Texas Tech Basketball: What Went Wrong in 2016-17

The 2016-17 Texas Tech basketball season has come to an end so let’s look at some reasons that the Red Raiders did not earn a postseason invite.

Selection Sunday has passed and once again the Texas Tech basketball team was not part of the party.  Over the past decade, only twice (2010 and 2016) has Tech qualified for either the NCAA or NIT Tournaments.

While basketball futility has become a reality for Red Raider hoops fans, this year’s failure is far more difficult to swallow.  With the core of last year’s NCAA Tournament team intact and a veteran roster most expected Tech to take another step forward.

Unfortunately, that did not happen.  The team’s inability to pull out close games (six losses by two possessions or fewer) led to a losing record in conference play and a disappointing halt to the momentum the program built last season.

Head coach Chris Beard inherited a roster capable of succeeding in his first year at the helm.  The Red Raiders were the most experienced team in the NCAA with 10 upperclassmen.

So it is fair to wonder why this team came up short and where it must improve in the offseason to ensure that next year is not another disappointment.  Here are three reasons the Texas Tech basketball team finished the season short of expectations.

1. The Seniors Did Not Lead The Way

Basketball teams like Texas Tech, that do not have NBA caliber talent on the roster, must be led by their senior players.  While the 2016-17 Red Raider seniors were a collection of strong character individuals, they did not lead the way on the court.

The four seniors in Beard’s normal rotation (Anthony Livingston, Aaron Ross, Matthew Temple and Devon Thomas) combined for just 25.1 points per game.  That is despite the fact that three of those players (Livingston, Ross and Thomas) were in the top five of minutes played for the season.

Last year, senior guards Devaungtah Williams and Toddrick Gotcher keyed the Red Raiders’ improbable run to the NCAA Tournament.  That duo averaged over 20 points per game on the season including nine conference games of at least 15 points.

In contrast, the four 2016-17 seniors amassed only two games of 15 or more points collectively.  Both of those games came from Ross.

As Big 12 play ramped up, the Texas Tech seniors could not meet the challenge.  Livingston entered league play as the team’s leading scorer at 13 points per game.

But in conference games, the graduate transfer’s scoring dropped to just 7.7 points per contest.  And he was not the only senior that did not step up.

Last year, Aaron Ross was a huge cog in the Texas Tech offense against conference foes.  As Tech made its run to the tournament, Ross poured in 11.9 points per game.

This year he contributed just 8.4 points per league game.  Ross’ inconsistency was a huge problem for a Texas Tech team that often struggled offensively.

Ultimately, the Red Raiders were counting on the team’s senior class to provide more than they did.  The juniors on the roster did the bulk of the heavy lifting while the seniors did not come through as Chris Beard and company expected.