SB Nation - Tyree Graham

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas Tech Red Raiders

BracketCat — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:00:27 -0000

Are you still pissed off about Saturday night?

Well, have no fear, because the football team shall be avenged on the hardwood.

Click the jump for a preview of a basketball team with some of the laziest-looking media photos you ever will see, and one whose season prospects don't look so hot...

The Coach

Pat Knight
Third Season (sort of*)

18-26 (7-19)

Knight begins his second full season as the Texas Tech head coach and his ninth season on the Red Raider basketball court.

As a collegiate player and nearly nine seasons as an assistant coach, he was on the sidelines as a player or a coach for 308 of Bob Knight's 902 career wins.

*Knight became the head coach following the 20th game of the 2007-2008 season.

The Departures

Starters

Michael Prince (15.6 minutes per game, 3.8 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game)
Alan Voskuil (35.7 minutes per game, 14.1 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Rogdrick Craig (6.7 minutes per game, 2.6 points per game, 0.8 rebound per game)
Tyree Graham (14.3 minutes per game, 3.9 points per game, 1.7 rebounds per game)
Esmir Rizvic (10 minutes per game, 1.3 points per game, 1.6 rebound per game)
Damir Suljagic (8.8 minutes per game, 2.4 points per game, 1.5 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#4 Corbin Ray Sophomore Forward 6-7 \| 225 Katy, Texas Ray saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played seven minutes, scored two points and grabbed three rebounds. He played in 17 games during the season, started against Sam Houston State, averaged 5.7 minutes per game and 1.6 points per game for the season, played 14 minutes in the home game against Texas A&M, had a season-high five rebounds over East Central University, and had his best showing in the win over New Mexico, in which he played 10 minutes and scored 10 points, was 4 of 6 from the field, and canned two 3-pointers.

		#5 D'walyn Roberts Junior Forward 6-7 \| 200 Dallas, Texas Roberts started the first 19 games for the Red Raiders; played in each game during the season and had 21 starts; averaged 16.5 minutes per game, four points per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game; played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; played 35 minutes at Lamar, made 7 of 8 field goal attempts, and recorded his season-high of 14 points; scored in double figures in six games; was perfect from the free-throw line six times for a combined 13-for-13; registered a double-double in the win over Stephen F. Austin, with 11 points and 11 rebounds; was second on the squad with 21 blocks for the season; and shot .545 from the field for the season.

		#10 Wally Dunn Junior Guard 6-4 \| 194 Midland, Texas Dunn saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played eight minutes, had a rebound and scored 5 points. He played in 14 games during the season as a walk-on, played a season high of 12 minutes against East Central University, scored 16 points on 6 of 8 field-goal attempts and 4 of 5 3-pointers, shot .588 from the field and made .500 of his 3-point attempts, and had no turnovers for the season. Dunn graduated from Midland College, where the Chaparrals were the 2007 NJCAA National Champions. He was a redshirt his freshman season. The team garnered conference championship honors in 2007-2008, and he played in 32 games as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points per game.

		#15 Robert Lewandowski Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 240 Overland Park, Kan. The freshman from Blue Valley West High Sschool played and scored in the first game of the season against St. Francis. Lewandowski scored two points, made a block, and had three rebounds in his eight minutes on the court. He played in 32 games for the season and started 19 times; averaged over 15 minutes per game and played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; averaged 6.6 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game for the year; shot .581 from the field for the season; scored in double figures 10 times, with 8 of those games during conference play; recorded his season-best of 20 points at Texas A&M, when he made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and had four rebounds in the game; had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) at Oklahoma State; grabbed 5+ rebounds in 10 games; and led the squad with 23 blocks.

