Tag: Red Raiders

Notre Dame recruiting update: Smith decommits from Texas Tech

The stars at night, are big and bright…

Yesterday Mike Chen updated you here at Fighting Irish Wire that 2023 wide receiver target [autotag]Kaleb Smith[/autotag] was trending towards picking Notre Dame.  Smith committed to Texas Tech in early February but announced a change of heart officially on Friday.

Smith took to Twitter to announce a change of plans:

“First off, I would like to thank Texas Tech University and Coach Mcguire for giving me an opportunity to continue playing the game I love at the next level and in an amazing program,” Smith wrote on Twitter. The family and culture out in Lubbock is crazy and that’s why I’ve been committed since February.. but the Lord has presented me with more opportunities to be great and I need to explore those without a doubt.

… After a lot of thought and talks with God,, I will be decommitting from Texas Tech University and making my recruitment 100% back open. I haven’t had a full recruit experience and really want to take it slow and make sure I do it the right way. Raider Nation it’s all love, thank you for believing in me.”

Very shortly after that he announced an official offer from Notre Dame.

Smith is on campus this weekend for Notre Dame-Clemson festivities and as was pointed out yesterday, where there is smoke there is usually fire.  We might not be able to see the flames yet but we can certainly feel the heat here.

Notre Dame currently has 23 commitments in the 2023 recruiting class, four of which are from Texas.  Smith, a product of Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas would add to both of those.

Smith is graded as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and is listed at 6-0, 175-pounds.  He would join a wide receiver class that already consists of four-star talents [autotag]Braylon James[/autotag], [autotag]Jaden Greathouse[/autotag], and [autotag]Rico Flores[/autotag].

Stay tuned as it feels like a commitment isn’t far off here.

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Social media hype, buzz ahead of Texas’ conference opener at Texas Tech

Social media buzz, predictions and hype surrounding Texas vs. Texas Tech.

Texas begins Big 12 conference play at Texas Tech on Sept. 26 at 2:30 pm CDT. Continue reading “Social media hype, buzz ahead of Texas’ conference opener at Texas Tech”

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LOOK: Chadarius Townsend sports new Texas Tech gear

Chadarius Townsend is finishing his collegiate career at Texas Tech, and now he’s finally gotten a chance to rock the gear.

Former Alabama running back/wide receiver Chadarius Townsend spent three seasons in Tuscaloosa playing for the Crimson Tide, but now the Tanner (Ala.) native will finish his collegiate career at Texas Tech.

On Sunday afternoon, Townsend posted pictures on his Twitter account of himself in his new Red Raider gear with the caption “Beginning of something great”:

Townsend announced earlier this offseason that he would be entering the transfer portal, and ultimately chose Texas Tech over Mississippi State and several others.

Coming out of high school, the 6-foot, 194-pound athlete was rated as a four-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class. In addition, he checked in as the No. 175 overall player, the No. 5 athlete and the No. 7 player from the state of Alabama, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

During his time in Tuscaloosa, Townsend spend time at wide receiver, running back and even, for a short period of time, defensive back. He was known as a player who was willing to play wherever the coaching staff needed him, and that willingness led to him being well-respected by teammates, fans and the Tide coaching staff.

With the Red Raiders only having two scholarship running backs on the roster (on of which is a three-star true freshman), Townsend will have the opportunity to earn playing time in Matt Wells’ high-powered offense.

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Vegas Odds: Who will win Big 12 men’s basketball tournament

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament will begin on Wednesday evening for the men. The latest Vegas odds on who will get the automatic bid.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 men’s basketball tournament officially tips off on Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm CST with the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Iowa State Cyclones in the first round. That game will be followed with the Kansas State Wildcats and Texas Christian Horned Frogs. Each winner will move on to the quarterfinals to take on Kansas and Baylor.

The winner of the tournament will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Here is how BetMGM see it shaking out. No shock on who Vegas has the top team heading into the Big 12 tournament that will conclude on Saturday March 14th at 5:00 PM CST. The game will air on ESPN.

Tournament Odds:

  • Kansas Jayhawks (+105)
  • Baylor Bears (+225)
  • West Virginia Mountaineers (+400)
  • Texas Tech Red Raiders (+800)
  • Oklahoma Sooners (+1300)
  • Texas Longhorns (+2000)
  • Texas Christian Horned Frogs (+4500)
  • Kansas State Wildcats (+10000)
  • Oklahoma State Cowboys (+12500)
  • Iowa State Cyclones (+20000)

 

 

(Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated 3/10 at 7:00 a.m. CST. )

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. 

