Texas Tech News, Notes and Links | 2012-09-17

Olympic Sports

We'll go with the good news first. The soccer team won on Saturday, 2-1, over Cal-State Fullerton and Janine Beckie was named the MVP of the tournament. The soccer team is 7-2 on the year. After a Friday night win against Houston Baptist, the volleyball team lost two matches, Cal State Northridge and Rice. The volleyball team is 11-3 on the year. The men's golf team finished 4th at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate Tournament in Indiana (I think). The women's tennis team was also in action over the weekend, but there is the link with everything that happened.

Men's Basketball

LAJ's Nick Kosmider is reporting that Texas Tech head basketball coach Billy Gillispie is to live in a stress-free environment for the next thirty days:

The Avalanche-Journal received a text message from an unknown source Sunday night. The text said Gillispie had been treated at the clinic for abnormal headaches and kidney problems and was ordered to live in the stress-free environment while trying to get his high blood pressure under control.

So let's get this straight. On Friday afternoon, Gillispie texted AD Kirby Hocutt and said that he was going to be undertaking additional tests. Then, on Friday night, Gillispie arrived in Lubbock and his arrival was supposedly a shock to the athletic administrative staff. Now, he has apparently been ordered to live in a stress-free environment for thirty days. Hopefully, this stress-free environment will include a meeting with Hocutt at some point. I'm ready to rip off the band-aid and see what happens, good or bad, but I feel like I am being held hostage here.

Football

LAJ's Nick Kosmider writes that the defensive line is key to Texas Tech's success and highlights the play of DT Kerry Hyder. LAJ's Don Williams has five key developments, including the decision to remove the redshirt of DT Michael Starts:

So much for that 2016 Tech defensive line being anchored by fifth-year senior Michael Starts. Tech used the freshman man mountain for the first time Saturday, and the 6-4, 303-pound Starts got a sack and three tackles in his debut.

With Tech choosing to forego a redshirt for Starts, he joins a rotation with Kerry Hyder, Delvon Simmons, Dennell Wesley, Leon Mackey and Donte Phillips. Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said odds were against the top four DTs all staying healthy enough to practice and play the next nine weeks.

LAJ's Don Williams editorializes about a lot of things, including the balance of receivers and running backs and that the crowd can be loud again.

ABQJournal had a bit from New Mexico head coach Bob David about what Texas Tech did to stop the Lobos:

Texas Tech, Davie said, gave the Lobos’ option attack problems by working to take away the keep and the pitch – forcing, or at least inviting, a dive up the middle. Running backs Kasey Carrier, Jhurell Pressley, Demarcus Rogers and Chase Clayton carried the ball 15 times for 34 yards.

"They were taking away the outside stuff on the option," Davie said, "so we had to be content just to hand the ball up in there a little bit. That’s not easy, because we’re a little bit undersized in there at guard."