		#21 John Roberson Junior Guard 5-11 \| 165 Plano, Texas Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2009) U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District 7 (2009) Roberson and Alan Voskuil were the only players on the 2008-2009 squad to start each game during the season. He was the leading scorer on the team, with 13.9 points per game, and second on the team with 35 steals for the year. Roberson's 212 assists top the previous single-season mark of 182 assists, set by Jason Martin during the 1995-1996 season. He was the assist leader for the Big 12. His 13 assists at Texas A&M were one shy of Stan Bonewitz's single-game record of 14 assists, set against Fresno State in the 1996-1997 season. Roberson's 6.4 assists per game for the season now are the best among all Red Raiders. His 71 3-pointers rank eighth among all Red Raiders in a single season. His 201 3-point attempts equal Bonewitz's mark in the 1997-1998 season and are fourth on the all-time single-season list. Roberson's 35.2 minutes per game were second on the squad. He played 40 minutes in five games; was second on the squad in free-throw percentage (.829), making 97 of 117 attempts; was perfect from the line in 15 games, totaling 58 for 58; averaged 3.5 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in six games; established a career high of eight rebounds at Iowa State; had a double-double performance at Texas A&M, with 13 assists and 20 points; and scored 20+ points in five games. Roberson's 33 points at UTEP were a career-best and made him the 36th Red Raider to score 30 or more points in a game, earning him All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and USBWA All-District 7 honors.

		#23 Nick Okorie Senior Guard 6-1 \| 195 Houston, Texas Okorie started his career as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 19 minutes and scored 16 points. Okorie played in 29 games during the season and had 19 starting spots. He missed four games due to an ankle injury; averaged more than 25 minutes per game and played 30+ minutes in eight games; played 36 minutes at Texas and at Iowa State; was perfect from the free-throw line in nine games, totaling 40 of 40; was third on the team with 21 steals; averaged 3.1 rebounds per game; and grabbed 5+ boards in nine games. His scoring average of 11.3 points per game was fourth among squad members. Okorie scored 15+ points in nine games, with six of those games against conference opponents; sank 10 of 10 free throws and had 17 points against Kansas; scored 24 points at Oklahoma and at Texas; averaged 16.3 points per game over the last 10 games; and started nine times.

		#24 Trevor Cook Senior Forward 6-9 \| 241 Coppell, Texas Legends Classic All-Tournament (2008) Cook was awarded his undergraduate degree in May 2009. He played in 14 games during the season and had eight starts, but missed 19 games due to a back injury. Cook averaged 14 minutes per game and played 25+ minutes in three games, and was perfect from the free-throw line in four games, totaling 16 for 16. His eight rebounds against East Central University equal his top mark from the previous season. He had 13 blocks in his abbreviated season, averaged 7.6 points per game, scored in double figures six times and had 20 or more points in two games. His 24 points against Pittsburgh mark his best scoring performance as a Red Raider, and he was selected to the Legends Classic All-Tournament Team for his performances against Pittsburgh and Mississippi State.

		#31 Darko Cohadarevic Senior Forward 6-9 \| 242 Belgrade, Serbia Cohadarevic played his first game as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 12 minutes, grabbed two rebounds and scored four points. Cohadarevic played in 26 games and started twice; averaged nearly 11 minutes per game and had five games in which he played 15+ minutes; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; averaged 2.2 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in five games; scored double figures in three contests; had 12 points against East Central University and against Stephen F. Austin; and scored 10 points and had six rebounds in the win over Texas A&M in the opening round of conference championship play.

		#32 Mike Singletary Junior Forward 6-6 \| 217 Humble, Texas Second Team Academic All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Championship All-Tournament (2009) Singletary was one of four players to play in each game during the season. He had four starts and averaged 23.1 minutes per game; played 30+ minutes against six opponents; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; attempted more free throws than all other teammates (187) and made more free throws than all other teammates (136); had three games in which he made 34 of 40 free-throw attempts; was the leading rebounder on the team, with 5.8 boards per game; had three games (Centenary, Kansas and at Iowa State) of 10+ rebounds and 12 games with at least seven rebounds; and had double-double performances against New Mexico, Kansas and at Iowa State. His 12.2 points per game were third on the squad and he scored at least 15 points in 13 games, averaged 18.2 points per game over the final nine games of the season, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, and gained Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 60 points in two games (Texas A&M and Missouri). Singletary made 21 of 33 attempts during those two games. He set a Big 12 Championship scoring record with 43 points in the opening round game against Texas A&M (the previous record was 38 points by Marcus Fizer of Iowa State vs. Baylor in 2000). His 43-point game equals Dub Malaise's 1966 performance against TCU as the fourth-highest scoring output in Texas Tech history. Singletary led the biggest rally in Big 12 championship history, erasing the Red Raiders' 21-point, second-half deficit and taking Texas Tech to an 88-83 win over Texas A&M (the previous record was 20 points by Texas two seasons ago). He scored 29 consecutive points for the Red Raiders, with no other Tech player scoring, to become the NCAA's No. 2 consecutive-points scorer, behind Temple's Bill Mlkvy's 54 consecutive points against Wilkes on March 3, 1951.

