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MONDAY, NOV. 4, 2019 VOLUME 94 ■ ISSUE 21

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THE DAILY TOREADOR BASKETBALL PREVIEW 3 players return on both men’s, women’s basketball teams

By JAY STRADER Staff Writer

There are 24 student-athletes who are listed on the Texas Tech men’s and women’s basketball rosters, but only six of those athletes played for the Red Raiders last year.

The men’s and women’s basketball teams each have just three returning players. Although the returners are small in number, they made contributions on the court all season.

For the men’s team sophomore Kyler Edwards and junior Davide Moretti highlight the returners. They played heavy minutes en route to getting Tech to the national championship.

Moretti earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors after his sophomore season where he averaged 11.5 points and 2.4 assists per game while shooting almost 50 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from the three-point line. Moretti also led the nation in free-throw percentage

shooting 92.4 percent from the charity stripe and joining the NCAA Elite 90 club as a result.

Edwards averaged about 17 minutes in his freshman season and came off the bench averaging 5.5 points and shooting 41 percent from the field and 45 percent from the three-point line, according to Tech Athletics. He played a bigger role in the final three games of the tournament averaging 19 minutes a game and averaged 8.6 points while shooting 56.6 percent from the field, according to Tech Athletics.

Sophomore guard Avery Benson is the third returner for the Red Raiders. He was recruited by coach Chris Beard when Beard was at Little Rock University and followed him to Tech as a walk-on. Benson appeared in 20 games last season, his most memorable against Baylor where he slammed down an alley-oop in final seconds of the game, much to the dislike of Beard. He looks to take on a bigger role this season with departure of six

Newcomers — PG 2 Student Managers — PG 3 Final Four Chaos — PG 4 Concessions — PG 5

key players in the offseason.

The Lady Raiders welcome back sophomore Chrislyn Carr, junior Sydney Goodson and senior Brittany Brewer, the top-three scorers from the 2018-19 season.

Brewer started in all 31 games last season and averaged 16.6 points, 9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks a game, according to Tech Athletics. She spent this summer playing for the USA team in the Pan American Games and helped Team USA win a silver medal. Brewer was also named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team and the Lisa Leslie Award watch list in October, according to Tech Athletics.

Carr is coming off her freshman season.

She won Big 12 Freshman of the Year and averaged 18 points per game, according to Tech Athletics. Carr was put on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team as an honorable mention and attended the USA basketball team trials over the summer after being invited in May, accord-

ing to Tech Athletics. She was the 116th rated recruit coming out of high school, according to ESPN, and received a three-star rating.

The third Lady Raider returner is junior guard Goodson. She originally committed to Arizona State where she played out her freshman year before transferring to Tech and sitting out the 2017-18 season. She made 26 starts for the Tech and averaged 36.2 minutes a game according to Tech Athletics. She was third on the team in scoring, putting up 10.8 points a game but also averaged five rebounds and 3.1 assists to go along with her scoring.

Goodson ended the 2018-19 regular season with her best performance as a Lady Raider, putting up 20 points on 46.2 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line, according to Tech Athletics.

These six Tech basketball players will look to build off last year’s success. @JayStraderDT

Parking — PG 6 Women’s Preview — PG 7 Men’s Preview — PG 8

READ MORE INSIDE

Raider Riot — PG 9

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BASKETBALL PREVIEW

NOV. 4, 2019

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ROSTERS

Tech’s newcomers poised to make immediate impact

By JAY STRADER Staff Writer

Big changes have been made to the Texas Tech men’s and women’s basketball rosters. Between the two squads there are 18 new athletes who will get to showcase their talents for Tech in the upcoming basketball season. Both the men’s and women’s teams have just three returning players each, leaving room for the newcomers to be able to contribute immediately.

On the women’s team, the junior transfer from UCONN Lexi Gordon, will be well positioned to make a big impact when the season rolls around.

Gordon was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and ranked 29th in the country, according to Tech Athletics.

Although she was on the roster last season, she had to sit out all year due to NCAA transfer rules. Gordon is not the only highly rated player to join the Lady Raiders.

Freshman guard Alexis Tucker is a four-star recruit and was rated in the ESPN top-100 players coming out of the 2019 recruiting class.

The only other freshman on the team, guard Nailah Dillard, is a three-star recruit, according to ESPN. The other new Lady Raiders are all transfers. Along with Gordon, St. John’s trans-

fer Andrayah Adams and Texas A&M transfer Jada Walton are both transferring from big name schools. Walton was part of an Aggies team that went 26-8 and made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Notre Dame, according to A&M Athletics. In Adams last year with the Red Storm she was second on the team in the three-point shooting percentage and was in the upper-tier of her team in field goal percentage. She also played four years of varsity basketball in high school and scored over 3,000 points in her career, according to Tech Athletics.

Jo’nah Johnson, Emma Villas-Gomis and Maka Jackson round out the rest of the Lady Raider newcomers. They all transferred from smaller schools but were dominant in their respective conferences.

Tech will be Johnson’s third school in three years.

Johnson was MIAA Freshman of the Year during her time at Central Oklahoma where she averaged 8.6 points a game, according to Tech Athletics. She then went to Northeastern Oklahoma A&M college her sophomore year where she posted 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game and was placed on the All-Region Team, according to Tech Athletics.

Villas-Gomis is transferring from a Salt Lake Com-

munity College where she helped the team win 51 of the 63 games they played while she was there. They went to the NJCAA Tournament in both her years as well, according to Tech Athletics.

Jackson was rated the 15th best JUCO player in the nation coming out of the 2019 recruiting class. She played at South Georgia Tech her first two years of college before becoming a Lady Raider. In her time with South Georgia Tech she averaged 11 points, 2.5 steals, 5.7 rebounds and shot almost 50 percent from the field per game, according to NJCAA.org stats.

Marlene Stollings is entering her second year as the head coach at Tech. This time with a team filled with players she recruited.

For Chris Beard’s squad things will look different as well. With just three returns, only two of which played big minutes, graduate transfers TJ Holyfield and Chris Clarke will look to do what former Tech grad transfers Tariq Owens and Matt Mooney did last season.

Holyfield chose Tech over Big 12 rival’s Kansas, Oklahoma State, Baylor, West Virginia and Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon.

In his junior year at Stephen F. Austin, Holyfield faced the Red Raiders in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament. He put up 10 points

FILE PHOTOS/The Daily Toreador

LEFT:Tech coach Chris Beard returns for his fourth season with the men’s basketball team, having made backto-back NCAA Tournament appearances. RIGHT: Tech coach Marlene Stollings returns for her second year with the women’s basketball team, having doubled the team’s win total from the year prior in her first year. against his future team, but Tech prevailed winning 70-60, according to Tech Athletics.

In Holyfield’s final season as a Lumberjack he averaged almost 13 points a game and shot 54.8 percent from the field. His three-point percentage improved from 34 percent

his sophomore season to 41 percent his junior year. He redshirted all last year with an injury but returns to the court for the 2019-20 season.

Clarke is transferring from Virginia Tech after committing to the university in 2015 as a four-star recruit, according to ESPN.com. Clarke averaged 9 points, 6.5 rebounds and close to three assists per game in his career at Virginia Tech. He was ranked the number eight grad transfer by ESPN and the only player in Virginia Tech history to record a triple-double, according to Tech Athletics.

Forward Joel Ntambwe is a transfer student as well but comes in as a sophomore.

Ntambwe transferred from UNLV after averaging 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds a game in his freshman year.

Tech has seven freshmen on its roster, two of them having been redshirted last season, and picked up the highest rated player in school history Jahmi’us Ramsey from Duncanville high school.

Ramsey headlined a recruiting class ranked second in the Big 12, according to 247sports.com. Terrence Shannon Jr., Clarence Nadolny, Tyreek Smith, Russel Tchewa, Kevin McCullar and Andrei Savrasov are the other freshmen on the Red Raiders squad heading into the season. McCullar and Savrasov where redshirted last year but are back to being on the active roster.

Savrasov is from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Growing up in Russia he played on the U18 European Championship team as a 17-year-old and averaged 8 points and 5.6 rebounds in

seven games with the team, according to Tech Athletics.

