DTN Daily Diatribe | Texas Tech News, Notes and Links | 2012-03-05

TEXAS TECH SOFTBALL | The softball team had two more wins yesterday and now their record is 17-5 for the year. A 4-3 win against Binghampton on Sunday morning (official site) and finished the weekend with a 7-1 win over UTA (official site). It's kinda awesome as I haven't noticed how many games the softball team plays in the non-conference portion of the season, but Texas Tech already has a pitcher that has 13 decisions on the year, Cara Custer, who is 10-3 and didn't allow a run the entire weekend.

LADY RAIDER BASKETBALL | Per the official site, Texas Tech will face Texas in the first round of the Big 12 Championship, tip-off is on Wednesday at 5:00 pm and the tournament is in Kansas City, Missouri. I would love if this team could get to 20 wins, maybe that would give them a shot at the NCAA Tournament. Although it's doubtful, but it's a chance.

RED RAIDER BASKETBALL | The Big 12 released it's Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Awards and no Texas Tech player gets so much as a mention. No honorable mention, no nothing. I'll have more to write about this team next week, but there's a long ways to go. Next week the Red Raiders take on Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 conference tournament.

LAJ's Nick Kosmider writes that freshman F Jordan Tolbert is looking forward on building on his freshman season. Pretty cool that F Robert Lewandowski continues to lead even though he's graduating:

"I’ve sat and talked with him a couple times," Lewandowski said. "He knows he’s a very powerful player and a very talented player. I had the same thing during my sophomore year and at the end of my freshman year. Sometimes you have this great surge of energy and you feel really good about what you’re doing, and then you kind of fall off because basketball is a whole new experience once you get to the college level.

"I tell him to just keep his head up. There’s nothing he can’t do with the mental and physical abilities that Coach (Billy) Gillispie has helped us develop."

And here's head coach Billy Gillispie:

"He's got to get stronger," Gillispie said after Saturday’s loss to Missouri. "He looks like he's real strong, but like most freshmen he needs to get a lot stronger. ... I'm not being critical, but I’m being nit-picky because we’re talking about me wanting him to be the best player in the Big 12 next year, and he has the ability to be one of those kinds of guys, so he has a lot of work to do."

TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL | FWST's Jimmy Burch has a quick blurb on the Big 12 teams and like a lot of things, this is mostly right about Texas Tech:

2012 outlook: The Red Raiders, who gave up 485.6 yards and 39.3 points per game last season, need an immediate turnaround on defense. First-year defensive coordinator Art Kaufman is installing a 4-3 system and is looking at multiple January enrollees to contribute. Coaches praise the early returns from linebacker Chris Payne and linebacker Will Smith, although other fresh faces could emerge. Nine newcomers are taking part in spring drills, with impact offensive additions expected to be wide receiver Javon Bell and running back/wide receiver SaDale Foster. Quarterback Seth Doege is a proven commodity (28 touchdowns, 10 interceptions last season) but two running backs (Eric Stephens, DeAndre Washington) are out with knee injuries, allowing extra snaps for Bradley Marquez, Javares McRoy and Foster.

If you want to catch up with the rest of the Big 12, then give it a look.