Texas Tech Tuesday Morning Notes - They're Both Competing Edition

Double-T Nation News:

DTN's Top Eight:

1. Welcome new SB Nation and Colorado Buffaloes blog, The Ralphie Report.
2. I know we're all Phelps crazy right now, but don't forget about the greatness of Michael Johnson, 1996.
3. Dr. Saturday with a look at the Big 12 offenses last year.
4. Check out ESPN's Big 12 Blogger Tim Griffin's mailbag.
5. The Wizard of Odds has moved.
6. Wondered what the hell that tape is that the Olympic athletes are wearing?
7. Bottle Rocket, one of my favorite all-time movies, will be in blue-ray.
8. Everything you wanted to know about the Big East football thanks to Card Chronicle.

Texas Tech Football:

How about that, DTN got a link from Deadspin in their Texas Tech preview. Thanks to Stephen Hagen, who wrote the article, for the the link and go check out the preview.

LAJ's Don Williams focuses on the kicking battle between freshman Donnie Carona and senior Cory Fowler. Here's special teams coach Clay McGuire:

"They’re both competing," McGuire said over the weekend. "I thought this last week’s been really good for Donnie. Coming in the first week, it was different than what he had been used to. His whole life, he’s been a football player. Now that he’s just a kicker, he doesn’t have to go play running back or linebacker or anything like that. It was an adjustment for him, but he’s made the transition real well, and I thought he had a really good week this last week."

Big 12 writer Wendell Barnhouse had his Big 12 Skywriters Tour focusing on Texas Tech. There's a few news and notes, but if any of you have ever wondered about the sand pit at practice, here's an explanation:

Practice is a beach: At one end of Texas Tech's practice fields is a strip of sand, about 10 yards wide and 30 yards long. It's called "Muscle Beach" and it's where injured players go to work out.

Leach had it installed during his first season. After a dozen or so players missed the first workout with "injuries," Leach had the sand pit installed. The injured players spent time running and dragging weights through the sand. At the next practice, only three players were "injured."

After Sunday's practice, walk on defensive linemen were taking turns pushing a four-wheel utility vehicle through the sand as strength coach Benny Wylie sat in the driver's seat. The players were paying the price for not practicing at full speed.

Rivals.com is taking a look at impact JUCO's, including Brandon Sesay (hat-tip to DMN's Brandon George):

TEXAS TECH defensive end Brandon Sesay
BUZZ: Already hailed as Tech's premier defensive prospect in the Mike Leach era, the thought is Sesay can be a dominant pass rusher for a team that could use one. Originally a Georgia signee, Sesay posted a dozen sacks as a freshman at Northwest CC in Senatobia, Miss. He followed that with four sacks in six games as a sophomore at College of the Sequoias last season. The Red Raiders had just 11 sacks in conference play last season, and in the pass-oriented Big 12, a strong pass rush is a must.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation released their names of players to watch for the Player of the Year Award, including Mr. Crabtree.

Texas Tech Basketball:

ESPN's Tim Griffin, Andy Katz and Fran Fraschilla all contributed to a Big 12 Shootaround including this blurb on Texas Tech:

Pat Knight's first full season will be keyed by the return of four of his five leading scorers from last season's 16-15 team, losing only scoring leader Martin Zeno. Knight will be hoping for continued improvement from point guard John Roberson and power forward Mike Singletary, who both showed impressive flashes as freshmen. And perimeter threat Alan Voskuil (13.1 ppg) is the team's leading returning scorer. But the biggest key for Knight's program will be hitting the recruiting trail hard in order to upgrade Tech's talent, which has been lagging over the past several seasons.

As well as Fraschilla predicting a 10th place finish for Texas Tech:

10. Texas Tech: Sophomore John Roberson is a scoring point guard around whom coach Pat Knight will build, so don't be surprised if the Red Raiders' tempo is sped up a bit.

I have my concerns as to whether or no Junior Knight is going to be able to turn it around this year, but I do want to give him a coupel of years to turn this thing around. I think Okorie and Cohadarevic will have a bigger impact than most people and it also wouldn't surprise me to see Graham turn out to be just as good, if not better than Roberson.