Ramsey, Shannon Jr., Smith, Tchewa and McCullar were all four-star recruits coming out of high school and Nadolny was a three-star recruit, according to ESPN. com. Ramsey, however, also received a five-star rating by rivals after leading his high school to a 6A State Championship and earning Allen Iverson Classic All-American, Jordan Brand All-American and was the MVP at Ball is Life All-American game.

Tchewa and Nadonly, like Savrasov, are coming from overseas. Tchewa’s hometown is Douala, Cameroon but he played three years of basketball in Italy before signing with the Red Raiders. Nadonly is from Montreuil, France but also played basketball at Scotland Performance Institute in Pennsylvania before committing to Tech.

Smith was the TAAPS 5A Player of the Year as a junior and District Defensive Player of the Year as a senior, he averaged 17.9 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3 blocks in his final season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to Tech Athletics.

Shannon Jr., like Ramsey, was a top-100 recruit by ESPN. He was a two-sport athlete in high school and played his senior year at IMG Academy in Florida before committing to Tech in March.

Both squads for Texas Tech have young and veteran talent entering their locker rooms for the 2019-20 season as one program looks to build off recent success and another looks to being to see success. @JayStraderDT

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BASKETBALL PREVIEW

NOV. 4, 2019

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MANAGERS

Student managers reflect on time with team

By MAX HENGST Sports Editor

With the Texas Tech men’s basketball season beginning on Tuesday, the season will also start for the Red Raiders’ student managers.

In his first year as the Chief of Staff for the men’s basketball team, Tim MacAllister helped the Red Raiders get to the program’s first Big 12 Conference regular-season championship and NCAA National Championship final in 2019, according to Tech Athletics. As the Chief of Staff, MacAllister works with the entire team, as well as running the student managers.

Student managers for the men’s basketball team are a select group of guys who want to be a part of the team, but do not have the skill level to make the Red Raiders’ roster, MacAllister said. While he said some of the student managers were good players in high school, he continued to say some of the managers want to be involved with the team and take the first step to get in the business side of basketball.

“Some of them want to be coaches, some of them want to be operations guys, some of them get into the sports world in general,” MacAllister said.

“And some guys just want to experience what this program is like, or what other programs are like and how they function.”

With the season approaching, MacAllister said the student managers help with the team by not only rebounding and getting the team water, but by making sure the studentathletes get to practice and help with individual workouts, along with several other tasks while still going to class like

an ordinary student.

“I think that we have the best group in the country,” MacAllister said. “They’re the behind-the-scenes guys that people don’t necessarily see, but they do so much work for us. Coop (Cooper Anderson) runs that group better than anybody that I’ve ever seen.”

Senior Cooper Anderson is the head student manager for the men’s basketball team and he started managing in high school after he broke his wrist his freshman season on the football team. While being the football manager for three years, Anderson helped manage his high school basketball team during his senior year as well. After graduating, he went to Collin College in Plano and became a basketball manager under head coach Jim Sigona.

After two years of being a student manager at Collin College, Anderson became a manager for the Red Raiders with the help of a connection between Sigona and Tech head coach Chris Beard, he said. In the process of interviewing to be a student

manager for the team, Anderson said former Director of Player Development Max Lefevre told him that Beard thinks highly of juniorcollege coach Sigona, so he thought highly of Anderson.

With experience as a manager for a basketball team in high school, at a junior college and at a championshipcontending Division I school, Anderson said the workload has increased heavily with each step up. In high school, Anderson just helped in practices and games. At Collin College, Anderson had more work to do as he helped with a few individual practices.

Now at Tech, the student manager said it was a lot more work with the amount of detail the managers put in.

As a student manager for the men’s basketball team, Anderson compared his job to a Swiss Army Knife, helping the players and coaches with whatever they need.

“You’re kind of like a Swiss Army Knife in a sense, you kind of just do a little bit of everything. You don’t really have a job description, you’re just here to help,” Anderson said.

“You do whatever you can: laundry, you refill the drink machine for the players, you help the players in any way possible within the guidelines of the rules and whatnot and then you help the coaches with and then you just try to be here for practices.”

After helping the team under Beard, Anderson said the biggest thing he has learned since he has been a student manager at Tech is the level of detail.

He continued to say the attention to detail could help the team win or lose games and Beard emphasizes the importance of the small details, like having a ball for every player at practice.

Last season, the men’s basketball team posted a 31-7 overall record, accord-

ing to Tech Athletics. Anderson credited the win total to the team being well prepared.

“The reason we win a lot of games is because we usually are the most prepared team,” Anderson said. “The same thing as being a manager, you know, the reason I’m such a good manager, Noah (Parker) is such a good manager and we have one of the best manager groups is that we are prepared. We do our work before the work is actually done. There’s a lot of work that goes into it. It’s all in preparation. It’s less difficult if you are more prepared.”

One way the student managers help the team prepare before games are making a replica court at whatever hotel they stay in the day before an away game with tape to the exact measurements of a regulation court. The reasoning behind this is to let the team practice its plays without having to travel to a gym, Anderson said.

“We try to do above and beyond, it’s like I said, the detail,” Anderson said. “We’re not just gonna tape a court and just have a base court. We’re gonna have a tape court and have like, Big 12 on it, we’re gonna put our own little spin on it and make it look good.”

When making the tape courts, Anderson said the student managers like to add key words and phrases the team uses. This season, one of the big key words for the Red Raiders is “trust,” Anderson said.

While the student managers tape words like “trust” and “4:1” on the tape court, they try to keep their tape courts clean by not adding too much “fluff.”

“A lot of programs (make tape courts, but a lot of programs don’t do it to our extent,” Anderson said.

The process of making the tape court usually takes about an hour to make the base court to do it with the exact measurements, Anderson said. He added that

it takes another hour for the student managers to add the logos and designs, spending two total hours of creating the court for the team.

Along with the tape courts, the student managers also participate in actual basketball games against other schools’ managers. The managers are not required to compete, but Anderson said the majority managers want to.

“A lot of these guys have grown up playing basketball; they love the game of basketball,” Anderson said. “So anytime there’s a chance to go against somebody else, another team like Baylor or Iowa State, we’re going to jump to it.”

The team the managers play on typically consists of student managers and graduate assistants, but assistant coaches can also participate, Anderson said.

Tech’s team ranked as high as No. 1 in the nation last year with the help of key graduate assistants Ronald Ross, Darryl Dora and Casey Perrin, Anderson said.

Anderson and the rest of the team that participates in the manager games play against the opponents’

team the night before the game, he said. The games are coordinated through the head managers and are usually played late, around 9:30-10 p.m. after the teams settle in their hotels.

Another student manager sophomore, Noah Parker got his job through a connection he had with assistant coach Brian Burg. He said he wants to use the experience as a student manager and become a coach.

“I’ve learned a ton,” Parker said. “Coming into it, I thought I knew quite a bit.

It kind of proved me wrong, I didn’t know near as much as I thought I did.”

As he is in his second year as a student manager at Tech, Parker said the biggest benefit for him is the connections and friendships that he has made. He also added that the biggest thing he has learned under Beard is how the importance of building a culture and how to do it.

While being a student at Tech, one of Parker’s goals is to follow in Anderson’s footsteps and become the head manager for the team once he graduates.

With all of the tasks and jobs the student managers are in charge of, Anderson said it does not bother him.

“It’s a lot of hours, but it doesn’t feel like that to us because we want to be here,” Anderson said. “Especially working for one of the best programs in the country and under the best head coach in the nation right now, it doesn’t seem like we’re putting that much – we’re putting in a lot of time, I can’t give you a number value right now – but we want to be here so it’s worth it.” @MaxHengstDT

OPINIONS

Page 4 monday, nov. 4, 2019

COLUMN

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Reflecting on the Final Four chaos

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s basketball season slowly creeps back up on Texas Tech, it is, in a way, hard to look forward to it considering the success of the team last season. My co-workers, basketball fans and I can all agree that last season was definitely one to remember.

Although the games and wins throughout the season were exciting, the season reached its peak the night the team won the national semifinal game against Michigan State at the Final Four game to earn a spot in the national championship.

I remember earlier that day we received a text from our editor saying

Mallory Rosetta is a sophomore media strategies major from Lubbock.

that we’d need to be on campus within 10 minutes of the game ending in order to go cover the fans’ reactions around campus. Sitting on my couch watching the game, I had no idea what would be in store later that night.

