Regularly scheduled things aren’t going to happen this week. I mentioned yesterday that my Saturday was gone due to attending Fitsum’s area band competition (I didn’t finish my thought, but Kaufman finished 5th and the top 4 end up going to state, so they just missed out on going to state). Sunday was church, then a family brunch, the Youssouf had basketball tryouts and we didn’t get home until 6:30 in the evening. Yo has his 2nd to last football game on Monday night, so I’m just going to lose all sorts of time and hope that I can get the preview out by Friday.
On the Court (Basketball)
Texas Tech basketball has a terrific piece on their journey to the Big 12 Media Day:
McMillian is walking around Big 12 Media Day as a fifth-year senior with experience in just about everything college basketball has to offer besides a day like this. “We’re all over the place today talking to a lot of media outlets and taking pictures,” he says. “I always have fun being around Kerwin and Darrion. Texas Tech means a lot to me. We have really loyal fans who love us. We love them too. I take a lot of pride being here representing everyone who loves this program.” McMillian is coming off his first season at Tech after playing his first three years at Grand Canyon. He passed the 1,000-point milestone last season in this same arena when he scored 17 points in a Big 12 Championship quarterfinal win over BYU. In that game, he made two 3-pointers and also had eight rebounds and three steals on the T-Mobile Center court. “When you’re trying to win games, it’s vital you have teammates who are really focused on the needs of the team,” McCasland said during the summer. “That’s Chance McMillian. He always puts the team first. Every day. His work ethic, genuine approach and ability to connect with his teammates on and off the court is what separates him. He’s lives winning every day. Guys trust him and they can see that he believes in them too.” McMillian comes into this season having already played in 124 games and with 1,027 points and 174 3-pointers made in his career. As a senior, he averaged 10.8 points per game and was 65-for-168 (38.7 percent) on 3-pointers and 40-for-44 (90.9 percent) from the free-throw line.
“I’ll do anything coach asks me to do,” McMillian says. “I’m a shooter and my ball-screen reads is what I’m excited to show this season.”
On the Court (Volleyball)
Texas Tech volleyball has won 2 matches in a row and host No. 9 Kansas on Wednesday.
On the Pitch
Texas Tech soccer lost on Friday night (terrible referees) to BYU and now have the No. 2 seed and will face the winner of seed No. 7 and seed No. 10 Baylor as part of the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Championships at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City.
On the Gridiron
Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2) vs. Iowa State (4-3, 2-2)
When: Saturday, November 2nd @ 2:30 pm
Where: Jack Trice Stadium | Ames, IA
TV & Streaming: ESPN
Radio: TuneIn Radio
The Line: Iowa State -14.5
Weather: Showers, 60-44
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams grades Texas Tech after the loss to TCU:
Coaching: C
Joey McGuire’s staff did well for three quarters working around injuries at key positions (quarterback, running back, left tackle, free safety), but didn’t close the deal.
Overall: C
In back-to-back weeks, Tech played its worst game of the season against Baylor and blew a 17-point lead and suffered its hardest-to-take loss at TCU. Now everyone will see what the Red Raiders are made of.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams on the late-game poor decisions:
The one-point margin made many plays loom large in hindsight.
Up 31-21 early in the fourth quarter with a fourth-and-3 from the TCU 6-yard line, Tech played safe and took a 24-yard field goal. McGuire said he would’ve gone for the first down had it been fourth-and-1 or fourth-and-2.
At fourth-and-3, he said, “We wanted to push it to where they would have to score two touchdowns to beat us.”
After the Hoover-to-McAlister touchdown, Tech drove to the TCU 27 in 10 plays. Play No. 11 was third-and-7 from the TCU 27. The Red Raiders wanted to set up a game-winning field goal chance for Garcia, who’s 12 for 12 this season. Hammond headed between the hash marks on a keeper but lost a fumble with 1:38 left.