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Injuries happen in sport. It’s a given no matter what the sport, injuries will happen. From the looks of it, Tariq Owens will give it a go thanks to the best Athletic Training staff in the country. That injury looked scary, really scary. To be quite honest, I thought we had lost our best rim protector, but that wasn’t what made this injury so painful to this team. The energy Owens had brought to the floor was the reason for my worry. Owens not only brought great energy to the floor on Saturday, but he set the tone.
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The first picture on this article represents a great moment in Texas Tech sports. Even though he didn’t play much and wasn’t a factor at all after he hurt his ankle, Owens made a statement. He showed everyone in this country and all around the world for that matter that he wasn’t down for the count, even after a horrific looking injury.
The Red Raiders' crowd goes wild as Tariq Owens returns from the locker room after an injury! @TexasTechMBB | #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/hRtJBSdovw
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2019
The video above shows that moment, he came out and the crowd acted as if someone had been raised from the dead. It was one of those moments that make some grown men cry, and something that made me proud to be a Red Raider. He ran out looking determined, and when he came onto the court, the team received a huge lift of moral.
If that man comes back, this man might shed a tear. What a baller, what effort given. https://t.co/hyrCxAHloM
— Jacob Harris (@jacobharris_55) April 7, 2019
His coming back from injury isn’t the point of this article believe it or not, it’s the tone he set for the team early in the game and how he continued that tone after he was injured. He drained the first three pointer of the game for the team and was all over the defensive side of the ball, getting three blocks in 23 minutes. He got bumped and bruised the entire game and it his energy and focus really motivated the rest of the team.
TARIQ OWENS SAYS NO! pic.twitter.com/zsb0PB3a6j
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 7, 2019
The energy and effort given by Owens is something that a ton of players would not do. Especially with his injury, Owens showed more care about his team and their outcome than his own ankle. This is something that most players, especially one and done guys, would not have done. This is the toughness that has defined this team this season. It is the toughness that has led them here and it is the toughness that could lead them to a National Championship.
If this team can be as tough as Tariq Owens tonight, they might be able to win this city a National Championship.