Texas Tech basketball: Takeaways from Red Raiders NCAA Tourney Draw

The Zags again

If Tech is going to get back to the Final Four, Mark Adams and Co. may have to go through a familiar foe, Gonzaga.  It seems as if these two programs have become destined to face one another in the NCAA Tournament as of late and another showdown in the Elite 8 could be in store in 2022.

Gonzaga has been the opponent in two of the Red Raiders’ most memorable tournament wins of all time.

Back in 2005, No. 6 seeded Tech took down No. 3 seeded Gonzaga in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16.  That day, point guard Ronald Ross scored 24 points and Jarius Jackson had 18 while current Red Raider assistant coach Darryl Dora gave his team 10 points off the bench as the Red Raiders won 71-69.

Of course, no one will soon forget the last time these programs met in the Big Dance.  In the 2019 Elite 8, Tech stunned No. 1 seed Gonzaga 75-69 to reach the program’s first Final Four.

That night, Jarrett Culver scored 19 points, Matt Mooney added 17, and Davide Moretti hit two deep 3-pointers late in the game to hold off the Zags in a game that featured a wild final sequence that saw Gonzaga’s Josh Perkins reach over the end line and make contact with Mooney as Mooney was attempting to inbound the ball while Tech was nursing a two-point lead with just 11 seconds to play.  That gaffe led to a technical foul and helped the Red Raiders secure the win.

Would another unforgettable outcome be in store should these teams meet again?  Only if Tech plays better than it did in December’s 69-55 loss to the Zags in Phoenix, Arizona.

In that game, the Bulldogs hit 13 shots from beyond the arc to keep Tech at arm’s length all game long.  Meanwhile, Tech struggled to score shooting only 37.5% from the floor and turning the ball over 12 times.

But the Red Raiders would love another crack at the Zags this season, mainly because that would mean that Adams’ team would have reached the Elite 8.  And in a one-game scenario, this program has already proven that anything is possible, especially when taking on Gonzaga.