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Texas Tech 87, Grambling St. 59 | Post Game Thoughts

Box Score | Post Game Quotes

GAME RECAP
MVP
Jordan Tolbert and Luke Adams | Tolbert continues to dominate, making 7 of 13 field goals, leading the team with 7 boards and scoring 22 points. Adams was the main reason why Texas Tech got off to such a quick start and the reason why Texas Tech had an early double-digit lead. Adams scored 15 points on 5 of 11 from the floor, had 2 assists and 1 turnover.

Numbers
30.4% | GSU shot 30.4% from the floor for the game. One of the worst shooting percentages I've seen.
65.2% | TTU's free throw shooting percentage, which needs to be better.
6 to 16 | GSU only had 6 points off the bench, while TTU had 16, lead by Jaye Crockett with 7.

THE RESULT | STILL TEACHING LESSONS | The last time I had time to write a report card, I said that head coach Billy Gillispie was teaching lessons and he's still doing that. I didn't catch why SF Terran Petteway didn't play, perhaps he's injured as he was in street clothes, but normal starting SG Toddrick Gotcher was dressed, but didn't play a single minute and walk-on Luke Adams got the start and played 30 minutes. Gillispie said that Gotcher had an ankle injury, but still wouldn't have started Gotcher. This is more than just an occassional occurence and it's one thing to lose a non-conference game, or not start a player during the non-conference portion of the schedule, but this team doesn't have a huge chance without having everyone on board through the conference portion of the season, which starts in January.


BACKCOURT

Ty Nurse | This is what I expected when Nurse was signed, as he scored 7 points, didn't shoot a ton, had 2 assists and only 1 turnover. I never thought he was going to be this team's leading scorer, it was nice, but he just needs to play solid minutes. Still struggles a bit too much defensively for me, but he played good last night.

Jararez Willis | 11 points on 5 of 9 from the floor with 5 assists and 4 turnovers. The turnovers are a problem because there are times that Willis sees an opportunity, but doesn't deliver the pass where it needs to go.

Luke Adams | Adams scored 12 of his 15 points in what seemed like the first 5 minutes of the game and that allowed Texas Tech to never look back. Adams hit his 5th 3-point shot later in the second half to help as he was stuck on 12 for a good part of the game. Adams understands the concept of passing into the post and how to set up his teammates. If TTU ever wanted to run a two man game, I'd pick Adams and Crockett or Tolbert as I think Adams understands how to set up his mates and can still get a shot off despite being 5'9".

Kevin Wagner | Minimal minutes, but Wagner hit a three and didn't turn the ball over. Success.

DeShon Minnis | Played only 2 minutes.


FRONTCOURT

Whoever gets it earns it here. It’s a revolving situation, nobody has a spot there’s no entitlement here and I really believe that’s the way a program should be built and I think a team should be built that way, if you earn it you get it.
- Head Coach Billy Gillispie
On Luke Adams starting.

Jordan Tolbert | This game was all about the frontcourt that played well and established some dominance inside and kept the game out of hand. Tolbert continues to figure out how to score inside and seems to be adding to how he scores. Tolbert had two tremendous dunks during the game. This is not a post player that Texas Tech has had on their roster in a very long time.

Robert Lewandowski | So great to see Lewandowski have a good game and maybe I'm dreaming this, but I think that Lew had a good game because Adams set him up in the post a few times and with Adams shooting the ball well, it opened things up inside. Lew had 16 points, 6 boards and played his best game in a while.

Jaye Crockett | Crockett had a relatively quiet night, finishing with 7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 turnovers, but he really filled up the stat sheet. Am waiting for him to have a break-out game, maybe it will happen over the course of the next few games.

Clark Lammert | Played 11 minutes, didn't embarass himself and I had heard that might be a possibility after seeing Lammert after the scrimmages. He was fine, he's skinny, but he didn't do anything that bothered me and played nice defense.

Jaron Nash | The biggest adventure of the night was Nash shooting free throws, banking in 2 of his 4. Nash seems to be Gillispie's last frontcourt option, but I wish he'd get more minutes as I think he can create offensively, for himself and others.