Player of the game: Matt Mooney

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

What a day for the Wauconda kid. Matt Mooney has consistently been a nuisance for teams on the defensive side of the ball, but it was his scoring that lifted Texas Tech to their first ever national championship game.

While Michigan State was throwing everything it had at Jarrett Culver, Matt Mooney was ready to take on the scoring load. Mooney scored a game-high 22 points in the contest and shot 50% from the field. Without Mooney’s contributions, the city of Lubbock may actually be intact. RIP Lime Scooters..

Mooney was the reason why Texas Tech was able to gain some control in the second half. After seeing this moon-ball drop from downtown, you knew Matt Mooney was ready to take over.

Mooney finished the game with 22 PTS, 1 AST, and 3 REBs.

A long Old Town Road

I think it is important to remember the journey that brought the kids like Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens to Texas Tech. Like Owens, Mooney was under recruited coming out of high school. He started his career at Air Force, then fell in love with his next home in South Dakota. Finally, Mooney wanted to transfer somewhere that would give him an opportunity to play in the NCAA tournament. Because of his efforts, Mooney now has a chance to compete for a national championship.

Next Up - Virginia:

Thanks to Matt Mooney, we’re still dancing. Next up if a very tough Virginia team that plays a very similar style to Texas Tech. Expect to see Matt Mooney locking down either Ty Jerome or Kyler Guy, two explosive guards that will need to be contained if Texas Tech wants to bring home a National Championship.