Texas Tech basketball: Brandone Francis shows signs of breaking out of slump

Senior guard Brandone Francis hit two clutch shots in Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma as he continues to show signs that he is breaking out of his recent slump.

During his time as a Red Raider, senior guard Brandone Francis has had a knack for hitting timely shots.  However, in the past month, Francis has endured the worst shooting slump of his career.  But after knocking down two clutch 3-pointers in the Texas Tech basketball team’s 66-59 win over Oklahoma on Tuesday, there’s reason to believe that he could be returning to form at a critical juncture of the season.

Against the Sooners, Francis scored eight points while playing his usual solid defense off the bench.  It was the second time in three Big 12 games and the third time in the team’s last four outings that he has scored eight points.

Prior to the first of those three eight-point games, December 28th against UT-Rio Grande Valley, the former transfer from Florida had failed to score more than three points in a game since Texas Tech’s December 1st win over Memphis in which he had ten.   And most of Francis’ scoring downturn has revolved around his struggles from behind the 3-point line.

After hitting two of three shots from deep against Memphis, Francis went cold going just 2-22 in the Red Raiders’ seven games prior to Tuesday night.  But after receiving encouragement from his head coach Chris Beard, Francis kept shooting when presented with quality looks and fortunately, he found his range at a critical time against Oklahoma.

"“The shooting, I’ve never been worried about it; never will.” Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said.  “Because the guy is one of the best shooters I’ve ever coached.”"

His first three helped pull the Red Raiders to within two points at 44-42 with 12:51 to play in the second half as Tech was in the process of erasing a four-point halftime deficit.  And his next three broke a 48-48 tie at the 7:52 mark.

If Francis can return to being the type of shooter that he has shown to be for stretches of his career, it would be a huge boost to a team that has struggled at times to find complimentary scorers to pair with sophomore Jarrett Culver.  Last year, Francis was a 38% shooter from deep as he hit a number of big shots, including a huge corner three to put Tech up 64-58 over SFA in the closing minutes of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

But this year, he has shot just 26.2% from behind the arc.  However, he started the season strong connecting on 41% (7-17) of his 3-point attempts prior to his seven-game slump.

And the three is an important aspect of his game.  In all but one of the six games in which Francis has scored at least eight points this year, he has hit at least one 3-pointer.  What’s more, in half of those games, he’s had multiple threes.

Francis fills a critical role off the bench as a capable long-range shooter and when he is dialed in, he makes the Red Raiders far more offensively potent.  Texas Tech does not need the one-time 4-star high school recruit to be a nightly double-digit scorer but he must hit the open looks that come his way as he did against the Sooners.

At other times this year, he’s failed to hit those shots, most notably in Tech’s lone loss to Duke in which he missed two critical open threes in the second half.  But to Francis’ credit, even during his slump, he has found other ways to contribute.

"“The coaches have been on me about being more than just a guy who can shoot threes.” Francis said.  “They want me to make plays…[Beard] has instilled some toughness in me that I can do more than just make shots.”More from Wreck'Em RedTexas Tech football: Red Raider fans need to know about these MountaineersTexas Tech football: Red Raiders land first commit for class of 2025Texas Tech football: Why have the Red Raiders struggled on the road under McGuire?Texas Tech football: Why the Red Raiders can compete for a Big 12 titleTexas Tech football: Plenty of questions remain as conference play arrives"

In six of the seven games during which he struggled to find his shot, he grabbed multiple rebounds and in every game, he has been a solid defender capable of guarding multiple positions.  And on Tuesday, he turned in the game’s most important defensive play.

With the score tied 46-46 at the 9:55 mark, a Jarrett Culver turnover led to a breakaway layup attempt for OU’s Aaron Calixte.  Trailing the play, Francis caught up to Calixte and blocked his shot keeping the game tied and drawing a roar from the 14,000 Red Raider fans in attendance.

"“The defensive block on the transition was the biggest play of the game…” Beard said. “…Looked like Zhaire [Smith].  Looked like Zach [Smith].”"

What’s more, after another Culver turnover on the next Tech possession, Francis drew a charge to give the ball back to his team.  Matt Mooney would convert at the rim on Tech’s next possession giving the Red Raiders their first lead of the second half.

That type of effort is a testament to the maturity Francis has developed since coming to Lubbock three years ago.  During his redshirt season, he struggled to get on board with Chris Beard’s way of conducting himself, especially off the court, and it looked like he might not pan out.

Now, he credits his coaches for making him a more well-rounded person and basketball player.  And Texas Tech has been reaping the rewards, even when he has not been on target with his jumper.

"“If I would have met these [coaches] a little bit earlier in my life, I wouldn’t mind giving them my basketball career at a young age.” Francis said.  “So I’m just thankful to be here.  It’s a blessing to have people that have your back even when you’re not performing at your best.”"

But now, Francis’ confidence could be on the rebound.  After hitting two critical shots to help elevate his team to a tough Big 12 win, the senior could turn out to be a critical X-factor for the Red Raiders as they pursue a Big 12 title.