Texas Tech basketball: Red Raider fans with plenty to be thankful for
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, Texas Tech basketball fans certainly have more than enough reasons to be grateful.
In 1621, American Colonists and members of the Wampanoag Tribe participated in a 3-day feast that came after a period of particular tribulation for all, especially the new settlers. That became known as the first Thanksgiving. Today, we celebrate one of our nation’s most beloved holidays once again and never has there been more reason for Texas Tech basketball fans to be grateful.
We are living in the golden age of Tech basketball. There’s no arguing that fact. Tech is fresh off an appearance in the National Title Game and should Chris Beard’s team reach the NCAA Tournament this season as expected, it will be the first time this program has ever gone to the Big Dance for three-straight years.
Additionally, if this year proves to be a winning campaign, it will be Tech’s fifth-straight. That comes on the heels of 5-straight losing seasons. The last time Tech had such a long streak of success as even four years was 2001-02 to 2004-05, the first four years of the Bob Knight era.
Needless to say, the expectations for this program are at an all-time high. That’s because the Red Raiders are sitting at No. 12 nationally and loaded with as much individual talent on this year’s roster as we’ve ever seen.
Tech hoops is also the most popular ticket in town, as evidenced by the crowd of over 13,000 that showed up to watch the Red Raiders take on Long Island on Sunday afternoon, two days after the start of Thanksgiving break for the students.
For years, Tech basketball was nothing but an afterthought, even when Knight arrived. After all, his tenure coincided with the wild ride of the Texas Tech football program under Mike Leach.
But with the decline of the football program, there has been a void in the Red Raider sports landscape and the basketball program has seized the opportunity to rise to the level of the school’s most beloved program. Even the baseball program has taken advantage and has surpassed football in terms of Red Raider pride.
Heck, even the meat judging team and the track program are looked upon more favorably than football right now. Still, where would we be without Tech hoops these days?
What’s more, just stop to consider how hard the program tried to keep Beard’s predecessor Tubby Smith. Not that anyone could blame Kirby Hocutt for trying to retain a coach that had just taken his program to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years.
Had Smith not made up his mind to bolt for Memphis before even talking to Hocutt, before giving Tech an opportunity to persuade him to stay, there likely would have been a bidding war between Tech and Memphis for Smith, and if it would have come down to money, Tech would have won.
Sometimes a setback is a blessing. That’s something that many of us need to remember this Thanksgiving.
Finding reasons to give thanks for Tech basketball is as easy as getting wet in Lake Alan Henry. But let’s look at some specific areas that make us especially thankful for what the Red Raider basketball program has built.