Once we won the game, I rushed across town to campus and was told to go to the bell tower to try and get peoples’ reactions as they waited to ring the victory bells. While moving

down the street, I bumped into my editor who told me Broadway Street was “going crazy,” so obviously, I had to go see for myself.

When I arrived on Broadway, there were only a few people overcrowding the streets due to the bars being full. However, the later it got, and the more fans found out we won, the more people showed up.

It started out being semi-normal, just a bunch of intoxicated people filling the streets and sharing their excitement with one another, but as more and more people showed up, chaos ensued.

While I was further down Broadway trying to find someone sober to in-

terview and get their reaction, my friend and fellow columnist Marcus told me a car had just been flipped.

The journalist in me took over, and I ran in the opposite direction of the crowd toward the eye of the storm.

Once I got to the center of the crowd and saw the chaos, I knew it could only go downhill from there.

Shortly after the car was flipped, someone somehow got a hold of an old couch and brought it to the center of the crowd once again and set it on fire, throwing a couple of Lime Scooters into the mix with it. Another car was destroyed, and a few light poles were punched out, one of which I caught on video.

With plastic flying everywhere and smoke filling the atmosphere, I knew it was time to leave Broadway. I’m glad that I left when I did, because right after I did, the SWAT team showed up and that’s when the chaos finally died down.

Although the night itself was very chaotic and c r a z y, i t g o e s t o s h o w that Texas Tech fans will always find a reason to celebrate, even if it ends in destruction of property.

While I have never really understood the hype around sports as a whole, seeing everyone going crazy definitely added to my excitement level.

The night was not only exciting and crazy, but it was

also historic. On one hand, this is the farthest the men’s basketball team has ever gone in their season, making it a huge deal for the athletes, coaches and fans alike.

However, it was also historic in the sense that no other student body and fan base has celebrated this hard for a Texas Tech victory, making it an unforgettable experience and season as a whole.

If the team is lucky enough to make it as far again this season, let’s hope the students and fans can celebrate in a calmer way and avoid adding another Lime casualty to the list. @MRosettaDT

COLUMN

Early predictions of possible Final Four outcomes

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he 2018-2019 NCAA basketball season was one that saw the Texas Tech Red Raiders reach heights and exceed expectations nobody saw happening except for maybe head coach Chris Beard. Before he found himself as the head coach of the Red Raiders, Beard was the coach for ArkansasLittle Rock.

During his tenure in Arkansas, the team finished with a 30-5 record, ranking 4th in the nation out of 351 teams for points allowed per game (60.8) The previous season, before Beard took over the head coach position, the Little Rock Trojans ranked 276th in the nation in points allowed per game (70.3), almost 10 points

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Tyler Thurmond is a junior communications major from San Antonio.

lower and surpassed 272 teams in the process all in just one off-season.

Fast forward to Coach Beard arriving at Texas Tech; he proceeded to do exactly as he had done to the previous teams he coached. When Beard arrived in Lubbock, the Red Raiders were ranked 122nd out of 351 teams for points allowed per game (69.9).

Last season, the team was ranked third in the nation, allowing 59.5 points per game, meaning another 10-point decrease. Making these changes as quick as Beard has is something that can be difficult to do when working with an entirely new roster and staff. This is only one statistic out of the many great changes coach Beard has made.

All things considered, the Red Raiders no doubt had an amazing 2018-2019 season, making it all the way to the Final Four and eventually losing in the NCAA championship game to No.1 ranked Virginia, 85-77. So, as the new basketball season is getting ready to tip-off on Nov. 5, there should be plenty of exciting games and moments headed the Red Raiders’ way.

Aside from Texas Tech’s recent success, there are many other teams scratching and clawing their way into the college basketball mix.

Here are my takes on who I believe will make some noise this upcoming season. And no, Virginia is not on my list.

First off, let me start with one team that may or may not be a surprise, but is coming off a relatively subpar last few seasons and a first round exit in the 2019 March Madness to 10-seed in the NCAA tournament, Minnesota. Entering his second season as head coach, Chris Mack and the Louisville Cardinals are a team I believe haven’t shown their full potential yet. With three returning starters and a very talented six new additions including four four-star players, one five-star player and one three-star player.

Along with their new additions to the roster, I believe Mack will continue to improve his team’s defense as he did from the 2017-18 to the 201819 season as the team went from ranked 123rd out of 351 and allowing 70.4 points per game to ranked 88th out of 353 teams, allowing 68.4 points per game.

So all in all, a coach in his second season, six new faces (including four four-star players), a team that’s getting better on defense and adding more firepower on offense, the Cardinals may take a few games to get chemistry going,

but once they do, I believe we have an underdog sneaking its way into the Final Four.

Next is a team that has been really good for many years and, I believe, will continue onto next season due to its great coaching and recruiting. Mike Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans have been a model of consistency amongst college basketball, and if it weren’t for Tech’s stellar play, would have played in the final against Virginia.

Making these changes as quick as Beard has is something that can be difficult to do with an entirely new roster and staff.

The Spartans are only losing three players and have four of their five starters returning from last season along with three new additions to the team (two four-star players and one three-star player).

The Spartans won the Big Ten Title in 2018 and 2019 along with the Big Ten tournament in 2019, and I believe will win the 2020 Big Ten conference as well. No matter who they play, they are more than likely always going to make a lot of shots from beyond the threepoint line and find ways to score in the lane with their size

in the power forward position.

The third team who I believe will continue off of last year’s success and who I consider my “dark horse” is none other than University of California- Irvine. The Anteaters, much like the Red Raiders, had success last year not many could have predicted. One major commonality the previous two teams, and UC-Irvine also has is a strong defense. During the 2017-18 season, the Anteaters were ranked 48th out of 351 teams, averaging 67.1 points allowed per game.

That’s not entirely bad by any means, but they, like Louisville and Michigan State, made a big improvement for the 2018-19 season. Last season, UCIrvine finished the season ranking 21st out of 353 teams, allowing 63.6 points per game. While an almost four-point drop may not be as significant as a 10-point drop, it still allowed the team to pass up 27 spots in the process. Their offense last season was inconsistent and their defense was good enough to allow the offense some mistakes, but with a roster in which 11 out of the 15 players are sophomores or younger (meaning most were freshman during last years’ success), I believe they will grow from last year and proceed to do great things.

Lastly, the final pick for my early Final Four predic-

tion is none other than the Big 12’s own Kansas Jayhawks.

Although coming off of a relatively tough season and a loss in the second round to eventual Final Four member, the Auburn Tigers, the Jayhawks are always a threat to anybody who plays them.

Due to their schedule being amongst the top three hardest in college basketball since 2015 as well as coach Bill Self (who has won 11 conference titles out of the 12 seasons that he’s been at Kansas) attracting one of the top recruiting classes each year, the Jayhawks are always prepared to match any tough competition that comes their way.

According to ESPN’s coaches poll, Kansas is ranked No. 3 entering the season. Even though they didn’t have a great season last year, coaches still respect their talent and what the Jayhawks are capable of (which is winning NCAA championship each year).

With many roster changes, coaching changes, upsets bound to happen and arenas packed with loud and proud fans there is no doubt this upcoming season of college basketball is going to be both an exciting and nervewracking one. Whether you agree or disagree with the teams selected above, when it comes to college basketball, anything can happen. @TylerThurmondDT

COLUMN

2019-20 NBA season most competitive season in over a decade

W

ith the NBA season now underway, we dive into potentially the most competitive 82 game stretch we have seen in a long time, with no clear-cut victor leading the race.

The past decade of NBA basketball has been dominated by so-called ‘super teams,’ teams that have three or more superstars on the roster at once. The phenomenon was essentially sparked by Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, when their 2010 roster acquired all-stars like Lebron James and Chris Bosh, who are all future hall of fame players. The trend carried on, and was most prevalent in the Warriors roster, who won their first championship in 2015, and went on to win three out of the five championships they participated in during their five-season reign.

The reason I talk about super teams, is because a lot of them disseminated after last season. The Golden State Warriors lost its best scorer, and one of the best scorers in

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Zachary Richards is a sophomore journalism major from Dallas.

the league in Kevin Durant; Kawhi Leonard departed from his championship team, the Raptors; along with other superstars such as Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker and Jimmy Butler. A lot of superstars migrated to organizations with none, or only one other superstar, making the balance of teams across the NBA a lot more widespread.

