Texas Tech takes care of Angelo State, 88-69

Approaching this first game of the season, we all thought that the Rams wouldn’t have been a serious threat for Texas Tech, but things didn’t go as expected, with Angelo State leading the game until ten minutes to go, and having a 6-point gap until four minutes to go, 75-69.

At this point, Texas Tech scored 13 unanswered points to end the game with the score of 88-69.

Coach Beard opted for the senior-made starting five that we’ll probably see during the season, so forwards Tommy Hamilton and Zach Smith, and guards Justin Gray, Keenan Evans, and Niem Stevenson. Evans was the top scorer of the team, with 21 points, while Smith led in rebounds (8) and assists (6).

Here there are the complete stats:

Almost every player of the team had some space, and the best impression was given by freshman, Lubbock-native, guard Jarrett Culver, who had eight points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.

Our insider Tyler Dipprey attended the game, and filed some notes on some of the newcomers:

Jarrett Culver- can really score and his height allows him to play lots of positions including the 4 at times. He will be a fixture in the rotation this year.

Josh Webster- is a good on ball defender who is very long. He rebounds well for a point guard and is a smart point guard. His issue will be can he score enough to keep defenses honest and not sag on him.

Tommy Hamilton- Has lots of offensive skill but I am afraid he will be streaky and he is not a great defender.

Zhaire Smith- a GREAT athlete but still raw with his skills offensively. He plays hard and with an edge. Is a good defender because of his athletic ability and effort.

Davide Moretti- He can shoot but the question is his size. I think his lack of size and athleticism will limit his production this season. I am just not sure he is strong enough to play D in the Big 12.

Brandone Francis- He has a pretty stoke but went long stretches where he disappeared while on the floor. 3 point shooting is more likely to come from him than Moretti this season because Francis has the size to not get pushed around.

Malik Ondigo- He seems to be at least a year away from being able to play in the Big 12. He is just too skinny to play in the post right now.

Hyron Edwards- He did not suit up and must have some type of injury.

The next game for the Red Raiders will be on Sunday, when they’ll travel to Midland to face New Mexico State. This will be an exhibition game to raise money for Hurricane Relief.