Wreck'Em Red
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Texas Tech basketball classics: Daryl Dora; Red Raiders topple KU in double OT in 2005

By Matthew Conner

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 20: Bobby Knight, coach of Texas Tech talks to a referee during a game against St Josephs University on March 20, 2004 during the Second round of the NCAA Mens basketball Championships at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York.(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesI)
BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 20: Bobby Knight, coach of Texas Tech talks to a referee during a game against St Josephs University on March 20, 2004 during the Second round of the NCAA Mens basketball Championships at HSBC Arena in Buffalo, New York.(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty ImagesI) /
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The basketball goes in the hoop. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
The basketball goes in the hoop. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

Two-sport athlete Joey Hawkins was an unsung hero

When you look at the box score, you might not appreciate what 6-foot-10 senior Joey Hawkins, who played football for four years for the Red Raiders at tight end before joining the basketball team, gave the Red Raiders that night.  After all, he had no points and only one rebound, one assist, and one steal in the game despite getting the start.

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But what he did in his 22 minutes of action was provide Tech with some much-needed bulk in the post.  That’s because he was able to engage in hand-to-hand combat with KU’s best player, forward Wayne Simien.

It wasn’t that Hawkins shut down the 6-foot-9, 255-pound wrecking ball.  Simien ended the game with 20 points and 13 rebounds.  But what Hawkins and fellow big man Damir Suljagic did was keep Simien from absolutely dominating this game, especially in the second half and OT.

What’s more, Hawkins and Suljagic were able to turn Simien into an inefficient player.  Yes, the KU big man put up a double-double but it took him 20 shots to get his 20 points.  That’s not an efficient performance by any measure.

Most importantly was the fact that Hawkins played solid defense without fouling.  Simien only went to the line four times despite playing 47 minutes.

In addition, Hawkins provided a level grit and toughness in the post that was born from his days on the gridiron and the raucous home crowd fed off of his energy, as did his teammates.  Therefore, we can’t judge his showing simply by the box score.  After rewatching this classic though, it was easy to see how crucial he was in the Red Raiders’ triumph.

This game proved to be a huge moment in Knight’s tenure in Lubbock.  And this was without question, his best team as Ross and Co. would reach the Sweet 16 that year.  As for Kansas, they would fall in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to another underdog, No. 14 seed Bucknell.

Hot. The all-time West Texas Red Raider basketball team. light

Never will those of us who watched this game live forget Dora’s testicular fortitude and the madness that swept over the U.S.A. that night.  On Valentine’s Day 2005, the Red Raiders gave us yet another reason to fall further in love with Texas Tech basketball.

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