have a lot to say about this game. Getting blown out on your home floor by the last place team is really unacceptable. And when I write “unacceptable” and don’t mean I’m firing anyone, but it’s ridiculously disappointing. To just not have any answers for that Oklahoma State offense or any offense is going to be incredibly problematic for this team. We’re at the point where the defensive ability of two wing defenders from last year, Toddrick Gotcher and Devaugntah Williams, are revealing itself.
- I’ve been mentioning that the defense is a problem and I’m working on something with Dan about how Beard is recruiting to change all of that next year. Having two minus defenders on the floor at any one time is problematic and it is rearing it’s ugly head. This team needs shooters, which should be addressed next year, but more than that, it needs plus wing defenders. Need those wing defenders in a bad way.
- The worst thing about all of this is that you get run out from the get-go, like you know that the Cowboys can shoot and you know they can score and you’re going to have to be on your A-game defensively and when that doesn’t happen, that’s incredibly bothersome.
- I’ll let head coach Chris Beard end this, but it’s not going to get any easier from here and the thought that this team was an NCAA Tournament team is fading:
“Let me be clear, I have a lot of confidence in our players,” Beard said. “We just got outplayed by a good team. It’s not time to panic, but I have a lot of confidence in our players. I feel responsible for them, and I’m trying to get them to go to that next level. We’ve got a lot of guys that 3-3 is like let’s make a t-shirt. I don’t think I’ve ever been 3-3 as a head coach, so it’s just try to get to the next level. With that, tonight, I’ve got to make sure that the pressure doesn’t shift, or it starts becoming too tense. There’s a fine line as a coach. You give your guys confidence. You keep it loose, but at the same time you have to understand what’s ahead, of you. Ultimately though, we’ve got these seniors. That’s a hurt locker room right now. That’s a mature locker room right now. There’s not a lot of finger pointing. It’s a bunch of grown men saying ‘Hey, we’ve got to get back to work,’ and I agree … To me, it really wasn’t the winning or losing tonight. It was the fact that we got out-competed on out home floor. That’s just not going to be acceptable.”
