ODDS AND ENDS |
| TEXAS TECH SETS SPRING RECORD FOR ENROLLMENT |
Per LAJ's Matthew McGowan and DT's Brian Howard, Texas Tech set a spring enrollment record for the third spring in a row with a total number of enrollment of 29,604 students. There are quotes from Chancellor Kent Hance and President Guy Bailey and I'll go with Bailey on this one:
"Usually, if you have a strong spring, you are likely to have a strong fall," he said. "It’s a good sign of health for the university. We take our education very seriously, and it’s great to see more students wanting to come to Tech."
There's also quite a bit in McGowan's article about the stricter admission standards and the need to increase the admission standards and the spring class meets those higher admission standards.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL |
| SOME LOVE FROM UBBEN |
Since there's very little out there this morning, we're breaking one of my cardinal rules, but I really enjoyed Ubben's articles on Tuberville last week and it's the offseason, so why the hell not. Up first, Ubben hands out his Big 12 Valentines and Ubben remembers the very cool gesture by QB Taylor Potts after the Missouri game, which was the game where Texas Tech wore their special jerseys for the Wounded Warrior Project:
2. Taylor Potts. Potts wins easily for gesture of the year. After coming off the bench (following a week of being passed over for Steven Sheffield for the first time all season and taking it like an adult in practice) and leading Texas Tech to its biggest win of the year, a 24-17 win over then-No. 12 Missouri, Potts had plenty to beat his chest about. That's when a rare thing happens: answering reporters' questions is fun. Potts didn't take any after the game, instead electing to read a statement to the media paying homage to those in the armed forces. Texas Tech wore camouflage jerseys during the game as part of the Wounded Warrior project. Potts said speaking with soldiers during the week made enough of an impact on him that he chose to use his platform to honor them. You've got to love everything about that.
Next, Ubben is ranking the top 25 players in the Big 12 from last year and WR Lyle Leong comes in at #25:
Making the case for Leong: He was the Big 12's best version of Cris Carter in 2010: All he did was catch touchdowns. His 19 receiving touchdowns ranked second nationally, and no other receiver below him had more than 15 all year. Other receivers in the Big 12 put up better overall numbers, but he was incredibly reliable in the red zone for the Red Raiders. Considering the trouble spread offenses often have scoring close to the goal line, that's even more valuable. The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder made a living on jump balls alone, and his solid play everywhere else earns him a spot on this list.
DT Colby Whitlock makes the "just-missed" list:
Colby Whitlock, DT, Texas Tech: Whitlock had a nice year with 57 stops and two tackles for loss, but it wasn't a great year for defensive tackles in the Big 12.
| MISCELLANEOUS |
Now that former Florida head coach Urban Meyer is no longer coaching, he's speaking out against coaches and the NCAA and Sports By Brooks has quite a bit of the transcript from his radio interview:
I’m probably going to get criticized for saying a few things but I’m good. I’m no longer a football coach and that had a part to do with why I stepped away.
I’m not the lone wolf here there are some great football coaches that are still coaching. They have to be very careful, politically correct, say all the right things and do all the right things and deep down their hearts getting ripped out because they’re at a competitive disadvantage and that’s just not right.
. . . Fox Sports Thayer Evans has an exclusive inside look at the nation's #1 football prospect, Jadeveon Clowney, who committed to South Carolina yesterday . . . So yesterday, we all found out that Justin Bieber's ringtone was Oklahoma St. Mike Gundy's "I'm a man! I'm 40!" diatribe and yesterday, Gundy returned the favor. I thought it was funny . . .