There are still some star-studded rosters who just might have their way this season. A blossoming rivalry comes from the heart of Los Angeles, where the Clippers and the Lakers across the board are ranked as two of the top teams in the Western Conference.

During the pre-season, several analysis, reporters and even coaches around the league voiced that the Clippers were the team to beat in the NBA. With new additions such as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, their astounding defense was elevated into what a

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lot of people consider as top tier; however, they might have one brutal flaw.

The Clippers perimeter defense is among the best in the league, but what hinders their abilities dwindles on the interior. The anchor of the Clippers defense is predicated on a 6’7 scrappy center named Montrezl Harrell. Although he has all the heart in the world, his stature might be the downfall of this Clipper defense.

The benefit of having good perimeter defenders with decent rim protection, is it allows for the perimeter defenders to play aggressively, and when they get beat off the dribble, they have a strong second line of defense to account for their assertive defense.

The lack of rim protection on the Clippers will make it so great perimeter defenders like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverly cannot pay as aggressively as they’d like, which takes away from their team’s backbone.

The Western conference,

per usual, is loaded from top to bottom with talent.

Teams like the Spurs (who currently sit atop the conference), Rockets, Jazz, and Nuggets all have the systems to make deep playoff pushes. Although with more talent this year, the Eastern Conference still remains fairly top heavy, but they have some spectacular talent on their end.

From reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, to well established teams like the 76ers, the Eastern Conference could knock off some of the top teams in the West.

The MVP race is just as cutthroat as the championship race. With dominant players already having their way this early in the season.

Although just five games into the season, Lebron James’ dominance could propel him into his fifth MVP. So far, Lebron averages 26 points, 10 assists, shooting just over 50 percent, according to stats. nba.com. James is also coleading his team to a threeway tie for the best record

GUEST COLUMNS The Daily Toreador accepts submissions of unsolicited guest columns. While we cannot acknowledge receipt of all columns, the authors of those selected for publication will be notified. Guest columns should be no longer than 650 words in length and on a topic of relevance to the university community. Guest columns are also edited and follow the same guidelines for letters as far as identification and submittal.

in the Western Conference.

His running mate, Anthony Davis, produces insane numbers as well, as he is top five in the league in points, blocks, and efficiency, according to stats.nba.com.

The other two contenders, James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo already have history in battling for the MVP title.

James Harden’s incredible, record-breaking scoring has transferred over to this season. As he leads the NBA in scoring and is actually in fourth place in terms of assists, according to stats.nba.com.

Up north, Giannis Antetokounmpo is having his way with the league, leading the NBA in efficiency. Antetokounmpo also averages 26 points per game on an incredible 58 percent from the field, according to stats.nba.com.

From the tight MVP race, to star studded rivalries, the 2019-2020 NBA season is gearing up to be one for the books. @ZachRichardsDT

EDITORIALS Unsigned editorials appearing on this page represent the opinion of The DailyToreador. All other columns, letters and artwork represent the opinions of their authors and are not necessarily representative of the editorial board, Texas Tech University, its employees, its student body or the Board of Regents. The DailyToreador is independent of the College of Media and Communication. Responsibility for the editorial content of the newspaper lies with the student editors.

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CAMPUS

Updated concession items available with new basketball season

By GRACIELA VASQUEZ Staff Writer

Attendees at the Texas Tech men’s basketball game against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday can enjoy food and drinks at lower prices at the United Supermarkets Arena.

Robert Perez, director of concessions for Spectra Food Services and Hospitality, said fan-friendly pricing will continue at the USA for all Tech sporting events. This pricing includes items, such as a hot dog, nachos and popcorn for $2 each and a 20 oz. bottle of water, candy and a 16 oz. soft drink for $3 each.

Also, Perez said alcohol will be sold with portables on the concourse and in concessions stands to people of

drinking age with an ID. “We are also introducing some wine-based margaritas to our beer menus as well,” he said. “So, now you can enjoy a great tasting margarita with your food.”

Perez and his team are excited about the big crowds coming to support the Red Raiders and the loud chants of “Raider Power” sounding throughout the arena, he said.

They are excited to be able to serve fans and students attending the games with great concession food at an affordable price.

“We are bringing some of the new items from the 2019 football menu, to the arena,” Perez said. “Our Flying Tortilla Factory concession was a hit at the football stadium

that we decided to bring it to our basketball fans.”

Items within the concession stands include: — The Flying Quesadilla.

A macaroni and cheese chicken quesadilla served with El Molino brand red and black chips with a side of salsa.

—Wreck ‘em Raider Wrap.

A jalapeño cheddar sausage wrapped in a red flour tortilla.

—Beard’s Breaded Tenders: Seasoned chicken tenders breaded with Flaming Hot Cheetos, fried and served with french fries.

—Final Four Flautas.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Tech fans fuel home court advantage

By MAX HENGST Sports Editor

The Texas Tech basketball team will enter the 2019-20 season with just three returning players, but although the Red Raiders will compete with a new team, the fans will stay the same.

“The message to our fans is always the same; it’s, ‘Thank you,’” head coach Chris Beard said. “Thanks for everything you’ve done in our first three years.

Thank you for spending your time throughout the games to support our team.

We take that responsibility to represent our fans to play the game the right way.”

Last season, the Red Raider basketball fans ranked 26th among Division I schools with 217,771 fans attending in 18 total home games in 2019, according to the NCAA. On average, there were 12,098 Tech basketball fans at the United Supermarkets Arena per game, helping the Red Raiders post a 17-1 record on their home court.

In 2018, there were 10,740 fans in attendance, on average, to watch the Red Raiders play at home, according to the NCAA. With 12,098 fans attending the Red Raiders’ basketball games on average, Tech ranked 19th among Division I schools for the increase in fans, totaling 1,358 more fans per game than 2018.

The fans of Texas Tech basketball also traveled well, aside from just attending home games. When adding the number of fans who attended home, road and neutral-site games, Tech ranked seventh among Division I colleges in allgame attendance, according to the NCAA. With 591,884 people in attendance supporting the Red Raiders, Tech had the most fans attend its games than any other school in the Big 12

and state of Texas.

“I’ve always been a huge basketball fan and a huge Tech basketball fan, but just being a student this year made it so much more cool,” sophomore Rylee Albracht said after the 201819 season. “I followed them to New York City to play at Madison Square Garden and then followed them to Minneapolis to play in the Final Four, so I was just really emotionally invested in this basketball team and loved cheering them on.”

The message to our fans is always the same; it’s ‘Thank you.’

CHRIS BEARD MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH In the postseason, Tech played in the two games that recorded the most amount of fans of the postseason in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Final Four, according to the NCAA. The highest attended game of the 2019 season was the NCAA National Semifinal. When Tech defeated Michigan State to secure a spot in the championship game, the Red Raiders played in front of 72,711 fans. The second-most fans to attend a game last season was also included Tech playing as the Red Raiders took on Virginia for the national championship in front of 72,062 fans.

With the fan support from last season, Albracht is hoping the fans show up to Tech’s first home game of the season on Tuesday after Beard made a proposal to her. On Aug. 1, she tweeted asking Beard if he would attend her wedding and the head coach replied

by telling her if the student section is full against Eastern Illinois, he would show up to her wedding and provide Whataburger for her guests.

“Texas Tech has one of the largest student sections in the nation, so there has been a lot of excitement so far, but we need at least 4,500 students in the student section at the USA November 5th a 7:15 p.m.,” Albracht said. “We hope to see all of you there.”

Another incentive for students and fans to show up to the Red Raiders’ home opener is to guarantee a ticket to Tech’s home game against Kentucky on Jan. 25 for the Big 12/SEC Challenge. Beard said the game against Kentucky will be one of the biggest games in program history, and students can get a ticket by having perfect attendance at the Red Raiders’ first five home games of the season.

While the Red Raiders are set to start their first game of the season, the team will also celebrate the success from last year’s team, unveiling the banners from Tech’s NCAA Tournament run. Beard said it is a little out of his comfort zone as a coach, but he recognized the importance of celebrating the success for the fans to put closure on last year’s team.

With Tech’s home opener against Eastern Illinois set to tip-off at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Beard said he encourages fans to arrive at the game early to secure a seat.

