Double Ŧake: Tech puts basketball world on notice with win over No. 1 Louisville

Your Texas Tech Red Raiders go to Madison Square Garden in New York City reeling from three straight losses to not only take on the No. 1 ranked Louisville Cardinals, but to take them down in dominating fashion. It’s so much fun to hear Raider Power coming through the radio broadcast.

ESPN exits the broadcasts with shots of fans celebrating and high-fiving a really pumped up Coach Chris Beard. That’s the excitement and intensity fans have come to love.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

Evaluating Tech’s performance

• Avery Benson - Or AFB, as far as I’m concerned. Effort, effort, and more effort. Because of early foul trouble (again), AFB was thrust into the lineup to provide a spark. He immediately caused a Louisville turnover then hits a big 3 to get Tech on the board early. Benson continued to make hustle play after hustle play and outworked his “more talented” counterparts. Benson finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 great effort blocks.

• Davide Moretti - Davide started out cold but came through when the team needed him. You could feel the sigh of relief when his first 3 went in after previously going 0-6 from 3-point land. Hey, shooters keep shooting. Davide was clutch from the free throw line and there was no coming back for Louisville this time. The “Maestro” finished with 18 points and 3 assists.
• TJ Holyfield - Texas Tech fans have been hard on the grad transfer in recent weeks due to some sloppy and ineffective play. While he was still in foul trouble with 4 fouls, he did a lot of the little things to help the team win. And that’s what Tech needs from him. If we are going to be hard on him with his failures, we need to praise him for his successes. Holyfield finished the game with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists. Solid all around game.

• Chris Clarke - Chris Clarke continues his solid all around play. Clarke pulls down 12 rebounds. Twelve! Texas Tech continued to play undersized and Clarke was a big reason it came out on top tonight against the top-ranked team in the nation. Clarke made a big time assist play to Avery Benson that resulted in an “and one” 3 point play. Clarke contributes seven points, six assists, and a steal to go along with his boards.
• Coach Beard - Coach Chris Beard wanted to win this game something fierce. You could see it through the intensity of his eyes. The reaction as he left the arena with multiple fist pumps proved it even more. The effort has usually been there for this basketball team but the experience in the system had not been there until tonight. The basketball world has been put on notice that this Texas Tech team is coming together. “TRUST THE PROCESS!” as Coach Beard says.

In my last Double Ŧake article, I ended stating that better days were ahead for this Red Raider basketball team. Little did I know that it would happen tonight against the No. 1 ranked and previously undefeated Louisville Cardinals.

This is the effort Tech fans had grown accustomed to in recent years and whether they won or lost, I think fans would have appreciated seeing that effort throughout the entire game. But obviously, we will take the win.