With Texas and Texas A&M no longer in the Big 12, TCU has moved into a special place in the pecking order of Texas Tech hatred. Most would agree that no team in the conference draws more animosity from Tech fans than the Horned Frogs, who were in Lubbock last night to take on the Red Raiders on the hardwood.
Fortunately, the home crowd was able to get its bowl of blood as head coach Grant McCasland and his team took care of business 71-57 despite being without star forward Darrion Williams who missed the game with an ankle injury.
But as usual, when the Horned Frogs are opposite the Red Raiders in an athletic competition, the night was not without a bit of tension or controversy. That's because the way TCU ended the game irritated many Texas Tech fans.
With Texas Tech up 70-55 with under 30 seconds to play, Red Raider point guard Elijah Hawkins was dribbling out the clock making no attempt to run the offense or try to score another basket. However, for some reason, TCU's Jace Posey decided to run over and put a shoulder into Hawkins drawing a foul with only two seconds remaining on the clock.
However, TCU's antics weren't over. After Hawkins' two free-throw attempts, TCU threw an inbounds pass the length of the court leading to a pointless and uncontested dunk by Isaiah Manning. Interestingly, the player who threw the inbounds pass was...of course...Posey, a freshman who seems to lack in the decision-making aspect of the game.
While those actions weren't criminal, they did show a lack of maturity and common sense from the Horned Frogs. And because it was TCU, Red Raider fans didn't especially care for the way the final seconds played out.
TCU simply gets under Texas Tech's skin, regardless of the sport. Maybe it's because the Frogs have employed some truly unlikeable coaches such as current basketball coach Jamie Dixon or former football coach Gary Patterson.
Perhaps it is because TCU tries to look down on Texas Tech simply because it is located in a major metropolitan area rather than on the plains of West Texas. That attitude was evident in 2022 when TCU football recruiting coordinator Bryan Carrington made disparaging remarks on X about Lubbock being in the desert and implying that no high school athlete would want to build their brand there.
Also, the difference in the culture of the two schools fuels the hatred. TCU is a private school in downtown Fort Worth where money and prestige hold sway while Texas Tech is a state school in West Texas where hard work and earnestness are the hallmarks of the region.
Whatever the reason, Texas Tech and TCU mix about as well as oil and water. So any time Red Raider fans can celebrate a victory over the Toads, they are going to make the most of it. Here are some of the best celebratory social media posts from Tech fans following Wednesday's victory.
McCasland sending those frogs home with an L pic.twitter.com/w6PKgYo8S9
β Tech N Tortillas π¦ π¦ π΅ (@techntortillas) January 30, 2025
The most Jamie Dixon finish to a game Iβve ever seen. Hold that L you musty bum π
β Jimmy Mcbuckets π΅ (@Jimmymcbucketss) January 30, 2025
anyways⦠pic.twitter.com/fdXsIFdFBC
β βΛβ‘ mk βΛβ‘ (@miakarismax) January 30, 2025
Texas Tech just won by 14 without D Will AND didnβt score for 6 straight mins in the 2nd half ππππ
β Matt π΅ (@WreckEmMatt) January 30, 2025
I will never understand how Jamie Dixon is able to be that far out onto the court for so long
β Moey JcGuire π΅ (@SuckMyDak4) January 30, 2025
What an absolute loser. Try to steal the ball down 15 with 2 seconds left when the other team is dribbling it out?? Grow tf up
β π΅ DC Nik π΅ (@JustASportGuy) January 30, 2025
jamie dixonβs face irritates me greatly.
β βΛβ‘ mk βΛβ‘ (@miakarismax) January 30, 2025
Jamie Dixon is the most classless coach in the Big12. And his team takes after him. The ending of that game is exhibit 987 of that..
β Terryπ΅ (@tduvall6) January 30, 2025
TCU going for a steal (and fouling) with two seconds left as players were shaking hands, and then heaving the ball across the court and dunking on an undefended play to lose by 14 instead of 16 is the most Jamie Dixon/toad butthurt s*** ever.
β FlaskedWriter π΄ββ οΈ (@FlaskedWriter) January 30, 2025
Well we didnβt because Jamie Dixon is classless but that shouldnβt shock anyone. https://t.co/GArWtvcOvn
β Barsotta π΅ (@Barsotta) January 30, 2025