My thanks to the Texas Tech sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Newcomers

#1 Brad Reese
Junior Forward
6-6 | 189
Laurel Hill, Fla.

Reese played two seasons for Jay Powell at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla. He started all 30 games in his first season with the Commodores, played 30 minutes per game, and averaged 16.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game on the 18-12 squad.

Reese was named the Panhandle Conference Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, Reese was named NJCAA Player of the Week (Jan. 7) as he powered GCCC to three wins, which included a pair of 30-point performances. He started 32 of 33 games as a sophomore, and averaged 16.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on the 24-9 squad, which earned him All-Panhandle Conference First Team honors in his second season.

#2 Mike Davis
Freshman Guard
6-2 | 185
Houston, Texas

Davis played for Willie Patrick III as a senior at Phillis Wheatley High School, but previously played at St. Pius X, where the Panthers were in the TAPPS 6A Final Four in his junior year.

As a senior, Davis averaged 24 points per game over four games to lead the Wheatley Wildcats to the Whataburger Tournament title in Fort Worth from Dec. 29-31. He also earned MVP honors at the tournament.

The Wheatley Wildcats were 32-5 in Davis' final season and he was selected Co-MVP for District 22-4A. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and five assists per game as a senior, and was selected to the TABC All-Region (3) Team, the TABC 2009 All-Star Team and the TABC Class 4-A All-State Team.

#13 David Tairu
Junior Guard
6-3 | 180
Temple Hills, Md.

Tairu played two seasons for Steve Green at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. The Texans (30-5) claimed the NJCAA National Championship in 2007-2008 in Hutchinson, Kan. He was named All-Conference in 2007-2008, averaged 14.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in his freshman season, scored in double figures 29 times, led the 2008-2009 squad with 17.5 points per game and a 27-4 season, was named to the National Junior College third-team All-American squad, was voted the Most Valuable Player in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference and also named to the Region 5 team, and was selected to the 2009 NJCAA Men's All-Star team.

#20 Theron Jenkins
Junior Forward
6-6 | 211
Flowood, Miss.

Jenkins played two seasons for Marty Cooper at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss. In his two seasons, the Indians were 49-13. As a freshman, he played in all 34 games and averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. ICC captured the division, state and regional championships in its 30-4 season.

Jenkins averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and played in all 28 games in his second season. The ICC Indians were 19-9 and won their third-straight north division title for the first time since 1974.

#30 Jaye Crockett
Freshman Forward
6-6 | 186
Clovis, N.M.

Crockett played for J. D. Isler at Clovis High School. The Wildcats were 29-2 in his junior season. The Purple and White completed the season as the Class 5A State Runner-up.

Crockett averaged 20.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game as a junior, and was the only junior named to New Mexico's first-team all-state squad. Clovis won the 2008-2009 district championship on the road at Hobbs.

As a senior, Crockett scored 31 points in his final game to become the second-leading scorer in Clovis High School history. He averaged 29 points and 12 rebounds, and earned all-state first-team honors, as a senior.

The Analysis

Although Texas Tech returns several starters and even more returners, I'm not sure this is a team that many teams in the conference should fear. The chief reason for that is the departure of Alan Voskuil, the sharpshooter who fueled the upset win over Kansas with his many treys.

Now that Voskuil has graduated, it will fall to Mike Singletary to provide most of the Red Raiders' scoring. His ridiculous 43-point outburst against Texas A&M in the Big 12 Tournament singlehandedly won the game and nearly broke Michael Beasley's/Denis Clemente's Big 12 single-game record.

