TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2018 VOLUME 92 ■ ISSUE 63
NEWS
OPINIONS
ONLINE
Campus: Tech student Elmer Arrieta dies during study abroad trip
COLUMN: Talking openly about suicide first step in addressing it
Relive the opening game of the College World Series through our photos and recaps on our website.
PG 2
PG 3
INDEX
ONLINE
NEWS SPORTS CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS SUDOKU
2 4 4 3 2
SMITH’S STOCK RISING
Tech’s breakout star appears to be locked in as Lottery Pick By AUSTIN WATTS Managing Editor
After a breakout freshman season at Texas Tech, Zhaire Smith’s draft stock appears to be nearing top ten status as the 2018 NBA Draft approaches. He is nearly a lock to be the highest player drafted from Tech since Tony Battie went fifth overall in 1997. Smith initially declared for the draft after being mocked as a late teens/early 20s projected player. In a somewhat shocking move, Smith decided to hire an agent on April 17, just 13 days after declaring for the draft. With his official hiring of an agent, Smith forewent his college eligibility and easily became one of the more intriguing prospects of the 2018 class. While initially Smith’s strong ascent during the 2017-2018 season made him appear to be a top prospect in the 2019 class, a strong finish to the season on college basketball’s biggest stage catapulted him into consideration as one of the most athletic players available this year. Smith’s performance against Florida in the NCAA Tournament will be remembered as the top game of his collegiate career, with an 18 point, nine rebound and seven assist effort in a win that sent Tech to the Sweet 16. The assumption was that Smith would remain at Tech for at least one more season, but his quick ascent coupled with his athleticism caught the eye of the NBA, and before many
fans even realized he was thinking of entering the draft, he was gone. Smith is the first “one and done” prospect in program history, having gone from an under-the-radar player prior to the season to Tech’s first player to be drafted in 14 years. After declaring for the draft, several teams took note of Smith’s raw athleticism and defensive prowess, with reported pre-draft visits to the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers and more. Teams picking in the top 20 have done their homework on Smith, and with the draft quickly approaching, Smith appears to be seen as a consensus top 15 pick. Smith projects as a shooting guard in the NBA, with the size, vertical and athleticism to be a four-position defender. In the modern NBA, defensive versatility is at a higher premium with the emphasis on defensive switches, so Smith’s versatility to not be exposed when guarding other positions will be his biggest value as a top 15 prospect. Smith’s offense in college was predicated on aggressively driving the rim and strong play in the paint, but his ability to shoot the three was strong, while under used.
SEE SMITH, PG. 4
FILE PHOTOS/The Daily Toreador
TOP: Freshman Guard Zhaire Smith stares down his opponent on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the United Supermarkets Arena. Texas Tech seniors secured a 79-75 win against TCU in their last game in Lubbock. BOTTOM: Freshman guard Zhaire Smith attempts a layup on Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the United Supermarkets Arena. Smith declared for the 2018 NBA Draft after just one season at Texas Tech.
BASEBALL
Tech to face Arkansas in College World Series winner’s bracket By MCKENZI MORRIS Editor-in-Chief
For the first time in program history, the Texas Tech baseball team is playing in the winner’s bracket of the College World Series. After defeating top-seeded Florida, 6-3, on Sunday, June 17, the Red Raiders will play Arkansas at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 19, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. “That’s one game. Really proud of our guys the way we went out and competed,” Coach Tim Tadlock said after game
one. “We were going to have to do that each inning to come out on the right side of that and also have some good fortune. I think we had that.” The Red Raiders and Razorbacks are familiar with each other, having played earlier this season in Fayetteville. Tech lost, 5-1, and the second game of the midweek tilt was cancelled. Arkansas won the April contest after scoring five runs in the first two innings. The Tech pitching staff was able to keep the Razorbacks off the board for the rest of the game, but the Red
Raiders were unable to produce much on offense and scored their one run on only four hits. Defense was an issue for Tech in the earlier contest. The team posted four errors during the contest. In the College World Series, the Red Raider offense came out swinging against one of the top pitchers in the country, Florida’s Brady Singer. The team recorded 12 hits, including three from sophomore outfielder Grant Little. Tech’s pitching helped secure its first opening-round victory in the College World Series. The starting duo of Dylan Dusek and
Ryan Shetter threw a combined 6.1 innings and gave up two runs on four hits. Then Ty Harpenau came in to close things out in the seventh and allowed only one run on one hit for the rest of the game. The bullpen will need to continue to be strong in order for Tech to beat Arkansas, a team that posted 15 hits against Texas. An eight-run sixth inning helped push the Razorbacks over the Longhorns, something they have done multiple times this postseason. The vast majority of the time at the College World Series,
teams that win game one go on to win the championship. Tadlock said his team knows that and they are thankful for the position they’re in. “They don’t take it for granted that we’re in the position we’re in,” Tadlock said. “And they respect the game of baseball. And that’s probably really what it comes down to. There’s not too many guys in there after you win the night are going to say, hey, we got this figured out. They know you’ve got to go respect the game, play nine innings.” @McKenziMorrisDT
LEFT: Junior right-handed pitcher Ty Harpenau celebrates after the last out of Texas Tech’s game against Florida on Sunday, June 17, 2018, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. Harpenau finished the final three innings at pitcher, striking out three while only allowing one run. RIGHT: Freshman outfielder Gabe Holt hits the ball for and RBI single during Texas Tech’s game against Florida on Sunday, June 17, 2018, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. Tech will face Arkansas in the next round of the College World Series, after Arkansas defeated Texas 11-4. Photos by McKenzi Morris.