“Our administration has done a lot,” Beard said regarding the preparation for fans with the success of the program. “The doors open early, we, of course, have beer sales at the arena now, we have lounges for the students, there’s all sorts of stuff going on at the game. The message is thank you, and please come to the game early.” @MaxHengstDT

Red and black chicken flautas served with El Molino brand red and black chips and salsa.

—Raider Power Nachos: El Molino brand red and black chips topped with seasoned ground beef, beans, nacho cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions.

—Double T Sopapillas: Vanilla ice cream served with two fried sugar sopapillas topped with a Double T candy melt.

Although these successful items are not included in the fan-friendly pricing, Perez said these new menu options are delicious items to choose from at basketball games.

Tanya Rosales, a senior

Spanish major from Cypress,, said she had to split the cost of concession food with friends last year and share it because of the high price.

“I’m excited to go to a game right after class and know I don’t have to rush home and rush to eat,” Rosales said. “I can just walk to the arena and know I can eat there.”

Regarding paying for food, Perez said cash and debit or credit cards are not the only form of payment for this new year.

“We will be bringing over new point of sale systems that will now accept Apple Pay,” he said.

Despite the prices of certain concession items, students may be excited to enjoy

past concessions or try new items on the menu.

Kailie Gray, a sophomore on the nursing track from Danville, California said she is excited for the cheap food she can eat during the game and also the freebies given to students in the student section.

“I really enjoyed the pretzels from the football stadium, they’re really good,” she said. “I’m ready to try the basketball arena food.” @GVasquezDT Photos courtesy of Yvette Solis, Spectra general manager

LEFT CUTOUT: Beard’s Breaded Tenders RIGHT CUTOUT: Raider Power Nachos

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NOV. 4, 2019

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CAMPUS

Basketball season affects Tech parking

By EMMA MCSPADDEN Staff Writer

As fans prepare for the upcoming basketball season at Texas Tech, Transportation and Parking Services is preparing for the influx of people at the United Supermarkets Arena.

“Currently, we have donor parking, that is the parking lot north of the stadium, which is C11,” Lance Rampy, TPS event parking and guest relations manager, said, “and then half of the lot south, which is the law school lot in R21.”

During men’s basketball games, street parking on west Indiana Avenue is available to donor parking patrons, Rampy said. About half of the street is available during women’s games.

North donor parking stretches beyond the parking lot and along Main St. and Flint Avenue, according to a parking map guide for men’s basketball.

“It’s a personal choice,” Rampy said. “If they want to buy a parking permit, they can.”

Free public parking is also available to fans, Rampy said.

Patrons of the women’s basketball games have access to free public parking west of the center drive lane through Commuter West, Rampy said.

“With men’s parking,” he said, “it is, and will be for the entire season, out in Satellite Parking, which is the S1 parking area, which is between 8th and 10th Street west of Texas Tech Parkway.”

During men’s games, those who park in Commuter Satellite will have access to free bus rides to the USA, Rampy said. About 15 to 20 buses are available to transport as many people as possible.

Buses will also be available to transport patrons back to Commuter Satellite after the final buzzer, Rampy said.

On the buses, people are informed of certain policies, such as carrying clear bags, Rampy said.

“We’re very efficient,” he said. “We typically get everyone back to their vehicle within a 30-minute period.”

The buses run for about 90 minutes before the game starts and about an hour after the game ends, Rampy said.

“Our portion of game-day operations with basketball is managing the parking areas and making sure of appropriate passes and then efficiency in transportation,” Rampy said. “And making sure there’s alternate forms of transportation.”

Alternate forms of transportation include the Lime scooters, which is how many

Map courtesy of Texas Tech Transportation and Parking Services

students attending the basketball games arrive to the arena.

“Normally I Lime,” Trinity Porter, a senior journalism major from Chillicothe, said. “They have, I guess it’s called a Lime station, over by the student entrances, and there’s always, like, a couple hundred Limes.”

Porter parks across campus and uses the Lime scooters

because of the congestion in the area around the arena after games end, he said.

Maverick Goodrum, a junior marketing major from Vernon, said he often uses Lime scooters to get to the games to avoid the hassle of parking.

“There is a limited number of parking,” Goodrum said, “people usually walk or Lime from their dorms or

their apartments.”

However, TPS does their jobs effectively, Goodrum said.

They have people in place to inform patrons if a parking lot is filled, making the process more efficient.

In addition, Porter said the department should possibly consider implementing cross guards for the streets surrounding the arena to avoid

people running in front of moving cars, especially with the influx of new fans due to the successful season Tech basketball had last year.

“Now that we’re kind of in the spotlight,” Porter said, “I think some new challenges will surface as the population and attendance of the games goes up.” @EmmaMcSpaddenDT

CAMPUS

Game day prompts consideration of arena seating, ticket rules

By ELIZABETH HERBERT Staff Writer

When attending a Texas Tech basketball game, some students already know the ins and outs of the event. But those new to the game-day

experience may not be aware of certain information.

Students can enter the United Supermarkets Arena at the southeast entrance located at 18th and Indiana Avenue, closest to the Chitwood and Weymouth resi-

dence halls, according to the Tech Athletics website.

Seating reserved for students is near the team benches and visitor’s tunnel at the southeast zone of the arena, according to the Tech Athletics website. Sections 116 through

122 are open to students for women’s games, and sections 111, 113 and 115 near the floor are available for men’s games, as well as sections 116 through 122 for men’s games.

Student tickets may be redeemed by swiping one’s Tech

ID at the student entrance as early as an hour before tip-off, according to the Tech Athletics website.

Tickets are included in the $61.20 student athletic flat fee charged as part of tuition to all students enrolled in four or more hours on the Lubbock campus, which enable students to attend any athletic event, according to the Tech Athletics website. The flat fee was agreed upon by the Student Government Asso-

ciation and Athletics to fund athletic pursuits and ensure student seats on a first-come, first-serve basis.

People who wish to buy individual tickets at a discount may bring their Tech ID to the Athletics Ticket Office the week leading up to a home game, according to the Tech Athletics website. Tickets may also be purchased online at the Tech Athletics Online Ticket Office. @EHerbertDT

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WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Tech to start season with Sam Houston State

By ELEANOR GUINAN Staff Writer

The Texas Tech women’s basketball team will begin its 2019-2020 season on Nov. 14 with a 6 p.m. start against Sam Houston State.

The first game versus Sam Houston State will be at the United Supermarkets Arena, according to Tech Athletics.

The team ended the 20182019 season 11-7 at home and 14-17 overall.

The Bearkats had a 7-7 record while playing away and had a 16-13 overall record, according to Sam Houston Athletics. Sam Houston is also 0-3 against the Lady Raiders.

The team’s next opponent will be at 6 p.m. on Nov. 18 against Florida A&M. The Rattlesnakes went 4-25 in the 2018-2019 season including a 1-13 away record and a 2-14 conference record, according to FAM Athletics.

Sophomore Maya Moye led the Rattlesnakes with 11.3 points per game last season followed by former Rattlesnake Candice Williams with 9.1 points per game, according to FAM Athletics. Senior Dy’Manee Royal earned 220 rebounds while sophomore Keziah Dilworth had 102 rebounds.

Tech will finish its threegame homestand with a battle against Northwestern State at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22 in the United Supermarkets Arena.

The Lady Demons ended the 2018-2019 season 11-18 and had a 2-12 away record, according to Northwestern State Athletics. The team also had a 6-12 conference record and a 9-6 home record.

Former Lady Demon RaVon Nero led the team with 12.8 points per season while senior Victoria Miller had 132 rebounds, according to Northwestern State Athletics. Nero also had the best free throw average with a .270 while making 102 out of 151 free throws.

The team will travel to San Diego for its first tournament at the San Diego Thanksgiv-

FILE PHOTOS/The Daily Toreador

LEFT: Guard Chrislyn Carr goes for a shot during the game against Texas Christian University. RIGHT: Forward Brittany Brewer moves towards the basket during the game against Oklahoma State. ing Tournament at 6:30 on Nov. 29 against Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mastodons went 7-22 in the 2018-2019 season and 3-13 in conference play, according to Purdue Fort Wayne Athletics. The team as a whole scored 61.8 points per game while its opponents shot 70.6 points per game.

Purdue Fort Wayne also committed 482 turnovers and 197 steals, according to Purdue Fort Waye Athletics.