That game was a freakish deviation from the mean, though, as Singletary only averaged 12.2 points per game and hasn't yet shown that he is capable of being a 25- to 30-point scorer night in and night out. But he will have help in trying, in the form of honorable-mention All-Big 12 point guard John Roberson. Roberson has established himself as one of the best point guards in the league and should provide the Red Raiders with the leadership presence they need in the backcourt to challenge most Big 12 teams.

Guard Nick Okorie and forward Trevor Cook both were banged up at various times last season, but now both are healthy and look to secure starting spots in the Tech lineup. I predict that Robert Lewandowski, an Overland Park native, will step up in the post as the fifth starter, after Tech lost a slew of Eastern European big men to graduation last year.

Predicting the reserves is trickier, and that's one of the reasons I think Tech will struggle in 2009-2010. D'wayln Roberts started several games last season before being demoted, and he seems like a sure bet to net some serious playing time. David Tairu is a highly touted juco prospect who probably will have a big impact, too. But it drops off after that.

Corbin Ray started one or two games, but is not a particularly impressive player. Nor is Darko Cohadarevic, the only remaining Serbian on the roster after the Eastern bloc exodus of 2009, who is Tech's only other sizable, experienced option in the paint.

Tech is so thin that I have penciled in true freshman Mike Davis as the backup point guard, if that tells you anything. Brad Reese, like Tairu, is a juco player who probably will factor in somewhere, but he doesn't really project strongly to a certain position right now. Other players who probably won't be a factor, unless injuries pile up, are Wally Dunn, a walk-on guard of little consequence; Theron Jenkins, and incoming juco forward; and Jaye Crockett, a raw forward fresh out of high school.

Projected Starting Lineup


John Roberson	Nick Okorie	Mike Singletary	Trevor Cook	Robert Lewandowski
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Mike Davis	David Tairu	D'walyn Roberts	Corbin Ray	Darko Cohadarevic
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

When your team looks as though it only can field a serious lineup of 7-8 players, in terms of functional, athletic depth, and you play in the Big 12 South, a good season probably is not in your near future. That seems to be the case for Texas Tech. Yes, they showed some drastic improvement at the end of last year — upsetting Kansas at home (a game I greatly enjoyed watching), mounting the frenzied comeback against Texas A&M and nearly knocking off Texas in Austin — but how much of that simply was due to the hot hands of Voskuil and Singletary?

If that's all that it was, Tech will struggle in a deep Big 12 and Pat Knight's seat will be plenty toasty by the end of the season. But if Tech added some underrated pieces and the rest of the team continues to improve, it potentially could move up the pecking order a few notches. I don't see it happening, though. To me, the Red Raiders look like a less talented version of Baylor: a team that is dangerous if it is knocking down the threes, but otherwise is somewhat toothless.

Predicted finish: 10th

Best-case scenario: 8th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Iowa State
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Post Game Review: Texas Tech 81, St. Francis (PA) 47

Seth C — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:44:11 -0000

This is a much more athletic team and I think Nick Okorie is going to be a big part of this team's future success. There's a lot to like with Okorie and the bottom line is that he can play. Also loved D'Walyn Roberts, I thought he looked bigger than last year and he didn't look lost on either end of the floor. I said it last year that I'd love to see Roberts be this team's Damion James and although he doesn't have near the size, he does have incredible length and athletic ability and his added size is a huge improvement from last year. Keep it going.

