Texas Tech Red Raiders news: KyeRon Lindsay's status, baseball wins, more

Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland update's the status of forward KyeRon Lindsay

Following Tuesday's dominant victory over Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland was asked about the status of sophomore forward KyeRon Lindsay. The former transfer from Georgia had seen a small uptick in his playing time during Warren Washington's absence but did not make the trip to West Virginia on Saturday or the trip to Oklahoma State on Tuesday.

"When you look at our league," McCasland said, "the top two teams in our league, the teams that are 1-2 in the standings, that are top eight in the country, that are winning our league have the two best defenses in the country. So there's been an emphasis that what we're going to do defensively, everybody has to be all-in on it. And so we're measuring who wants to guard and who wants to be about defense this time of year and if you want to, you're going to be playing and be a part of the team and if you're not, then it's not going to work.

Though this Texas Tech team is not elite defensively, McCasland's philosophy of coaching is still rooted in defense. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that he's making a stand with Lindsay because of Lindsay's lack of defensive effort. Perhaps he is also using this as an opportunity to set an example for not only the individual player but also for the entire program as he continues to try to set the culture he wishes to have for Texas Tech basketball.

Texas Tech baseball outlasts New Mexico on the road

Playing in Albuquerque against the New Mexico Lobos has never been an easy task for the Texas Tech baseball team. Sitting at a mile in elevation, that ballpark is a pitcher's nightmare and the Lobos always seem to put their best effort forward when playing the Red Raiders.

Tuesday, Texas Tech managed to escape Duke City with an 11-8 win, the program's seventh consecutive victory. It was the team's first win at New Mexico since 2019.

The Red Raiders jumped out to a 7-0 lead early but UNM would take an 8-7 lead by the bottom of the 5th. However, a four-run top of the sixth would provide Tech with enough cushion for the win. Then, Jacob Rodgers, Ryan Free, and Trenden Parish would combine for four scoreless innings of relief with Parish earning the save. Tech next faces Texas for a three-game Big 12 series in Lubbock beginning on Friday.

Tech golf places second in tough field

In Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the Texas Tech golf team finished second at the 2024 Cabo Collegiate on Tuesday. Finishing a collective 10 under par for the 54-hole event, Tech trailed only No. 6 Arizona State, which ran away with the title at -19. The No. 17 Red Raiders finished ahead of No. 9 Arkansas, No. 3 Vanderbilt, No. 5 Ole Miss, and No. 12 Florida State among other programs.

First NCAA basketball team votes to unionize

The Dartmouth men's basketball team has voted to unionize making them the first NCAA team to do so. The school has vowed to appeal and the outcome of this inevitable legal case could have long-lasting and widespread ramifications on college athletics.

An Ivy league school, Dartmouth does not have academic scholarships, one point of contention for the athletes. Last month, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that the team was eligible to hold a union vote in February since the players fit the definition of employees. 

With a federal court late last month freezing all rules on N.I.L. payments from schools and boosters it would seem like only a matter of time before more athletes decided to collectively bargain. Now, Dartmouth's basketball team has breached that new territory in what will be a fascinating case to watch.