Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Texas Tech Red Raiders
2021–22 Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team
Texas Tech Athletics logo.svg
UniversityTexas Tech University
First season1925–26
Athletic directorKirby Hocutt
Head coachMark Adams (1st season)
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
LocationLubbock, Texas
ArenaUnited Supermarkets Arena
(Capacity: 15,300)
NicknameRed Raiders[disambiguation needed]
Student sectionRaider Riot
ColorsScarlet and black[1]
   
Uniforms
Kit body bb trimnumbersonwhite.png
Home jersey
Kit shorts blanksides2.png
Team colours
Home
Kit body bb trimnumbersonwhite.png
Away jersey
Kit shorts.png
Team colours
Away
Kit body blacksides.png
Alternate jersey
Kit shorts.png
Team colours
Alternate
NCAA Tournament Runner-up
2019
NCAA Tournament Final Four
2019
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
2018, 2019
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1961, 1962, 1976, 1996, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2022
NCAA Tournament Round of 32
1976, 1996, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1954, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1996, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
Conference tournament champions
1976, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1996
Conference regular season champions
1933, 1934, 1935, 1954, 1956, 1961, 1962, 1973, 1985, 1995, 1996, 2019

The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team represents Texas Tech University in basketball. Texas Tech competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and has been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference since its first season in 1996. The team previously competed in the Border Conference and Southwest Conference. The team was founded in 1925, having since won 13 regular season conference championship, and made 19 appearances in the NCAA Tournament as of the 2021–22 season. The Red Raiders have played their home games at the United Supermarkets Arena since 1999 on the university's campus in Lubbock, Texas. The Red Raiders are coached by Mark Adams who began his first season as head coach in the 2021–22 season.

History[]

1925–1935[]

Texas Tech's basketball program was founded the same year the school opened its doors in 1925. The inaugural game was a 37–25 loss to Daniel Baker College. Tech would lose two more games before finally clinching their first ever victory—35–21 at Sul Ross University.[2][3]

Grady Higginbotham was the first coach, earning a 14–18 record over two seasons. Until Pat Knight, Higgenbotham was the only Tech basketball coach to garner an overall losing record (.438) during his stay. Following Higgenbotham's departure, Victor Payne led the Matadors (as the school's teams were known until 1936) from 1927 to 1930.[4] His final tally stood at 32 wins and 20 losses. W. L. Golightly coached only one season, bringing in an 11–9 record. Dell Morgan held the head coaching job from 1931 to 1934, chalking up 42 wins to 29 losses. He was followed by Virgil Ballard. Though Ballard coached only a single season, it was during his time that the team won their milestone 100th game, a one-point victory over House of David. Ballard left with a 15–9 record.[2]

Polk Robison

1935–1971[]

Berl Huffman was twice the head basketball coach at Texas Tech—first from 1935 to 1942 and then from 1946 to 1947. During his total of eight seasons, he garnered a record of 121–67. Polk Robison was the only other person to serve two different times as the head basketball coach at the school. When Huffman left in 1942, Robison took the job. And, when Huffman left a second time in 1947, it was Robison who again filled the position, this time remaining until 1961. At a total of 18 seasons, his stay is the second longest of any Red Raiders basketball coach, behind Gerald Myers. He departed after leading his teams to 254 wins, 195 losses, and the first two NCAA tournaments in school history.[3]

Gene Gibson followed Robison into the position. In his eight seasons, he chalked up the second best conference record in Texas Tech history and led the Raiders to a Southwest Conference Championship in 1962. Bob Bass led the program to a 22–15 record over a season-and-a-half before returning to professional basketball coaching duties.[3][5]

1971–2001[]

Gerald Myers became coach of the Red Raiders mid-year during the 1970/71 season and stayed until 1991. His stay was the longest of any head basketball coach at Tech, and several milestones were passed during his tenure, including wins #600 (TCU), #700 (SMU), #800 (at SMU), and #900 (Texas A&M). With a Texas Tech career record of 326–261, Myers has more wins with the Red Raiders than any other men's basketball coach in school history. Myers led Tech to 16 winning seasons, two Southwest Conference championships, three SWC tournament titles, and four NCAA Tournament berths.[3] Myers served as the school's athletic director from 1996 to 2011.