Player	Comment
Nick Okorie 16 pt; 1 rb; 2 ast	Okorie is going to be a player. This guy has good size for a guard, has some hops and can shoot the ball. I could see Okorie leading this team in scoring easily.
John Roberson 13 pt; 5 rb; 5 ast	The thing I like about Roberson is that he can spot up and shoot the ball and has learned, perhaps, to get his shot off with a man on him. I'd like to see a little more ball control on offense and reduce the turnovers (3).
Alan Voskuil 8 pt; 3 rb; 2 ast	Seemed to force his shot early, but did well in the 2nd half. The offense needs to go ahead and get him going offensively as he doesn't create his own shot very well.
D'Walyn Robertsj 4 pt; 3 rb; 1 ast.	Looked much bigger to me as last year Roberts was really skinny. Looks much better out under the boards and can be a difference maker on defense. Roberts brings something that no one else can, length and defense.
Darko Cohadarevic 4 pt; 2 rb; 1 blk	Does a nice job of handling the ball on the perimeter and calling for the ball on the block. I like what he brings to the table.
Trevor Cook 10 pt; 3 rb; 1 ast	Early spark off the bench and the added weight isn't obvious. Can still shoot from the perimeter and like Cohad, can handle the ball outside.
Tyree Graham 6 pt; 3 rb; 1 ast	Does not look like a freshman. Graham can play and he's got nice athleticism. I could see him pushing Roberson for playing time if Roberson gets careless. Really like his game.
Michael Prince 5 pt; 5 rb; 1 ast	An energy guy but I hate how he continually defers rather than take the ball to the basket. Prince has a decent shot so I'm not sure why he doesn't take advantage of it, but played well inside.
Mike Singletary 6 pt; 5 rb; 1 ast	Thought he might start, but came off the bench and did well. Would like for his teammates to find him inside matched up against smaller forwards as I think he can do damage underneath.
Robert Lewandowski 2 pt; 3 rb; 1 blk	A legitimate big man with some nice moves. Is still a bit raw, but I like his long term prospects and he stays inside. Had a nice block, he's going to see quite a bit of time.
Damir Suljagic 0 pt; 1 rb	Had minimal minutes, but this may be a guy left out a bit because he's not as polished offensively or defensively as other players.
Rogdrick Craig 0 pt; 1 rb; 1 ast	Handled the point guard duties when in the game and like the idea of a bigger guard being on point. Not afraid to shoot the ball and I like that, but was a little rusty offensively.
Corbin Ray 2 pt; 3 rb	I kinda like his game and he reminds me of Cliff Owens. I'm not sure what else to expect, but he does have talent.
Wally Dunn 5 pt; 1 rb	Somewhat surprised, as was Ray, to see him get off the bench, but he's a capable shooter who isn't afraid to shoot the ball, again, a trait I appreciate.

Miscellaneous:

The offense was a little ragged, but it's the first game and Texas Tech won by 34. I'm not complaining. Would like to see more of an inside game as the offense seemed to be dependent on the outside shot, evidenced by only 18 free throws on an over-matched opponent.
Held St. Francis to 26% from the field and loved that. Defense played very well and like the offense, they aren't perfect but they were pretty good.
Out rebounded St. Francis by 7 and although this wasn't great, it's a start. Baby steps.
Too many turnovers (15).

Up Next: Sam Houston State @ Texas Tech, Monday, November 17, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. (Television - TTTN).

Texas Tech Friday Morning Notes - Deion Said It Was Edition

Seth C — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:02:27 -0000

Double-T Nation News:

Wanted to use this note to check out NM99's retrospective of the evolution of this current football team, Michael Lewis' look back at Mike Leach, 3 years after his very famous interview, and the NY Times profile on Graham Harrell. And just in case your curious, Lewis writes about a lot more than just sports, and has a really interesting piece on the the current economic crisis.

And make sure and check back at 10:00 a.m. for some recruiting thoughts on the quarterback and running back at Texas Tech.

via www.shorpy.com

I just thought this was a cool photo, click here for the original size and check out the guy with the white bandages on his hand about to lay an absolute beat-down on someone.

Texas Tech Football:

LAJ's Don Williams files his Red Raiders Football Notebook with notes about new recruit Michael Bowie, the part-time punter job at Texas Tech and Michael Crabtree's assault on the Texas Tech record books.

Yahoo! Sports' Jason King has a lengthy profile on Michael Crabtree. This is really worth your time and I'll pull out a few quotes that I thought were pretty intriguing. When Leach was recruiting Crabtree, Leach would call often to check up on him:

Even though he committed to Texas Tech a few weeks before National Signing Day in 2006, Michael Crabtree continued to field calls from Mike Leach up until the morning he faxed in his letter of intent.
"He absolutely hated talking on the phone," Leach said. "He would always say, ‘Coach, I told you I was going to Tech. I don’t know why you keep calling. I enjoy talking to you, but we had a late practice today, so I’m going to bed. I’ll see you later.’

