Texas Tech basketball: 5 turning points in the 2018-19 season

Winning the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City

It may be hard to believe now, but back in November, Texas Tech entered the 4-team Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City as underdogs with most expecting either USC or Nebraska to win the early-season event.  But despite falling behind both the Trojans and the Huskers by at least nine points in the first half of each game, the Red Raiders stormed their way to a title and in the process, began to develop the identity that would carry them all the way to the final night of the season.

This two-game set was the moment when we began to see what the Red Raider defense was capable of, holding two Power 5 teams to an average of 57.5 points.  But in the first half of the first game, there was reason for concern.

Allowing USC to take a 30-17 lead late in the first half, Tech looked overmatched against the first major conference opponent of the year.  But in the second half the Red Raiders hit 16 of 19 shots and put the clamps on the Trojans, frustrating and agitating their PAC 12 foe with their relentless harassing defense.

The next night, Chris Beard’s team forced a Nebraska squad that many predicted would challenge for a Big 10 title to tap out.  Holding the Huskers to just 35.4% from the field and 21.7% from 3-point range, Tech showed the type of shut down ability that would become the team’s calling card, erasing an early nine-point lead.

We all know that Tech was picked 7th in the Big 12 preseason poll and everyone knows how preposterous that turned out to be.  But at the time that the Red Raiders went to Kansas City for the Hall of Fame Classic, virtually no one was talking about Tech as anything other than a potential bubble team that would simply consider an NCAA Tournament bid a success.

However, by storming through two Power 5 teams, Tech was able to open a few eyes on the national scene.  But more importantly, the foundation for the season was laid in these two games because this was the first time that we saw what this year’s team was truly capable of when they rallied from two large deficits thanks to their lock-down defense.