James Dickey replaced Myers as head coach prior to the 1991/92 season and would remain at Texas Tech until his dismissal at the end of the 2000/01 season. During his 10 seasons at Texas Tech, Dickey amassed a 166–124 win–loss record (164–123 with vacated games omitted). The program also won its 1,000th game under Dickey—a 71–62 victory at UALR.[3]

Dickey took over a Texas Tech program that had finished with a 13–45 combined record over Myers' final two years and led his first team to a winning season and fifth-place finish in Southwest Conference play, after having been picked to finish last in the conference. In his second year as head coach, the Red Raiders won the Southwest Conference tournament championship, the school's fourth, to secure the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Texas Tech finished the 1994/95 season with a 20–10 record, sharing the SWC regular season championship with Texas and earning a berth in the 1995 National Invitation Tournament. In the SWC's final season, Dickey's 1995–96 Red Raiders produced one of the most successful seasons in school history and one of the more memorable seasons in the history of the conference, finishing 30–2 overall and undefeated in conference play, winning both the SWC regular season championship and the conference tournament title, advancing to the "Sweet Sixteen" in the NCAA Tournament, and finishing #8 in the AP Poll and #10 in the Coaches' Poll.[6][7]

The Raiders moved to the Big 12 for the 1996/97 season, and appeared to pick up right where they left off with a solid 19–9 season. For all intents and purposes, however, Dickey's tenure ended on the first day of the inaugural Big 12 basketball tournament. During the Raiders' first-round game, it was discovered that two players had played the entire season while academically ineligible. Hours after that game, Texas Tech announced that it was withdrawing from postseason consideration and forfeiting its entire conference schedule. The Raiders had lost that game, and would have had to forfeit it if they had won. A subsequent investigation revealed massive violations dating back to 1990 in men's basketball and nine other sports. As a result, the NCAA stripped Tech of its two NCAA tournament wins in 1996 and docked it nine scholarships over four years.[8] Dickey was unable to recover from the lost scholarships, and his Red Raiders finished with four consecutive losing seasons, during which they only won a total of 18 games in Big 12 play. He was fired after his 2000/01 team produced a 9–19 overall record.

Bob Knight (middle) with Pat Knight (right)

Bob Knight era: 2001–2008[]

Bob Knight served as the Texas Tech men's basketball head coach from 20012008.

Hired in March 2001 to replace James Dickey as head coach, Bob Knight quickly improved the program, which had not received a bid to the NCAA Tournament nor achieved a winning record since 1996. Knight led the Red Raiders to three NCAA Tournament appearances and one NIT appearance in his first four years at Texas Tech, including an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen in 2005. Texas Tech finished the 2005/06 season with a 15–17 overall record, marking the only time that Knight finished a complete season at Tech with a losing record and fewer than 21 wins. During the 2005–06 season, the ESPN reality TV show centering on Knight and the Red Raiders, Knight School, was filmed. The Red Raiders recovered in 2006/07, finishing 21–13 and again earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they would lose to Boston College in the first round. In both 2006 and 2007, Knight's Texas Tech teams defeated two top 10-ranked teams in consecutive weeks. During Knight's first six years at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders won 126 games, an average of 21 wins per season.

On New Year's Day 2007, Texas Tech recorded a 70–68 defeat of New Mexico to give Knight his 880th career victory, making him the highest winning coach in men's college basketball history.

On January 16, 2008, Knight registered his 900th career victory when the Red Raiders upset the ninth-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, 68–53.[9] Knight won two more games as head coach—against Missouri and Oklahoma State—prior to announcing his retirement on February 4, 2008, after having led his 2007–08 team to a 12–8 mid-season record. His son Pat Knight, the head coach designate since 2005, was immediately named as his successor.[10] The younger Knight stated that, after many years of coaching, his father was exhausted and ready to retire.[11]

Bob Knight finished with an overall win–loss record of 138–82 at Texas Tech.

Pat Knight era: 2008–2011[]

Students and fans rush the court after the unranked Red Raiders upset the #5 Texas Longhorns in 2008.

After assuming the head coaching role midseason, Pat Knight's initial two games were defeats on the road. The first was an 80–74 loss to Baylor on February 6, 2008. The second came three days later at Nebraska. Knight's first head coaching win came at home when the Red Raiders upset #18 Kansas State, 84–75, at United Spirit Arena. Going into the game, KSU was in sole possession of first place in the Big 12.[12] On March 1, 2008, the Red Raiders again defeated the top team in the conference by beating #5 Texas, 83–80, ending a month-long, eight-game winning streak for the Longhorns.[13]

The Red Raiders finished the regular season with back-to-back losses, first at Kansas and then to Baylor. At the 2008 Big 12 Men's Basketball Tournament, they added another loss—to Oklahoma State—in the first round. The team did not receive an invitation to play at either the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship or at the National Invitation Tournament. Texas Tech did get an invitation to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational, but declined the offer.[14]

In the third game of the 2008–09 season, Tech defeated Division II opponent East Central 167–115, setting a new school record for most points scored in a game. The previous record of 128 was set in the double overtime victory over Texas on February 20, 1994. The combined total of 282 points also became a new record.[15][16]

On March 7, 2011, Texas Tech terminated Knight's position as head coach.[17] He left with an overall record of 50–61, becoming the second coach in the school's history to depart with more losses than wins.