"It was always very abrupt. He’s not into these long, flowery conversations. He just focuses on football."

I also enjoyed this enchange:

A few weeks ago Michael Crabtree picked up his cell phone and called Deion Sanders and asked him if he ever used to dream.
Not about money or cars or women or fame, but about making plays and scoring touchdowns.

"I’d been doing that a lot," Crabtree said, "and I wanted to find out if it was normal. Deion said it was."

That’s why Crabtree wasn’t surprised when he made the game-winning catch with one second remaining in Texas Tech’s 38-33 victory over Texas on Oct. 25. He said he’d visualized the play countless times in his sleep.

Some snickered at Crabtree’s comments, but Leach believed every word.

"I bet he thought it through thousands of times," Leach said. "That’s the thing about Michael: He’s not doing this for a bunch of attention or trophies. Michael just loves football at a level that most players don’t."

I've never known what to think about Michael Crabtree other than he's just an incredible talent who I believe should leave for NFL next year. Before the 2007 football season I thought that Michael Crabtree was the 4th most indispensible player on the team, before even seeing him take a snap on the college level. I've always thought he was special and he's a pleasure to watch on the field.

I thank you Mr. Crabtree.

FWST's Gil Lebreton and DMN's Kevin Sherrington talk about BCS tiebreakers and the Big 12 South possibilities

DT's Alex Ybarra believes that the Heisman Trophy is not far away from being in Graham Harrell's hands and talks with HeismanPundit.com's Chris Huston.

Texas Tech Basketball:

LAJ's Jeff Walker writes about Trevor Cook adding some weight during the offseason:

After playing most of last season at 215 pounds, the 6-foot-8 forward needed to bulk up. He got with Texas Tech strength and conditioning coach Chris Braden and developed an offseason workout plan that helped Cook get his weight as high as 247. Since fall practice began, he’s trimmed his weight down to 235, which is what he and the coaching staff believe will be an ideal playing weight for him this season.
"I think he’s played well. He’s more physical," said Tech head coach Pat Knight, whose team will open its season at home today against St. Francis. "He’s not just a jump-shooter anymore. He’s playing tougher overall instead of being just a fringe player. He battles more."

I'm glad to hear that he's battling more, which means that he's under the boards grapling for rebounds. But perhaps the most important part of the article describes where Cook gave up his scholarship so that Tyree Graham, a late qualifier, could come on board at Texas Tech.

"I went to the staff and said early on that I’d be willing to give back the scholarship," Cook said. "Tyree had played with us a couple times and I knew he was good. He’s a true point guard, a pass-first type of player and that’s what we needed. So, I thought it was just doing what’s best for the team because he obviously makes the team better."

You get a loud round of applause from me Trevor.

DT's Alex Ybarra previews tonight's game against St. Francis (PA) and Junior Knight says that he's got 4 guards, all who can play:

"I have four guards that I really like with Alan (Voskuil), John, Tyree and Nick," Knight said. "I'll play three at a time, two at a time. You may even see us play four at a time if people are zoning us."

Peter Bean from Burnt Orange Nation was featured on Yahoo! college basketball blog, The Dagger, to talk about the Big 12, RP.com's Bill Hipple previews this Red Raider team and DMN's Chuck Carlton previews the Big 12.

DTN's 2008-2009 Texas Tech Basketball Preview

Seth C — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:00:07 -0000

Basketball season is right around the corner and I thought it was high time to take a look at this year's squad. All numbers are based on last year's performances and you'll note that Texas Tech has quite a few new players that are expected to contribute immediately.

