- South Florida men’s basketball is on an unbelievable heater– but also still on the bubblePosted 2 months ago
- Kobe Bufkin is balling out for Atlanta Hawks’ G League team. When will he be called up to NBA?Posted 3 months ago
- Former Knicks guards Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett may yet prove Raptors won the OG Anunoby tradePosted 3 months ago
- Rebounding savant Oscar Tshiebwe finally gets NBA chance he’s deserved for yearsPosted 4 months ago
- Is Tyrese Maxey vs. Tyrese Haliburton the next great NBA guard rivalry?Posted 5 months ago
- The Detroit Pistons are going to be a problem in a few yearsPosted 5 months ago
- March Madness hero, ex-Fairleigh Dickinson guard Demetre Roberts joins Austin Spurs’ G League training camp rosterPosted 6 months ago
- Cam Thomas is balling out once again. Will he finally stay in the Nets’ lineup?Posted 6 months ago
- Former NBA lottery pick Elfrid Payton lights up Raptors as emergency replacement for Australia’s Cairns TaipansPosted 6 months ago
- How does Damian Lillard compare to Jrue Holiday on defense?Posted 7 months ago
Deep, experienced Texas Tech squad again has the look of an NCAA Tournament contender
- Updated: January 7, 2017
The Big 12 has a legitimate claim as the best conference in America this year, with the nation’s top two teams in the next poll (Baylor, Kansas) and six other NCAA Tournament contenders.
Texas Tech, under new head coach and former Little Rock boss Chris Beard, has emerged as a legit team to watch. The Red Raiders picked off No. 7 West Virginia, 77-76, in overtime in Lubbock last week and represented themselves well Saturday night in Lawrence before falling to Kansas, 85-68. (They also nearly took down Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum two weeks ago before fading down the stretch, 63-56).
Anthony Livingston, a transfer from Arkansas State, is one of the biggest reasons why this team won’t be an easy out for anyone. The 6-8 senior from Washington, D.C. averages 12.9 points and 4.8 boards per game, and he knocked down the game-winning three at the buzzer to stun the Mountaineers last week:
He looks like Common and plays like Uncle Drew (he’s got that old-man-in-the-park game) but Livingston has proven he’s also got the confidence to take and make the difference-making shots for Tech.
The Raiders (12-3) admittedly ran through a weak non-conference schedule and will need to win their share of Big 12 games to reach the NCAA’s for a second straight season. But the way they’ve looked even in road losses to Iowa State and Kansas suggests this team has what it takes to do so.
We think Beard, who led Little Rock to a first-round upset over Purdue last season, will be coaching an experienced group capable of winning an NCAA game again this spring.