Billy Gillispie era: 2011–2012[]

Billy Gillispie became the head coach of the team on March 20, 2011. He only stayed for one season before resigning on September 21, 2012, in the wake of a school investigation into his treatment of his players.[18]

Tubby Smith era: 2013–2016[]

Texas Tech University head basketball coach Tubby Smith during the 2013–14 season

Tubby Smith was hired to replace interim head coach Chris Walker on April 1, 2013 after 6 seasons as head coach of Minnesota.[19] Smith's first season showed some signs of progress, with Texas Tech picking up its first victory over a top-25 team since 2009. Texas Tech's victory over the then #12 Baylor Bears was the first win over a ranked opponent since December 2009, when the team defeated #10 Washington.[20] Smith would later earn another top 25 upset with a victory over #19 Oklahoma State on February 8, 2014. Following outreach by Smith and the athletic department, Texas Tech students broke both school and Big 12 Conference records for student attendance at the United Spirit Arena during a February 25, 2014 loss to Kansas State. The record of 6,086 students fell less than 2,000 short of the national record.[21]

The Red Raiders ended Smith's first season with a home victory over the Texas Longhorns, but the Raiders fell to Oklahoma State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament in March. They ended the season with a 14-18 overall record, Smith's first losing season as a head coach.[22]

Texas Tech forward Jaye Crockett slams the ball home during the Red Raiders' win against the University of Texas Longhorns on March 8, 2014.

Under Smith, the 2015–2016 Red Raiders finished 9–9 in Big 12 play and advanced to their first NCAA Tournament in nine years, earning an 8-seed in the East Regional. Their season ended in the Round of 64 with a loss to the 9-seed Butler Bulldogs.

Following the season, the Smith era came to an end as Smith resigned on April 14 to coach the Memphis Tigers.

Chris Beard era: 2016–2021[]

Texas Tech hired former Arkansas-Little Rock and one-time UNLV coach Chris Beard on April 15, 2016. On March 23, 2018 Texas Tech made its first-ever Elite Eight berth with a 78–65 win over the Purdue Boilermakers On March 25, 2018, Texas Tech lost to the eventual national champions, Villanova Wildcats, 71–59 in the Elite 8.

On March 30, 2019, Texas Tech defeated the #1-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs 75–69, allowing TTU to reach their first-ever Final Four.

On April 6, 2019, Texas Tech defeated the #2-seed Michigan St Spartans 61–51, reaching their first-ever national title game.[23]

On April 8, 2019, Texas Tech lost to #1 seed Virginia Cavaliers in OT 85–77 in the National Championship game, marking the most successful season in school history.[24]

On April 1, 2021, Beard departed the program in controversial fashion for the head coaching job at his alma mater, the University of Texas.

Mark Adams era: 2021–present[]

Mark Adams, a Texas Tech alumnus and longtime coach around West Texas who had served as Beard's assistant for the last five seasons, was elevated to head coach on April 5, 2021. Coach Adams swept former coach Chris Beard and the University of Texas in his first season at the helm.

Postseason[]

NCAA tournament results[]

The Red Raiders have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 19 times. However, they have "officially" appeared in 18 tournaments; their 1996 appearance was vacated. Their combined record is 19–19 (17–18 without vacated games).