 

Updated NCAA Men’s Bracketology: Where does Texas fall?

A blowout loss at home against a team not expected to be in the March Madness festivities has really hurt Texas’ chances of a bid.

The Texas Longhorns were one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 over a five-game stretch where they defeated two top 25 teams. The streak also included three-straight victories by 10+ points over opponents who have been projected to make the NCAA Tournament. The NET ratings of the those three were West Virginia (17), Texas Tech (22) and Oklahoma (44).

The NET ranking explained: The NCAA Evaluation Tool, which will be known as the NET, relies on game results, strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

This tool replaced the RPI in the NCAA Tournament selection process.

The Longhorns current ranking is 68, after dropping from 57 on the heels of a 81-59 loss to Oklahoma State. The Cowboys jumped from 71 to 61 following the game. Prior to this loss, Texas was listed as the last four in on most Bracketology projections. However now the Longhorns find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi updated his Bracketology with the loss to the Cowboys, putting Texas on the bubble as one of the last four in. In terms of the bubble watch, the Longhorns are listed under the work to do category.

Shaka Smart’s team rose to a No. 11 seed in the mock brackets on the strength of five straight wins. What happens now that Texas has lost by 22 at home to Oklahoma State? What happens is that the Longhorns are going to be very nervous. A NET ranking that was in the high 50s could dip into the perilous 60s in the wake of a Quad 2 loss, and UT will start preparing its talking points accordingly. They’re good talking points — the road wins at Purdue, Texas Tech and Oklahoma — and they would be strengthened with a good performance at the Big 12 tournament.

The game against Texas Tech is now a must-win for Shaka Smart and company. A one and done performance in the conference tournament could very well be the nail in the coffin for both a tournament berth and the future of Smart in Texas.

Texas Basketball: The Longhorns will meet Texas Tech on Thursday

The brackets are set for the Big 12 Tournament that begins on Wednesday. Texas Tech and Texas will meet on Thursday.

With the college basketball regular season officially in the rearview mirror, the Big 12 conference turns its attention to the tournament. In the first round of the tournament, Oklahoma State will meet Iowa State. The winner of the that matchup will face Kansas. Texas Christian will face Kansas State, the winner will take on Baylor in the quarterfinals.

Following the loss to Oklahoma State, Texas fell from third to the fourth seed in the standings. In the matchup of the four-five seeds in the quarterfinals, the Longhorns drew the assignment of Texas Tech. The two teams split their season series with each team winning on the road.

With the Texas Longhorns losing to the OSU Cowboys, the Longhorns need a strong showing in the conference tournament to get into the NCAA Tournament. They currently sit with a 53 percent chance to get in according to ESPN Bracketology. Shaka Smart will need at least one victory over Chris Beard and the Red Raiders to help his case. Not just to get into the tourney but also for the sake of his job.

 

Texas picks up fourth consecutive victory, outlast Texas Tech

To make the NCAA Tournament this season, UT needed to go 3-1 in their final four games. They picked up another huge win against Texas Tech.

In order to make the NCAA Tournament this season, Texas needed to go 3-1 in their final four games against West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. After defeating the Mountaineers on Monday, the Longhorns picked up another huge win on the road against the Red Raiders.

It was once again a big game for Texas guards, this time being led by Andrew Jones. After getting a career-high 22 points against West Virginia, he matched that total in Lubbock on Saturday. Jones shot 8-14 from the field, leading the team at 57%. He also led the team in the three-pointers, making three.

Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

As for Courtney Ramey and Matt Coleman, they had 12 and six points respectively. A combined 6-17 inside the arc, their play was enough to get past Texas Tech. The two each snagged three rebounds, while Ramey provided one assist.

Hitting free throws has been a struggle for the Longhorns all season, shooting under 70% on the season. On Saturday, Texas only missed four free throws, going 10-14. Still ranking dead last in the country in free throws attempted, if Shaka Smart’s team can get to the line more, they will continue to have free offense.

Up next for Texas is a huge game in Norman against Oklahoma. With both teams on the bubble, it is a must-win for both squads. Losing in Austin to the Sooners earlier in the season, the Longhorns will be looking to secure their spot in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

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How to watch, listen, and stream Texas Basketball vs. Texas Tech

In their biggest game of the season, UT will be traveling to face No. 22 Texas Tech. Here is how you can watch, listen, and stream the game.

