Look, I really want the bulk of this to be about how great Christian Anderson was, but there are a few little nitpicky sort of things that I think we should talk at least a little about.
So, as we go through the brilliant and phenomenal things that Anderson did on the road in Texas Tech’s 9-point win against the No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones, we should probably also talk a little about some of the issues that presented themselves for Anderson in Ames.
First, the good stuff. Because there were some truly great moments for Anderson in this game. He was driving this win for the Red Raiders early on and managed to routinely connect with various teammates to put points on the board.
The 14 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal that Anderson contributed all played a huge role in Texas Tech being able to beat one of the best teams in the country in one of the most difficult venues to win in.
But there were a few small issues that Iowa State was able to take advantage of.
Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson thrived, but showed that he is indeed a mortal human as the Red Raiders beat Iowa State
It’s such a refreshing thing that Anderson isn’t being asked to carry all of this expectation and burden by himself. That should feel freeing. Because it does allow Anderson to have a moment where he is human and makes a few mistakes.
Iowa State was very clearly after putting pressure on Anderson. That was obvious and the stats show it. Anderson was 2-for-8 from behind the three point line (but he was able to help keep Donovan Atwell open and it worked out well) and he also had a half dozen turnovers.
Still, again, Anderson wasn’t alone in this game and the fact is he still had a really impressive performance. If we’re getting into nitpicking territory after seeing Texas Tech hit the road to beat the No. 4 team in the country, something good is going on.
And again, 14 points, seven assists, and three rebounds. Anderson wasn’t perfect in this game, but he was still truly, really good. And that’s all Texas Tech needed of him. Anderson truly seems like a team player and he still set up his team to win. That matters.