Former Mastodon De’Jour Young led the team with 12.1 points per game while redshirt senior Sh’ Toya Sanders pulled down 184 rebounds.

Depending on the outcome of the Purdue Fort Wayne game, the Lady Raiders will face either San Diego or Monmouth in the final game of the tournament.

San Diego had a 9-21 overall record in the 2018-2019 season and a 2-1 6 conference record, according to San Diego Athletics. The Torero’s averaged 61.8 points per game

while their opponents averaged 71.7 points per game. The team made 83-299 three-points last season and had a .396 field goal percentage.

Senior Patricia Brossmann had the most points in the 2018-2019 season with 11.4 points per game, according to San Diego Athletics. Former Torero Sydney Shepard had the highest three-point average with .314, making 55 out of 169 three-pointers.

Monmouth had a 14-17 overall record in the 20182019 season including a 9-9 conference record, according to Monmouth Athletics. The team also had a 7-8 away record and a 1-1 neutral site record.

Senior Sierra Green shot the most points with 13.4 points per game, according to Monmouth Athletics. Green also had the best free throw average with a .714 and making 35 out of 49 free throws. Senior Alex Middleton had the most rebounds with 244 and scored 7.8 points per game.

Tech will return home for a night game against Ole Miss at 7 p.m. on Dec. 4 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Lady Rebels had a 9-22 overall record last season with a 3-13 conference record, according to Ole Miss Athletics. The team also earned one win during their eight games on the road.

Former Lady Rebel Crystal Allen led the team with 18.4 points last season and a .830 free throw percentage, according to Ole Miss Athletics. Former Lady Rebel Shandricka Sessom had 171 rebounds and was second on the team in scoring with 9.7 points per game.

The Lady Raiders will continue the six-game homestand with a match up with Houston Baptist at noon on Dec. 15 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Huskies had a 9-19 overall record last season including a 2-11 away record, according to Houston Baptist Athletics. The team also record seven home wins and four conference wins.

Two days later, Tech will face Prairie View A&M on Education Day at noon on Dec. 17 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Lady Panthers had a 17-14 overall record in the 2018-2019 season while going 13-5 in conference play, according to Prairie A&M Athletics. The team also had a 10-3 home record but went 6-10 in away games.

The team outscored its opponents 67.6 to 62.2, according to Prairie A&M Athletics.

The Panthers also made 748 out of 1848 free throws and pulled down 1197 rebounds as a team. Former Lady Panther Shala Dobbins led the team 14.5 points per game while former Lady Panther Artvla Ford was second with 11.8 points per game.

Tech will have its last night game of 2019 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Lady Golden Lion’s had a 5-20 overall record last season with two

wins in conference play and three wins at home, according to Arkansas-Pine Bluff Athletics. The team also had a 1-0 record in neutral play and 1-11 record in away games.

The team averaged 51.3 points per game, had 503 turnovers and 246 steals, according to Arkansas-Pine Bluff Athletics. Senior Aiya El Hassan led the team with 10 points per game while senior Noe’ll Taylor 9.1 points per game.

The Lady Raiders will then host Louisiana-Monroe at 1 p.m. on Dec. 22 in the United Supermarkets Arena. Tech and Louisiana-Monroe faced each other last year and the Lady Raiders walked away with an 86-42 win, according to Louisiana - Monroe Athletics.

The Lady Warhawks also went 10-19 last season, with a 4-14 conference record.

The team averaged 55.8 points in the 2018-2019 season while its opponents averaged 61.0 points, according to Louisana-Monroe Athletics.

Former Lady Warhawk Arsula Clark led the team with 14.2 points per game and pulled down 204 rebounds.

The final non-conference game of 2019 will be against UTSA at noon on Dec. 29 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Lady Roadrunners had a 7-21 overall record in the 2018-2019 season including a 2-14 conference record, according to UTSA Athletics. The team also had a 1-10 away record and a 6-10 home record.

Former Lady Roadrunner Marie Benson scored 15.2 points per game last season while senior Tija Hawkins scored 12.7 points, according to UTSA Athletics. Benson also pulled down the most rebounds with 289 and she made 106 out of 159 free throws.

The Lady Raiders will start conference play against Iowa State at 7 p.m. on Jan. 3 in the United Supermarkets Arena. @EleanorGuinanDT

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NOV. 4, 2019

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MEN’S BASKETBALL

Red Raiders set for 2019-20 season

By ELEANOR GUINAN Staff Writer

The 2019-2020 season for the Texas Tech men’s basketball program will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday as the team plays Eastern Illinois.

After becoming the national runner-up at the end of the 20182019 season, Tech comes into the new season with three returners, seven freshmen and three transfers, according to Tech Athletics.

The team ended last season with a 31-7 overall record and 14-4 conference record, according to Tech Athletics. Tech also had a 17-1 home record with its only loss coming from Iowa State.

The home opener against Eastern Illinois will be the first time Tech has played on the court since the 70-51 win over Texas last season, according to Tech Athletics.

The Panthers ended the 2018-2019 season with a 1418 overall record and a 7-11 conference record, according to Eastern Illinois Athletics. The team started their season on Wednesday with a 66-51 win over Missouri State-Louis.

Junior Josiah Wallace led the Panthers with 15.5 points per game while senior Rade Kukobat pulled down the most rebounds with 152, according to

Eastern Illinois Athletics. As a team, Eastern Illinois averaged 71.8 points per game while its opponents scored 76.8 points per game.

Tech will continue its homestand with a 7 p.m. match with Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 9 in the United Supermarkets Arena.

The Wildcats finished the 20182019 season with a 14-17 overall record including a 9-7 conference schedule, according to BethuneCookman Athletics. The team also had a 10-7 home record and a 4-12 away record.

The Wildcats outscored their opponents 73.9 to 72.4 points per game last season, according to Bethune-Cookman Athletics.

The team made 833 out of 1899 shots and had 501 turnovers.

Senior Isaiah Bailey averaged 14.7 points per game while senior Cletrell Pope averaged 14.1 points per game.

The Red Raiders will go on their first away game against Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13 in Sharp Gym. The Huskies had a 12-18 record with an 8-10 conference record, according to Houston Baptist Athletics.

Junior Ian Dubose averaged 17.0 points per game and made 53 out of 121 three-pointers.

Tech will host the Las Vegas Classic Regional Round and play Tennessee State at 7 p.m. on Nov.

21 at the United Supermarkets Arena. The Tigers had a 9-21 record with a 3-14 away record, according to Tennessee State Athletics. The team also earned six wins in conference play and six wins at home.

The Tigers averaged 72.7 points in the 2018-2019 season and made 751 out of 1739 field goals, according to Tennessee State Athletics. Former Tiger Dorsey Fitzpatrick averaged the most points with 14.3 points per game while senior Micheal Littlejohn averaged the most three-pointers with 2 per game.

The tournament will continue three days later with a game against Long Island at 1 p.m. on Nov. 24 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Sharks had a 16-16 record last season with a 7-9 away record, according to Long Island Athletics. The team also had a 9-9 conference record and a 7-7 non-conference record.

Former Shark Raiquan Clark scored 18.9 points per game and recorded 21 blocks, according to Long Island Athletics. Redshirt junior Ty Flowers averaged 13.5 points per game and made 75 out of 193 three-pointers.

The Red Raiders will head to Las Vegas for the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational to play Iowa at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28 in the Orleans Arena. The Hawks had a 23-12 record in the 20182019 season, including a 10-10 record in conference play, according to Iowa Athletics. The team also secured 14 wins at home and five wins at neutral sites.

The team averaged 78.3 points last season and pulled down 1245 rebounds, according to Iowa Athletics. Former Hawk Tyler Cook averaged 14.5 points and had 252 rebounds. Former Hawk Nicholas Baer recorded the most blocks on the team with 36 blocks per game.

Depending on the outcome

IKECHUKWU DIKE/The Daily Toreador

Junior guard Davide Moretti drives to the basket off a screen during the game against Oklahoma State University at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019, in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Red Raiders defeated the Cowboys, 84-82. of the Iowa game, the Red Raiders will face either San Diego State or Creighton.

San Diego State went 21-13 last season and will have six of its top scorers return from last season, according to Tech Athletics. The Aztecs are also one of nine schools to win at least 19 games in the last 14 seasons.

