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Texas Tech basketball: Chris Beard’s best press conferences

By Matthew Conner

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media ahead of the Men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 04, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Head coach Chris Beard of the Texas Tech Red Raiders speaks to the media ahead of the Men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 04, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images) /
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Beard rips NCAA after Joel Ntambwe’s waiver is denied

One of the most frustrating aspects of the 2019-20 Texas Tech basketball season was the drama surrounding the eligibility waiver appeal filed on behalf of Joel Ntambwe.  Denied the opportunity to play this year, the sophomore was the only one of five members of last year’s UNLV team that was not granted eligibility this season after the Runnin’ Rebels fired their head coach last offseason.

The reason for the denial of the appeal was not officially given by the NCAA but everyone is safe in assuming that pettiness on the part of the people at UNLV played the largest role.  Still bitter that Beard left Vegas after 16 days as head coach to take the same job in Lubbock four years ago, the powers that be at UNLV were not cooperative in this process and essentially punished Ntambwe for something that happened when he was still in high school.

In November, Beard was asked about the first of the NCAA’s three decisions to deny the waiver request and he pulled no punches.  Speaking as bluntly as possible while still trying to maintain some decorum, Beard came as close to ripping the NCAA as he could without incurring a fine.

"“I’m really disappointed for Joel,” he said.  “I’m basically floored by it.  Sick stomach all day long.  Just feel terrible for him.  You know, it’s not my place to put the case out there in the public light but I would tell you that he had a more than legitimate case on why he transferred from his first institution, out of his control. “And I really don’t understand this.  It’s like, as a coach, I know never to get a technical foul because what’s that going to do to winning and losing, right?  But sometimes you feel like you gotta get a tech to take up for your players and fight for them.  That’s kinda where I’m at right now. “You know, nobody has respected the NCAA more that me my whole career at the different levels and I understand that everybody has a job to do.  But this was just puzzling because it’s so inconsistent because player A gets the waiver but player B doesn’t and to me, it affects our game.”"

He went on to talk about how the quality of the game is better across the board when players are allowed to play immediately thus ensuring that his remarks were not misconstrued as self-serving.  Without question, there is a need for a reformation of the waiver approval process and universities, players, and fans are owed more transparency than we are given currently.

The only way that this flawed process is going to ever be corrected is by coaches at Beard’s level bringing attention to the absurdity of it.  You won’t hear Beard publically criticize people or organizations very often but after the Red Raiders’ win over Long Island on November 24, that’s exactly what he did and it was a rare instance where he was noticeably upset and frustrated.  Hopefully, his words will be part of what brings about change for future players.

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