On April 6, 2019, Texas Tech earned their first trip to the NCAA tournament championship game with a Final Four win over Michigan State. Two days later, the Red Raiders lost the NCAA tournament championship game in overtime 85–77 to Virginia.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1954 First Round Santa Clara L 64–73
1956 First Round SMU L 67–68
1961 Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game
Cincinnati
Houston
L 55–78
W 69–67
1962 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game
Air Force
Colorado
Creighton
W 68–66
L 60–67
L 61–63
1973 First Round South Carolina L 70–78
1976 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Syracuse
Missouri
W 69–56
L 75–86
1985 #6 First Round #11 Boston College L 53–55
1986 #13 First Round #4 Georgetown L 64–70
1993 #12 First Round #5 St. John's L 67–85
1996 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#14 Northern Illinois
#6 North Carolina
#2 Georgetown
W 74–73
W 92–73
L 90–98
2002 #6 First Round #11 Southern Illinois L 68–76
2004 #8 First Round
Second Round
#9 Charlotte
#1 Saint Joseph's
W 76–73
L 65–70
2005 #6 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#11 UCLA
#3 Gonzaga
#7 West Virginia
W 78–66
W 71–69
L 60–65
2007 #10 First Round #7 Boston College L 75–84
2016 #8 First Round #9 Butler L 61–71
2018 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
#14 Stephen F. Austin
#6 Florida
#2 Purdue
#1 Villanova
W 70–60
W 69–66
W 78–65
L 59–71
2019 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship
#14 Northern Kentucky
#6 Buffalo
#2 Michigan
#1 Gonzaga
#2 (E) Michigan State
#1 (S) Virginia
W 72–57
W 78–58
W 63–44
W 75–69
W 61–51
L 77–85*
2021 #6 First Round
Second Round
#11 Utah State
#3 Arkansas
W 65–53
L 66–68
2022 #3 First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#14 Montana State
#11 Notre Dame
#2 Duke
W 97-62
W 59–53
TBD

(*) indicates overtime game

NIT results[]

The Red Raiders have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) four times. Their combined record is 6–4.

Year Round Opponent Result
1979 First Round Indiana L 59–78
1995 First Round Washington State L 82–94
2003 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game
Nevada
San Diego State
Georgia Tech
St. John's
Minnesota
W 66–54
W 57–48
W 80–72
L 63–64
W 71–61
2010 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Seton Hall
Jacksonville
Ole Miss
W 87–69
W 69–64
L 87–902OT

NAIA tournament results[]

The Red Raiders have appeared in the NAIA Tournament two times. Their combined record is 3–2.

Year Round Opponent Result
1942 First Round
Second Round
Louisiana Tech
Southeastern Oklahoma State
W 59–47
L 36–37
1949 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Western Montana
North Dakota
Hamline
W 79–43
W 62–57
L 56–80

Season-by-season results[]

Home arenas[]

United Supermarkets Arena

The Red Raiders play their home games at United Supermarkets Arena located on the university campus. The Red Raiders previously played at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum until United Supermarkets Arena opened in 1999. The university's first team, then known as the Matadors, did not have a home court but instead played at the Livestock Judging Pavilion until a wood and stucco barn was constructed the following season.

Texas Tech students broke both school and Big 12 Conference records for student attendance at the United Supermarkets Arena during a February 25, 2014 loss to Kansas State. The record of 6,086 students fell less than 2,000 short of the national record.[21]

Players[]

AP All Americans[]

Keenan Evans
Second team
Number Player Season
23 Jarrett Culver 2018–2019
14 Andre Emmett 2003–2004
Third team
Number Player Season
12 Keenan Evans 2017–2018
33 Jason Sasser 1995–1996
Honorable Mention
Number Player Season
0 Mac McClung 2020–2021
22 Jarrius Jackson 2006–2007
22 Jarrius Jackson 2005–2006
24 Ronald Ross 2004–2005
4 Tony Battie 1996–1997
21 Cory Carr 1996–1997
33 Jason Sasser 1994–1995
44 Will Flemons 1992–1993
44 Will Flemons 1991–1992
4 Bubba Jennings 1984–1985
30 Mike Russell 1977–1978
54 Rick Bullock 1975–1976
54 Rick Bullock 1974–1975
22 Dub Malaise 1965–1966
22 Dub Malaise 1964-1965
20 Harold Hudgens 1960–1961
50 Jim Reed 1954–1955

Conference Player of the Year[]

Big 12 Conference
Number Player Seasons
23 Jarrett Culver 2018-2019
Southwest Conference
Number Player Seasons
33 Jason Sasser 1995-1996
44 Will Flemons 1992-1993
44 Will Flemons 1991-1992
4 Bubba Jennings 1984-1985
54 Rick Bullock 1975-1976
54 Rick Bullock 1974-1975
22 Dub Malaise 1964-1965

All Conference first team[]