In their biggest game of the season, Texas will be traveling to Lubbock to face No. 22 Texas Tech. After winning three games in a row, the Longhorns find themselves in the thick of the NCAA Tournament bubble, needing to pick up a win on the road to better their chances of making the postseason.

For the Red Raiders, they are coming off a loss to Oklahoma after winning two in a row. This is an important game for Chris Beard’s squad as well as they need to rack up as many wins as they can before Selection Sunday.

With a lot on the line, these two teams are going to be playing for their seasons. Here is how you can watch, listen, and stream Texas basketball against Texas Tech:

Game information:

Date: 2/29/2020

Time: 11:00 a.m. CST

Location: United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, TX

Watch: ESPN

Listen: TexasSports.com/audio —Austin 104.9FM, 99.3FM, 98.5FM, 1260AM; Dallas 1080AM; El Paso 600AM; Houston 790AM; San Antonio 1200AM — Spanish: Austin 105.3FM; Dallas 990AM, 99.9FM

Stream: ESPN App

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Big Second and Third Quarter Help Longhorns Sweep The Lady Raiders

A big second quarter after falling down 11 helps the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team sweep the Lady Raiders.

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team travelled to Lubbock, Texas to play the Lady Raiders for the final time in the regular season. The Longhorns fell early on in the game against Texas Tech 11-4. Celeste Taylor hit a three pointer to get back within four points. Higgs layup got Texas within one before the Lady Raiders closed the quarter on a 7-2 run.

Midway through the second quarter the Longhorns found themselves down double digits after keeping it close throughout the first. With 5:17 left before halftime, game high scorer Brittany Brewer put Tech up 11 at 33-22. The Longhorns went on a 16-7 run the rest of the way to close the gap to one at the half.

Lashann Higgs got the Longhorns off to a quick start with back-to-back buckets to take the lead for the first time in the game. Charli Collier got into the act with six points over the next few minutes as Texas built up their lead to nine. The 8-0 run ended on a three-point basket from Sydney Goodson with 6:56 to go. Tech got within one at 55-54 before Sutton and the Longhorns outscored the Lady Raiders 8-4 to close out the third.

Lexi Gordon for Tech got them within two but that would be as close as they would get. The Texas Longhorns and Sug Sutton was just too much for the Lady Raiders to overcome as they were outscored 18-8 in the fourth. Sutton scored nine of her team-high 20 points in the closing quarter.

The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team finishes the season series with Texas Tech with a clean sweep. Collier, Taylor, Higgs and Sutton all finished with double-digit points as Texas improved to 15-7 (7-3). Texas will host Iowa State on Wednesday.

Texas Basketball: Three Reasons They Fell to Texas Tech

The Texas Longhorns fell to the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday afternoon. Three reasons why the Horns were unable to hold the lead.

The Texas Longhorns have started out back to back games with impressive first halves that ended with leads over Kansas and Texas Tech. In both games they couldn’t hold the lead. For Texas, those losses could ultimately what leads to a new coach in 2020-2021.

Scoring Droughts

Too often in the game against the Red Raiders, Texas would go long stretches especially in the second half without scoring. This allowed them to get right back in the game after being down by 16 at one point.

From the 14:53 mark of the second until the 10:27 mark, Texas failed to score and the Red Raiders went on a 9-0 run to tie the game. This was a huge reason that it was close for most of the second half.

Forcing Turnovers

When Texas built the lead early on in the game it was a combination of Andrew Jones shooting and forcing turnovers by Texas Tech. In the first half alone the Longhorns forced 11 turnovers that allowed them build their lead.

In the second half it was quite the opposite as they only forced two. The Longhorns weren’t able to force many but in fact turned it over nine times in the second half. Matt Coleman had three while Jericho Sims and Jones added two more apiece.

Taking Low Percentage Shots

In the first half it felt as if Jones couldn’t miss a shot but as the game wore on, he didn’t have that same magic for the Longhorns. As a whole Texas took too many ill-advised three pointers. They shot 23 three pointers with only six finding the net for 26.1 percent from the floor.

The combination of A1J and Coleman shot a combine 14-33 from the floor (42.2 percent). They combined for 35 of the Longhorns 57 points. Their poor shooting throughout the second is a big reason why Tech was able to outscore them 43-26 and steal the game on the road.

The Longhorns now set their sights on the number one ranked Baylor Bears on Big Monday. With just eight games remaining on the schedule and a 14-9 (4-6) record, time is running out on Shaka Smart and the Longhorns.