I don't know how much you can expect out of me for the rest of the week. I do have a post going up later today to preview the men's basketball team that tip-off in Orlando tomorrow at 11 am. I'm sure that I'll post tomorrow, but I can't promise any sort of Baylor game preview other than RGIII is pretty good, you should watch out for him.
ODDS AND ENDS
"Guns Up" at Tech began as "Gun 'Em Down" 40 years ago | Red Raiders
Huh. I had no idea it was the 40th anniversary of "Guns Up" or Gun 'Em Down. Go check it out.
"…And It’s Good-Bye to A&M!" | Barking Carnival
BC runs down the history where fan violence has occurred when TAMU is involved, which includes the incident at Texas Tech. The general theory is that there is large scale violence (relatively speaking), the Aggies always claim that it's not their fault and that the opposing team started it and they always lose the game.
LADY RAIDER BASKETBALL
'Fill the Bowl' at United Spirit Arena This Weekend - Texas Tech Red Raiders Official Athletic Site
The Lady Raiders will be at the USA for the entire weekend and at the link, you can see the various specials and deals at the link.
RED RAIDER BASKETBALL
Tech freshman Jordan Tolbert making strides | Red Raiders
Quite a telling opening quote from Kosmider:
At a recent Texas Tech men’s basketball practice, 6-foot-7 freshman Jordan Tolbert came to a realization.
"I found out that I am not a good listener," he said. "I’m learning to listen. That is the hardest thing."
Tolbert said he was given an instruction by coach Billy Gillispie during a practice, but when the freshman was asked to repeat the order back "like five seconds later," he couldn’t find the answer.
What was Gillispie’s reaction?
"It was nice," Tolbert said, tongue firmly in cheek.
And head coach Billy Gillispie talks about Tolbert:
"He’s making progress, but he’s not anywhere near where he’s going to be," Gillispie said. "As far as Tolbert taking steps forward, he is taking steps. ... He’s got to anticipate the game a little bit better, and we all do."
I'd agree, Tolbert is just scratching the surface in terms of his potential.
Football links are after the jump, including a possible offer to a high school quarterback in . . . Mississippi. That's a tease!
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL
Osunde, Douglas pushed into starting cornerback positions | Red Raiders
I'd agree with head coach Tommy Tuberville in that Happiness Osunde and Cornelius Douglas did play well last week, but Missouri isn't especially know to be a passing team. I thought Douglas looked like he's been playing corner all season. Still, Tuberville talks quite a bit about how Jarvis Phillips and Derrick Mays both lost confidence (they are both healthy), which is why they're not playing. Here's Tuberville:
"We just went to the waiver wire. Picked up one that offense decided they could do without, picked up Osunde from scout team and said, ‘Let’s go boys.’"
Two weeks ago, coaches converted the 5-foot-9, 197-pound Douglas from inside receiver, where he had been the team’s fourth-leading receiver, and moved the 5-10, 185-pound Osunde from free safety, where he had been a little-used backup since the start of the year. He’s a walk-on transfer from Kilgore College.
"We had no choice," said Tuberville, whose team has allowed 21 touchdown passes, fourth-most in the Big 12. "I think it was pretty evident we just were absolutely playing awful at corner. We were just giving up too many big plays, and there was no consistency. The guys we had out there were shellshocked (from) all the big receivers they’d seen and played against."
Red Raiders football notebook: Washington, Torres have torn ACLs | Red Raiders
Six months of rehab for RB DeAndre Washington and WR Alex Torres with torn ACL's and LG Lonnie Edwards is still a bit up in the air, but at the least has a sprained knee. Also having surgeries:
Running back Eric Stephens (knee dislocation), linebacker Zach Winbush (broken foot) and safety Chris Yeakey (knee ligament) underwent surgeries Tuesday.
A-Mays-ing | The Clarion-Ledger | clarionledger.com
I thought this was interesting. Todd Mays is a quarterback in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and he says that Texas Tech is giving him strong attention as of late. Mays is a dual-threat quarterback:
"He's not just some athlete playing quarterback, he's an athletic quarterback," said Madison Central defensive coordinator Todd Mangum. "He really poses a problem. If you flush him, he'll beat you with his legs and if you give him time, he'll pick you apart with his arm. He gains the attention of every defensive coordinator he's faced."
Snip.
For the season, the 5-foot-11, 205-pound Mays has run for 1,031 yards and passed for 2,642 more. He is just the second player in school history to eclipse 1,000 yards on the ground and in the air, joining former Dandy Dozen star Anthony Summers in 2005.
You can check out Mays' Rivals, Scout and 247 profiles at the various links and the 247 link says that Mays already has an offer. You can also watch some YouTube of his Olive Branch team. I don't know what to make of the potential offer as Texas Tech already has a quarterback in Abilene Cooper's Clayton Nicholas plus athletes playing quarterback such as Snyder's Keenan Ward, Tenaha's Reginald Davis and Crockett's Dominique Wheeler.