Game Links:
Tortilla Tossin’ Player of the Game: I’m letting my negative feelings about Pop Isaacs affect my decision here, I didn’t want to give this to him because he’s still shooting too many 3’s, but he did lead the team with 19 points on 4 of 11 (mssed all 5 3-point shots) but went 11 of 12 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers.
The Motion:
- That’s a good win! Players had to step up and make plays and Texas Tech simply made more plays than TCU on this particular night. Texas Tech was at a pretty big disadvantage defensively and still managed to earn the win.
- Let’s get to some negative things so we can get them out of the way. I thought that Robert Jennings really struggled in the pick-and-roll defense, not rolling to the correct defender and gave TCU so many early buckets. His minutes went from 10 in the 1st half to just 5 in the 2nd half and that’s the main reason. Darrion Williams simply didn’t block out on so many rebounding opportunities. Just completely whiffed of getting his body in front of the offensive player and that’s pretty inexcusable for one of your bigs. Correct these problems and you can probably see some pretty big improvement.
- Yesterday, I wrote this: “I also think we’re at the point where Lindsay is a good rebounder and should get similar minutes to Jennings.” This probed out to be the reason Texas Tech won, with Williams and Jennings struggling with defensive things, Lindsay was a saving grace, he had just 2 points and 2 rebounds in the 1st half, but in the 2nd half, he played 15 minutes had 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals and 1 turnover. Without him playing, Texas Tech doesn’t win this game.
- Some numbers. Texas Tech was out-rebounded by 13 overall, 49 to 36 and that’s inexcusable. Texas Tech allowed 21 offensive rebounds to just 14. TCU had 44 points in the paint, 22 in each half, to Texas Tech’s 34. Those are the bad numbers. What was good was 10 steals to just 7 for TCU with 13 points off of 12 TCU turnovers and Texas Tech had just 9 turnovers on the evening. Texas Tech had 1.139 points per possession to 1.125 for TCU. Just enough.
- Texas Tech had 3 players with 14 points, Darrion Williams went 5 of 12 with 7 boards and had the team-high of 3 turnovers. Joe Toussaint was 4 of 10 and went 5 of 5 from the line with 7 assists and just 1 turnover. Kerwin Walton was also 4 of 10, including 3 of 8 from deep with a board and a steal.
- The first half was a struggle, just 38% from the floor and 25% from beyond the arc, while the second half was slightly better, 41% from the floor and 30% from deep. The difference was making 15 of 16 free throws in the 2nd half and free throw disparity was the biggest thing. TCU did start fouling intentionally at the end, so that’s part of the difference, but 24 of 28 for 86% will do it to TCU’s 16 of 21 for 76%.
- Generally speaking, I don’t dislike anyone in the Big 12, football or basketball. Most coaches and players are just fine. Bill Self is fine. Rodney Terry is fine. Scott Drew is fine, But man . . . Jamie Dixon gets on my everlasting nerves and find his entire act grating. I don’t know what that says about me, but I find him incredibly annoying and wish he’d get T’d up for being on the floor constantly. That’s not my only annoyance, but losing your shit about a possible travel at the end of the game because your player pushed said player is the epitome of annoying.
- Advanced stats say that Toussaint was the best player, +12.1 followed by Walton at +6.2, Isaacs at +6.1, Lindsay at +4.8, and McMillian at +2.0. Williams was -1.4 and Jennings was -14.1, which sort of fits the narrative and maybe deserves the criticism of my second point above.
- Head coach Grant McCasland: “To be part of this atmosphere and have this home-court advantage is remarkable. We don’t win that game if it’s not for the people in the building. I mean it. I love our team. I love our fight. I love our consistent grit.”
- Up next? Texas Tech heads to the Sunshine State to take on UCF in Orlando at the Addition Financial Arena this Saturday, February 24th at 3:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Highlights