The team averaged 71. 7 points per game last season while its opponents scored 67.4 points per game, according to San Diego State Athletics. Former Aztec Devin Watson led the team with 16 points per game but recorded no blocks.

Creighton had a 20-15 record last season with a 9-9 conference record, according to Creighton Athletics. The Bluejays had a 13-6 home record and a 3-1 neutral site record.

Junior Ty-Shon Alexander led the team with 15.7 points per game while Martin Krampelj averaged 13.5 points per game,

according to Creighton Athletics. Alexander also had the most steals on the team with 41 and Krampelj averaged 6.9 rebounds per game.

The team will travel to Chicago to face DePaul at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 in the Big East-Big 12 Challenge. The Blue Demons had a 19-17 record in the 2018-2019 season with a 7-11 conference record, according to DePaul Athletics.

Former Blue Jay Max Strus averaged the most points last season with 20.1 points per game, according to DePaul Athletics. Junior Paul Reed led the team 55 blocks and 40 steals.

The Red Raiders will stay on the road and go to New York for the Jimmy V Classic and face Louisville at 6 p.m. on Dec. 19 in Madison Square Garden.

Louisville started the season on Oct. 29 with a 75-65 win over Bellarmine, according to Louisville Athletics. The team had a

20-14 record last season with a 14-4 home record.

Junior Jordan Nwora led the team with 17 points per game, according to Louisville Athletics.

Nwora also had the made 104 out of 136 free throws.

Tech will come back home for the remainder of 2019 with a game against Southern Mississippi at 6 p.m. on Dec. 16 in the United Supermarkets Arena.

The Hawks had a 20-13 record in the 2018-2019 season with a 11-7 conference record.

Former Hawk Tyree Griffin led the team with 14.1 points per game, according to Southern Miss Athletics. Former Hawk Cortez Edwards averaged 13.2 points per game and had 26 blocks.

Tech will face UTRGV at 1 p.m. on Dec. 16 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Vaqueros had a 20-17 record last season with a 8-7 away record, according to UTRGV Athletics.

The team averaged 71.2 points per game while its opponents averaged 70.9 points per game.

Former Vaquero Terry Winn III averaged 12. 6 points per game, according to UTRGV Athletics. Former Vaquero Tyson Smith led the team in threepoint average with 5.3 per game.

The final game of 2019 will be against CSU Bakersfield at 6 p.m. on Dec. 29 in the United Supermarkets Arena. The Roadrunners had an 18-16 overall record last season including a 7-9 record in conference games and away games, according to CSU Bakersfield Athletics. The team averaged 70.9 points per game while its opponents also scored 70.9 points per game.

Former Roadrunner Jarkel Joiner led the team by averaging 15.6 points per game in the 20182019 season, according to CSU Bakersfield Athletics. Former Roadrunner James Suber led with 25 blocks while redshirt junior Taze Moore had 42 steals.

The Red Raiders will start 2020 at home with a game against Oklahoma State at 11 a.m. on Jan. 4 in the United Supermarkets Arena. @EleanorGuinanDT

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9

FANS

Raider Riot attracts hundreds of new members, comes from humble origins

By RYANN RAEL Staff Writer

Texas Tech Men’s Basketball will take the court Tuesday, Nov. 5, backed by Raider Riot, an organization that has become synonymous with men’s basketball at Tech. Just a few years ago, Raider Riot wasn’t a thought on anyone’s mind; it all started with a few friends who loved basketball.

“My freshman year was (head coach Chris) Beard’s first year,” Wes Law, a senior advertising major from Lubbock and a founding member of Raider Riot, said. “We were excited, but we aren’t super knowledgeable about what coach Beard is going to do, me and my friends. So we were just like, ‘You know what, we like basketball, and we like Texas Tech so let’s go crazy at basketball games, just for the fun of it, just to be funny and get on the big screen.”

Everything changed however, when they did a skit impersonating ESPN commentators, Law said. They were featured on SportsCenter, and got contacted by Tech Athletics shortly following.

Raider Riot has been continuing to grow, but this year it has seen its largest surge of new members. There are an estimated 1200 members, Justin Moore, a senior finance major from Spring and founder of Raider Riot, said.

“It’s fun seeing how big it got,” Law said “It’s not just a group of 12 people going crazy, and everyone thinking they are weird. It’s become a cultural aspect of the university. Which is super cool to me.”

The growth of Raider Riot may seem shocking from an outside perspective, but Law said he isn’t surprised because it has progressed naturally, and is now coming to fruition.

“A lot of people outside, their outside perspective is they don’t know anything about anything yet, and the next season there’s Raider Riot,” he said. “So to ev-

eryone else it’s a huge shift, just a massive 90 degree turn, but with us, we’ve been invested in this for a while. And it’s not like we went in with the intent to make this happen, we were kind of just doing it. And this is what came from it.”

As Raider Riot has grown, it has coordinated with coach Beard and the team for in-game shenanigans, Moore said.

Raider Riot wants to work with the players to do what the players want to see, he said. In previous seasons they have had player situation specific antics, like Matt Mooney hitting a three, or a dunk.

One of their other goals is to fill the stadium. With 15 sections reserved for student seating according to Tech Athletics, thousands of students have the chance to attend games.

The enormous success of Tech’s basketball team, capped by their first NCAA Championship appearance just seven short months ago pulled Tech fans to the United Supermarkets Arena, selling out the stadium several times last season.

“Freshman year, we are all just getting to the games early to make sure we have a front row seats,” Law said. “Now we have 1,000 people behind us helping us out with themes and ideas and out of home events. So that’s the growth and experience we’ve had.”

Coach Beard has also worked with Raider Riot personally, offering support when he can.

Moore wore a matching suit with Beard for a home game last season, he said. After the game, Beard approached him for a picture, and later gave Moore a Texas Tech suit pin, the same one he wears.

“Coach Beard is the most wonderful person on the planet, and he is willing to give us anything we want,” Max Quiroz, a senior finance major from Frisco and founding member of Raider Riot, said. “The athletics department is very helpful in spreading our name and doing

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Fans go crazy after a dunk during the game against West Virginia on Monday, Feb. 4, 2019, in the United Supermarkets Arena. With a final score of 81-50, The Red Raiders won the game with their biggest winning margin in a Big 12 game since 1999. what they can. That guy is just amazing. Always a smile and such positivity.”

Coach Beard has been extremely on board with Raider Riot. Beard’s genuineness is one thing that sets him apart and makes him a joy to work with, Law said.

“He’s not just our coach, he’s a fan of the school,” Law said. “He’s not just seeing it as a group that can help him win, he’s seeing it as an organization, as fans going crazy for a school he enjoys, a school he adores. And you can see that when he talks to us. He’s so willing to help us. Beard is very authentic in his love for the idea of what we do.”

What began as a group of freshmen doing something silly because they love basketball has

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tee, the Hype committee, and the Raider committee.

The Riot committee handles in game shenanigans, including chants, skits, opposition research and costuming, Moore said. The Hype committee tackles out of game business, like social media accounts, public relations and media involvement. The Raider committee works within the organization, handling member relations and coordinating emails, surveys and meetings.

With the season looming, those outside Raider Riot may start to wonder about what is in store for the season.

“Everything on a much more grand scale,” Law said. “It’s still the same Raider Riot, it’s still the same crazy stuff. Everyone

understands what’s going on when they go to games. But I think we have a lot more coordination, we have a lot more resources at our disposal.”

With hundreds of members and thousands of eyes on Raider Riot, it is surprising to think about it’s humble origins of a few friends with a love for the game. The Tech men’s team has also seen a dramatic change in the last few years. We are now a basketball school, Moore said.

“I’m more than happy to be a part of something like this,” Quiroz said. “It’s really great to see it grow, and I know that some of my fellow founders did a lot of work, and their skills brought it to fruition, where it is now, especially Wes and Justin.” @RyannRael_DT

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turned into a phenomenon at Tech. Raider Riot was not built in a season, and now that it is gaining momentum, it’s founding members are facing their time at Tech is drawing to a close.

“It’s sad, but I hope it doesn’t end with us,” Law said. “We’ve done a lot of work to make sure it keeps going so we can look back and see the ideas other people have when were gone.

It’s sad that I’m planting a tree that I’m not going to be able to sit under the shade of.”

