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I was able to watch the first 12 minutes of the game and then the kid went into full melt-down mode so I didn't get to watch the rest and I forgot to tape it. I think I had seen enough and I won't give any grades this morning, but you could probably give the entire team an "F" with a 34 point loss at home. Baylor is just a more talented team than Texas Tech. Significantly more talented. Texas Tech had been able to build up their relatively nice points per game off of a relatively weak schedule, and it showed last night. The game of basketball is largely predicated on having one or two guys that create match-up problems for the opponent or have a system that creates shots or opportunities. Texas Tech doesn't have a system per se, and Texas Tech does not have a match up problem type of player other than Jaye Crockett. Baylor has Jackson, Austin and Jefferson.
Texas Tech doesn't really have a guy that can create shots. Not yet. Two freshmen in the starting lineup and two sophomores. That youth is an issue when those players are not some of the best players in the country (see Baylor's Isaiah Austin who is one of the best or Kansas' Ben McLemore is is also special as a true freshman).
Most likely, Texas Tech will struggle against every team in the Big 12. It's not fun admitting the reality of the situation and I'm hopeful that I'm wrong. Kansas is up next and you can maybe expect a similar result.
QUOTES
Here's head coach Chris Walker:
Nothing changes, I said the same thing after TCU, enjoy the night and we have to move on and get ready for Baylor, same thing tonight we didn't play as well and now it's the same thing you are feeling a certain way after a loss but you have to move on and get back to the drawing board. I told those guys the other day that success is very hard to handle, it's harder to handle than failure because they feel bad right now so they are going to try more on Saturday, but when you win on Saturday there is a tendency with young people to get lackadaisical because they are thinking they are great and they can go out and beat anybody no matter what they do and they loose focus of the game plan and when you play a team like Baylor they make you pay for every mistake, that's what talent does it makes you pay for every single mistake and this is just where we are and this our journey and it's my hope that as the Big 12 goes along we will play much better against teams of this caliber.
There was also this bit from LAJ's Nick Kosmider, who asked Walker about PG Josh Gray and his technical foul that he received:
"I was going to make him sit there," Walker said, "and understand that you have to stop that. This is not the playground. You have to understand that everyone is watching you, it’s happening way too frequent and it’s not cute. It’s something that you have to learn. In high school, some of that stuff you may get away with. In college, it’s just not the same game.
"It’s just a learning process for him, and my hope is that doesn’t happen again. If it does happen again, I’ll do the same thing, to make sure he understands that type of behavior is not going to be tolerated."
Crockett also received a technical foul for taunting and he essentially apologized:
"Me being one of the older guys and one of the leaders on the team," Crockett said, "I feel like I made a huge mistake going out there and getting a technical, especially at a time when we were down 20, 30 points. You just can’t lose your head. You have to be more mature in that situation and just keep playing the game for 40 minutes."
GAME DAY LINKS
Red Raiders Drop Contest To Baylor, 82-48 - Texas Tech Red Raiders Official Athletic Site
Texas Tech notebook: Red Raiders struggle with composure during loss to Baylor | Red Raiders
Texas Tech throttled by Baylor in Big 12 home opener | Red Raiders