Texas Tech basketball: Bob Knight’s most memorable moments as a Red Raider

Texas Tech upsets Gonzaga in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament

One week later, Knight would make an even bigger statement in the NCAA Tournament.  Leading his No. 6 seeded Red Raiders to a 71-69 win over No. 3 seed Gonzaga, he shocked the nation by reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since he took Indiana there in 1994.

Ross was electric that day in Tucson, Arizona.  Hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer with just over a minute to play, he ended the game with 24 points and nine rebounds.  Meanwhile, Jackson added 18 as the Red Raiders stunned the Zags who had won 13 games in a row.

Making Tech’s win even more improbable was the fact that Gonzaga held a 38-29 halftime lead.  But in the second half, Tech would match Gonzaga’s intensity in the paint and when Jackson and Ross got hot, the underdogs stormed past the Bulldogs.

This win was important for Knight for several reasons.  First, it showed that he still had the chops to succeed in March.

Prior to that, he had not been able to get out of the Big Dance’s first weekend in his previous eight appearances in the event.  However, taking a team of upstart players led by a former walk-on to the Sweet 16 had to be a huge feather in his cap.

Second, it would be the final time he would get that far in the tournament.  That meant that it was essentially his last time to make a true impact in an event that he had been a staple in for decades.

Also, that team was special to Knight because of Ross’ ascension.  He would later say that Ross was one of his favorite players to coach because of his work ethic and intelligence and seeing the point guard evolve into one of the nation’s best players had to be extra satisfying for the grizzled coach.

Tech would come up short in the Sweet 16 against West Virginia.  However, the 2005 run in March was the pinnacle of Knight’s time in Lubbock and the last time one of his teams made any real noise on the national scene.