Raider Riot is having to reevaluate how to handle this year, Law said as they have more members than ever before. In previous years, the leaders would meet once per week. Now, there are three committees; the Riot commit-

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10

BASKETBALL PREVIEW

NOV. 4, 2019

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BASKETBALL

Womble, Cash facilities undergo construction; plans set for upcoming resources

LEFT: A sketch of the future Dustin R. Womble Basketball Facility. Courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics Communications. RIGHT: The Dustin R. Womble Basketball Facility remains under construction as of Oct. 29, 2019. The completion of the Womble facility is anticipated in July of 2020. Photo by KINLEY ROBINSON/The Daily Toreador

By ADÁN RUBIO News Editor

In addition to the multiple campus areas meant to improve learning, facilities are being developed to improve the college lifestyle of student athletes.

The Dustin R. Womble Basketball Practice Facility and the Cash Family Sports Nutrition Center are two upcoming facilities dedicated to student athletes at Tech.

The Womble, which will be located west of the United Supermarkets Arena, and the Cash Center, which will be located west of the Frazier Alumni Pavilion, each will have resources aimed at improving different aspects of the student athlete lifestyle.

Billy Breedlove, vice chancellor for Tech System Facilities Planning and Construction, said the Womble is expected to be completed in July.

Regarding the internal parts of the Womble, Breedlove said Tech Athletics makes decisions on the type of basketball court put into the facility and other features, such as lighting and features related to weight training areas. He said strength and conditioning coaches help to select equipment for the training areas as well.

“Anything from what kind of lockers they want to the furniture, the video capabili-

ties of where the cameras go in the gyms, security. It’s all very unique,” he said. “It’s a very cool athletic project.”

The design of the Womble is another aspect of the project Breedlove said adds some challenges.

“It’s going to have the Spanish Renaissance design on it, which is kind of challenging because it’s such a large facility.

To really do that can be costly if you’re not careful,” he said.

“It has got some very unique features in it.”

One reason for this design challenge is the Womble being close to the USA, Breedlove said.

“It’s kind of hard when you’re designing that new building, the Womble. It’s got to relate to the USA building architectural-wise,” he said.

“We’ve tried to use some of the design details from the USA also on the Womble and kind of marry those two together.”

Four sections of mosaic tiles on exterior walls of the Womble will be the public art that goes with the facility, Breedlove said.

Despite the multiple aspects of the Womble, the center may impact the Tech community in different ways.

Sydney Goodson, women’s basketball junior guard, said she is excited for the Womble.

“I think I’m really looking forward to having our own

court,” she said. “I think that’s going to be so cool.”

Having a specific space for basketball players to practice is an awesome opportunity, Goodson said. Practicing in a facility meant for basketball players is different than practicing in a shared facility, as a player can go inside the Womble at their own time.

“I think we’re all just excited to have more of our space,” she said reading the team’s attitude toward the facility and its access to a new practice court, locker room and training room.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the Womble on Jan. 25, men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard said the facility will change the program.

“When we look back one day, this will be one of the biggest monumental things to ever happen to Tech basketball,” he said during the groundbreaking.

The Womble will have a similar impact to the program as did the USA and the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum, Beard said at the groundbreaking.

“College basketball is all about players, and what you got to do is you got to recruit them, and you got to coach them,” Beard said during the groundbreaking. “This facility will impact recruiting more than anything possibly could.

Simply stated, it’s going to be the best basketball training fa-

cility in the country, and it will enable us to recruit a different kind of player.”

The Womble will take the development of athletes to another level, Beard said at the groundbreaking.

Women’s basketball head coach Marlene Stollings said during the groundbreaking that the facility will benefit multiple people, whether it be current student athletes, future student athletes or former student athletes, who are always welcome to visit Tech and the facilities. She said the Womble will also provide opportunities to enhance performance of student athletes.

“We get asked all the time as coaches, ‘What’s the significance of this new facility?’” she said during the groundbreaking. “For me and our staff, it’s about performance.”

In addition to the impact of the Womble, the Tech community may also benefit from the Cash Center in a variety of ways.

“We’ll finish that building by the end of the year,” Breedlove said regarding the Cash Center. “So, in the spring, when the athletes come back, they will be able to be served in that facility.”

Delays because of weather and working with underground utilities are difficulties Breedlove said were faced during the construction. But the final product will provide multiple opportunities for student athletes.

The Cash Center, which will have stained glass on the main foyer, is expected to serve about 200 athletes at a time, Breedlove said. At this dining facility, there will be different dining environments and multiple food-serving stations.

“I think it will be a very cool environment for the athletes.

It’s good for recruiting,” he said.

“It’s going to turn out very nice.”

Dayna McCutchin, director of sports nutrition at Tech Athletics, said the Cash Center food will mostly be in house versus catered.

Pizza, sandwiches, wraps, salad, organic fruits and vegetables, different burgers, grilled chicken and fish are just some options McCutchin said will be served at the facility. For some food served at the facility, there are vegetarian and gluten-free options.

“We’ll also have a global fair that will rotate every three days as well,” she said.

The global fair consists of a rotation of pasta options,

Raider Walk, which will consist of foods, such as bang bang chicken, pad thai and poke bowls, Cocina de Matador, which will consist of foods, such as burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and fajitas.

In addition to the in-house options, McCutchin said there will be opportunities for partnerships with local food establishments to cater at the Cash.

“We’re just really really excited for the opportunity to just better our athlete’s options to be able to meet their performance goals,” she said.

The dining area of the Cash will have a sports bar feel, McCutchin said. The facility will be tailored toward athletes, so making the facility feel like a typical dining hall was an aspect to avoid.

“It’s really cool for them to all kind of be together and around one another, again as a family,” she said regarding athletes of other sports teams who may not spend much time together. “Again, outside of maybe academics and some other organizations that are athlete-specific, this is just another opportunity that they could kind of be all together.”

Despite the lack of a dining hall theme, McCutchin said the ordering system will be similar to that of The Market in the Stangel and Murdough residence halls.

“There will be menu boards above all the stations that will kind of highlight what they’re doing,” she said. “Everything will be ordered from an iPad.” Once an order is ready, a number will pop up on a screen, McCutchin said.

Along with the multiple food options, McCutchin said there will be resources to help athletes know which foods they need to eat. She said a staff will be present to help athletes select the best food based on an athlete’s nutritional requirements.

“All of our items will be labeled based on our performance system,” McCutchin said regarding another resource to inform athletes about nutrition. “So, they’re all color-coded.

Along with that color coordination system, there also is a coordinating pie chart.”

Using the pie chart, McCutchin said an athlete will know how much of a certain type of food they need to have in their meal.

“Our athletes will be able to build their own tailored performance plate based on

all of our individual items being color-coded,” she said. “It just simplifies the process a lot for them.”

The staff will also create a system using labels to depict foods with high fiber, sodium, antioxidants and other unique nutritional characteristics. This information will be denoted on the product.

The nutrition facts and labeling system may not be the only educational opportunity in the Cash.

A cooking lab will also be housed in the Cash for student athletes to learn how to prepare meals, McCutchin said.

“We are creating basically a curriculum. Kind of a starter, introduction to cooking,” she said. “So, what will happen is our athletes will basically go through our starting curriculum.”

After completing the beginning curriculum, athletes will get the opportunity to take part in cooking classes, McCutchin said. Guest chefs will conduct these classes, and student athletes will cook alongside those chefs in residential cooking labs.

“It just gives our athletes the opportunity to improve on their life skills,” she said, “and that’s something they will take with them when they leave here.”

Despite the amount of information an athlete has about nutrition and what to eat, McCutchin said an athlete needs to know how to prepare their own meals.

“We’re going to take the opportunity to try to educate them as much as possible with this dining facility,” she said.

Regardless of the educational opportunities, the Cash facility cold be beneficial for athletes for a number of reasons.

The Cash Center is a resource Goodson said will provider newer options that are healthier for her.

“I think they will have a lot more options that are a lot more fresh,” she said. “I think they’re going to get more organic stuff, which will be awesome. Just another tool, another resource we get to use that Texas Tech offers.”

Whether it be the Womble or the Cash, student athletes are expected to gain a variety of resources that they could use throughout their time at Tech.

“Texas Tech takes care of us like none other,” Goodson said.

“That’s huge.” @AdánRubioDT