Texas Tech baksetball classics: Red Raiders upset OSU, controversy ensues

Tapsoba gives Tech unexpected lift off the bench

In almost any upset, the underdogs receive some unexpected production from a role player.  In this case, it was senior forward Kader Tapsoba who scored seven points off the bench.

That may not seem like a huge number but when we look at what he had done up to that point in the season, the way his output is viewed will look differently.  All season, the 6-foot-10 former JUCO transfer mustered just two games in double figures all year.  What’s more, he averaged just 2.4 points per game that season.

Making his seven points all the more unexpected was the fact that he had gone three-straight games without registering a single point.  In fact, that season he had 16 scoreless games in 26 appearances.

But on this night, he was actually an offensive asset.  He shot 3-5 from the floor and there were even times when Tech ran sets to get him the ball in scoring position on the block.  His five shot attempts were the most he would have in a Big 12 game and tied for the second-most of his season.

However, his seven points may not be the most remarkable and unlikely aspect of his showing from this night.  That’s because the lanky big man came up with three steals.  He had only seven more in all other games that year.

Basketball is a game all about the superstars and as we will get to in a moment, the best player on each team showed up in a big way.  But Tech would not have won had it not been for the unexpected contributions of a senior forward who rarely gave his team as much as he did against the Cowboys.