Beyond the arc: Da Sousa debut, Zach Smith injury, City Bank says we got this

Double Dribble

Let’s do a double take at the career of Rick Bullock.

Rick Bullock was a 6’9 center from San Antonio and played for Texas Tech from 1973-76. He is the only Red Raider basketball player to finish his career with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and is certainly one of the most awarded players in Tech history.

When Rick finished his career he was the all-time leader in points, field goals made, field goals attempted, field goal percentage, and blocks. He still ranks in the top five in every category and his 2,118 points stand third all-time.

He finished his freshman year by being named the Southwest Conference (SWC) Newcomer of the Year in 1973. He added SWC Player of the Year awards in 1975, 1976.

Along with his SWC honors, Bullock was named a Freshman All-American and was an All-American selection by several groups his remaining three years. He also ranked in the Top 20 nationally in scoring and field goal percentage for three straight seasons.

He was selected in the fourth round, 57th overall, by the New York Knicks in the 1976 NBA draft. He had two different stints with the Knicks split up by time with the San Antonio Spurs.

In 2013 Rick was elected to the SWC Hall of Fame. A much deserved crowning of a Texas Tech basketball king.

Silvio De Sousa

Kansas freshman Silvio De Sousa made his much anticipated debut last Saturday against Kansas State. De Sousa, a five star 6’9” forward from Luanda, Angola by way of IMG Academy (FL), was a late qualifier after reclassifying his recruiting status. He has managed two points in 11 total minutes over two games since being ruled eligible.

Kansas head coach Bill Self commented on De Sousa’s debut, “It was more than he bargained for,” Self said. “I asked him if he was fine and he said, ‘Coach, I’m great.’ And I asked him if he was ready for that and he said, ‘No.’ So that was a different element.” He figures to make a huge impact for the Jayhawks by the time the end of year tournaments arrive.

Taeshon Cherry

Arizona State received a huge commitment on Tuesday from five star Taeshon Cherry. Cherry is a 6’8” forward from Foothills Christian in El Cajon, CA. He is ranked 27th nationally according to the 247Sports composite ranking. He chose the Sun Devils over several division one offers including Kansas and in-state rival Arizona.

Zach Smith

The Red Raiders disclosed news Sunday concerning Zach Smith’s injured foot. It has been determined that the injury suffered to his foot early in the game against Baylor is a broken bone and potentially season ending.

The severity of the injury has apparently been known for some time now but Coach Beard hasn’t been in the mood to discuss it. Finally, he was ready to talk about the player he feels is “one of the best players to ever play at this school.”

“I look at the personal side of this. I look at Zach’s side. It sucks, it hurts. I was hurt, I was upset. Zach was upset. This was a guy that’s worked really hard. He was in a position to help his team and now he can’t on the court, playing.”

The 6’8” senior forward from Plano was averaging 7.5 points per game on 24.5 minutes per game before his injury. His importance to the team is much more than scoring. His leadership is invaluable and his presence on the defensive end was vital. He will need to lead from the bench for awhile now.

We got this

Sometimes when a team has a big victory at home the fans will rush the court. This is exactly what happened after the big Red Raiders victory Saturday over then No. 2 West Virginia.

The game featured the first ever United Supermarkets Arena contest between two top 10 teams. The win was Tech’s first win over an AP top-2 team since 2005 and placed Tech firmly in the conversation of Big 12 elite. So it’s certainly understandable that the Tech faithful wanted to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the NCAA was not in such a celebratory mood and handed down a $25,000 fine to Tech for failure to control the crowd. That’s when City Bank showed up in an ultimate display of “We got this”.

It was reported Wednesday on lubbockonline.com that City Bank is making a $25,000 donation to the Texas Tech athletics department to help offset the fine imposed by the Big 12 Conference. City Bank has been a longtime supporter of Texas Tech athletics and the Lubbock community.

Jaylen Fisher

In more injury news, TCU reported Wednesday that guard Jaylen Fisher suffered an injury to his right knee in practice Tuesday. The 6’2 sophomore out of Bolton HS in Arlington, TN is listed as out indefinitely.

Fisher was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention as a freshman last year. He stands third on the team in points per game at 12 in 27 minutes per game. He also leads the team with 91 assists. The Horned Frogs have lost four of six in Big 12 play, after starting the season 12-0.

Lady Raiders

The Lady Raiders came away with a big win at Kansas on Wednesday 68-56. Jada Terry led Tech with 16 points and eight rebounds. The Lady Raiders played an outstanding game on defense holding Kansas to a ridiculous ten percent from the field and 13 points in the first half.

The win moves their overall record to 7-11 and 1-6 in conference play. The win also marks the first road victory since a 69-58 win at Kansas on February 27, 2016. The Lady Raiders return to action Saturday at the United Supermarkets Arena against Texas. The game tips at 3:00 p.m.