On November 19, 2017, I watched the Texas Tech Red Raiders destroy No. 20 Northwestern, 85-49. That was the opening moment when it dawned on me that Texas Tech's program under Chris Beard (and Mark Adams) was destined for greatness. It was an absolutely dominating performance against a good opponent. The Red Raiders 72-41 The dissolution of Iowa State is the most complete destruction of a quality opponent's program since that Northwestern victory. That team from 2017-18 definitely made it to the Elite Eight. The current team is moving in this direction.
What is the difference between rest and health? It was clear from the initial tap that the Red Raiders had more enthusiasm in their strides than many moons ago. The surplus of energy pointed most clearly on the defensive side, where the raiders were virtually flawless. Here are some notable numbers: Texas Tech forced 20 turnovers, seven of which were committed by Big XII Freshman of the Year Tyrese Hunter; Iowa State missed 33 shots and rebounded only four of them; Texas Tech held All-Big XII guard Isaiah Brockington, a brilliant offensive player, to seven points on a 3-of-16 shootout; No cyclone formed in double digits; The Red Raiders forced Cyclone to shoot from afar—25 of their 48 shot attempts were beyond the arc... Texas Tech's huge advantage. In truth, the Red Raiders played something anticipating a perfect defensive game.
Tonight there were two flies and a mite in the ointment. In the former category, Bryson Williams had his first subpar game in less than two months. The Red Raiders have been able to count on him for 13 to 15 skillful points in every single game, but against Iowa State they only managed six points on 2-of-6 shooting. He simply wasn't the focus of the crime.
Second, Texas Tech only hit 62 percent of its free throws. It's an aberration as the Red Raiders steadily improved Charity Stripe during the second half of the season.
For a low-key problem, Texas Tech rolled the ball over 15 times. That's too much, even against a very good defensive team like Iowa State. Davian Warren was the main culprit. He coughed it out five times, and each one of those turnovers was preventable and unpredictable. This is a recurring problem with Warren. And because of that, if Texas Tech is trying to defend the lead late in the game, Warren can't be on the court. His tendency to spin the ball unnecessarily is a huge responsibility.
The main reason Bryson William didn't have a problem on the night is because Kevin McCullers and Terrence Shannon, together healthy for the first time in the age of a coon, picked up more from Slack. McCullers played as well as he has played throughout the season. Frankly, he sounded like an NBA player, and I can't remember if I ever thought of him before. And Shannon played like the all-Big XII player he was predicted to be before the season. He was a factor on defense, and he scored runs deep and off the rack. Shannon turned the ball five times, but I don't remember any turnover that made me nod in despair. If McCullers and Shannon can deliver that kind of output during the NCAA Tournament, needless to say, the Red Raiders are going to be an absolute load for anyone they face.
Iowa State's 31-point demolition, a potential nine seed, closes out a three seed for Texas Tech. If the Red Raiders beat Oklahoma, they would proceed in negotiations for two seeds. If they win the Big XII tournament, the two seeds go from possible to probable.
Clarence Nadolny didn't exactly tear the stat sheet, but he played 19 minutes (similar to Bryson Williams), and the reason he got those big minutes was that he was a stabilizing influence on the offensive end. The Red Raiders had better offensive assets when he was on the court. You never think of Nadolny as a stabilizer, but he was just against Cyclone.