Big 12 Conference
Number Player Seasons
11 Bryson Williams 2021-2022
23 Jarrett Culver 2018-2019
12 Keenan Evans 2017-2018
22 Jarrius Jackson 2006-2007
22 Jarrius Jackson 2005-2006
24 Ronald Ross 2004-2005
14 Andre Emmett 2003-2004
14 Andre Emmett 2002-2003
14 Andre Emmett 2001-2002
21 Cory Carr 1997-1998
24 Tony Battie 1996–1997
Southwest Conference
Number Player Seasons
33 Jason Sasser 1995-1996
42 Mark Davis 1994-1995
33 Jason Sasser 1994-1995
33 Jason Sasser 1993-1994
44 Will Flemons 1992-1993
44 Will Flemons 1991-1992
13 Sean Gay 1988-1989
4 Bubba Jennings 1984-1985
1 Mike Russell 1977-1978
1 Mike Russell 1976-1977
54 Rick Bullock 1975-1976
1 William Johnson 1974-1975
54 Rick Bullock 1974-1975
54 Rick Bullock 1973-1974
1 Richard Little 1973-1974
1 Richard Little 1972-1973
1 Ron Richardson 1972-1973
15 Greg Lowery 1971-1972
25 Gene Knolle 1970-1971
15 Greg Lowery 1969-1970
25 Gene Knolle 1969-1970
1 Vernon Paul 1966-1967
22 Dub Malaise 1963-1966
1 Harold Denney 1963-1965
22 Del Ray Mounts 1960-1962
1 Harold Hudgens 1960-1962
1 Leon Hill 1958-1959
22 Gerald Myers 1957-1958

All Tournament Team[]

NCAA Tournament
Number Player Seasons
23 Jarrett Culver 2018-2019
13 Matt Mooney 2018-2019
Big 12 Tournament
Number Player Seasons
1 Terrence Shannon 2021-2022
11 Bryson Williams 2021-2022
32 Mike Singletary 2008-2009
24 Ronald Ross 2004-2005
14 Andre Emmett 2002-2003

Ring of Honor[]

Texas Tech does not retire jersey numbers, but they do honor players with a Ring of Honor.

Texas Tech Red Raiders Ring of Honor
No. Player Career
14 Andre Emmett 2000–2004
22 Dub Malaise 1963–1966
50 Jim Reed 1952–1956
54 Rick Bullock 1972–1976

Individual awards[]

Ronald Ross, 2004–05
Bubba Jennings, 1984–85

Head coaches[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Primary Colors". TTU.edu. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Men's Basketball: Past Season Results". Texas Tech Athletics. Archived from the original on 2008-04-21.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Men's Basketball: History". Texas Tech Athletics. Archived from the original on 2008-04-21.
  4. ^ "The Red Raiders nickname". Prairie Pundit. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22.
  5. ^ "Hornets General Manager Bob Bass Retires". Charlotte Hornets.
  6. ^ "Head Coach James Dickey". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  7. ^ "Texas Tech Fires Coach, Clearing Way for Knight". The New York Times. 2001-03-10. Retrieved 2008-04-29.
  8. ^ "Tech receives four years probation". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on 2006-06-18. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  9. ^ "Tech easily handles Texas A&M as Knight wins 900th game". ESPN.
  10. ^ Walker, Jeff (2008-02-04). "Knight resigns effective immediately". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  11. ^ Davis, Seth (2008-02-05). "'He was just worn out':Pat Knight sheds light on father's decision to leave". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
  12. ^ Coleman, Adam (2008-02-14). "Pat Knight earns first win as head coach". The Daily Toreador. Archived from the original on 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
  13. ^ Fallas, Bernardo (2008-03-01). "Tech halts UT's win streak with 83-80 victory". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
  14. ^ Walker, Jeff. "Knocked Out! Texas Tech's season over after failing to get NIT bid". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
  15. ^ "Men's basketball: Texas Tech 167, East Central 115".
  16. ^ "Red Raider men's basketball knocks out East Central in record-setting victory".[permanent dead link]
  17. ^ Green, James. "TTU fires basketball coach Pat Knight". KCBD, NewsChannel 11 Lubbock. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  18. ^ "Billy Gillispie resigns as Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball coach".
  19. ^ "Texas Tech Hires Tubby Smith as Basketball Coach - ABC News". Archived from the original on 2013-04-03.
  20. ^ "Tech Looking For Second Top 25 Upset". Texas Tech University. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  21. ^ a b Rose, Rex (February 26, 2014). "Tech breaks Big 12 attendance record, falls to Kansas State". The Daily Toreador. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  22. ^ http://redraiders.com/sports-red-raiders-mens-basketball/2014-03-12/oklahoma-state-defeats-texas-tech-80-62#.UyoHrGfQcdU[dead link]
  23. ^ http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "Michigan St endures more Final Four heartbreak vs Texas Tech". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2019-04-07. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  24. ^ "2019 NCAA Tournament championship: Virginia completes epic journey from last year's ugly exit to win its first title". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2019-04-09.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""