Texas Tech basketball: Top 5 plays of NCAA Tournament thus far

Tariq Owens twisting alley-oop dunk

The highlight play of last year’s run to the Elite 8 was Zhaire Smith’s 360-degree alley-oop in the first round.  And in this year’s Sweet 16, Tariq Owens completed a 180-degree alley-oop in the second half against Michigan that conjured up images of Smith’s iconic moment in Dallas.

All season, Owens has wowed fans with his ability to finish off the lob as it seems like he has at least one alley-oop flush per game.  But none have been as impressive as the one he threw down in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night.

After setting a pick for Davide Moretti, Owens rolled to the rim where he was unguarded.  Moretti threw a nice lob that Owens grabbed while facing away from the basket.  But he was able to twist in mid-air and finish with hateful intent.

The dunk gave Tech a 13-point lead early in the second half but more importantly, this seemed like the moment that Tech drove the dagger into Michigan’s heart.

All season, Owens has provided his team with tremendous energy thanks to thunderous dunks and out-of-nowhere blocked shots.  This dunk seemed to not only spark the Red Raiders to a run that would bury the Wolverines, it also demoralized the No. 2 seed, which essentially tapped out early in the second half after coming up with no answers for the Red Raiders.