Probable Starters

No.	Player	Ht./Wt.	Pos	Year	Pts	Reb	Ast	A/TO	Stl	Blk
23	Nick Okorie	6'1"/195	PG/SG	Jr.	17.2	3.4	-	-	-	-
21	John Roberson	5'11"/165	PG	So.	12.3	2.5	3.3	1.2/1	0.8	0.0
20	Alan Voskuil	6'3"/181	SG	Sr.	13.1	3.8	1.4	1/1.2	1.4	0.0
32	Mike Singletary	6'6"/230	SF	So.	7.3	3.0	1.0	1/1.5	0.4	0.3
31	Darko Cohadarevic	6'9"/242	PF	Jr.	15.4	8.0	-	-	-	-
24	Trevor Cook	6'9"/241	PF	Jr.	4.9	2.4	0.6	1/1.9	0.3	0.6

I understand the rules of basketball and there are only 5 starters, but I've included 6 starters because I think that Pat Knight will utilize these 6 guys depending upon the opposing team. Junior Knight has already said that Cohadarevic and Okorie will start and I think that's a good thing. I think it's also safe to assume that Roberson and Voskuil will also continue to start. I think that Junior Knight would prefer to have an athletic 3-guard lineup, much like Texas has run out in recent years (Augustin, Abrams and Mason) and now, Texas Tech has something similar, although Voskuil is not quite as athletic as Mason, he's a much better shooter, is okay defensively (he does a good job of keeping his man in front of him) and with his shooting, makes up for some of the lack of true athleticism.

Okorie is supposed to be a jumping-jack of a guard and in JUCO he was a very good shooter. I think opposing teams are going to have a difficult time covering Okorie and he should have more than enough athleticism to cover opposing guards as well. Roberson's freshman season had some bumps along the way, but he was a true freshman and he'll improve on what he did last year, he just needs to watch the turnovers.

Singletary is another true sophomore who will need to improve defensively as well as adding to his offensive game. When I watched Singletary in the Futures Game he displayed a nice 3-point shot and I'm hoping that he continues to mature his game to the point that he's both an inside and outside threat, but would hate to see him abandon his inside game completely. Singletary has some good post moves and I think he can take advantage of opposing small forwards inside.

Cohadarevic is the wild-card. Cohadarevic adds intensity that this team hasn't seen, but worry about his ability to stay with opposing defenders. He should be able to cover opposing centers/power forwards. He certainly has the size to do that and with his offensive game, which is typical of a Euro, he's a good shooter and can handle the ball as well as a better than average passer.

Depending upon matchups, Cook could see more than a couple of starts. Cook has added some muscle to his frame, which should make him a greater asset defensively. Cook has always been able to shoot from the outside and much like Cohadarevic he's a decent passer.

The key for this unit, and hell for the entire team, is improving the rebounding. Last year's unit was awful rebounding the ball and if this team expects any improvement then Cohadarevic, Cook and Suljagic have got to improve the rebounding edge.

Key Reserves

No.	Player	Ht./Wt.	Pos	Year	Pts	Reb	Ast	A/TO	Stl	Blk
3	Tyree Graham	6'0"/190	PG	Fr.	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	D'Walyn Roberts	6'7"/194	SF	So.	2.5	1.8	0.2	1/4	0.3	0.2
41	Damir Suljagic	6'9"250	PF	Sr.	4.7	4.0	0.7	1/1.5	0.4	0.5
15	Robert Lewandowski	6'10"/240	C	Fr.	-	-	-	-	-	-
34	Esmir Rizvic	7'0"/262	C	Sr.	2.9	2.1	0.1	1/5.7	0.4	0.3
30	Michael Prince	6'7"/208	SF	Sr.	1.6	1.8	0.4	1.1.7	0.5	0.0
2	Rogdrick Craig	6'6"/217	SF	Sr.	0.9	0.4	0.0	1/1.2	0.4	0.0

Tyree Graham will be one of the first players off the bench, along with Suljagic and Roberts. Graham is especially important because he possesses a type of game much like Okorie's. A smaller guard who is capable of scoring, playing some point guard, and is all-kinds of athletic. This team is generally short on guards who can handle the ball and his development as a freshman will be important.

I'm hoping that Roberts makes some significant weight gains and improvement. Last year Roberts was somewhat hesitant and I think that in order for him to see significant playing time, he's got to improve his rebounding and defefnse. Roberts has a skill-set that this team doesn't have otherwise. He's incredibly athletic, has long arms and could be a force on the boards, again if added some weight, and defensively. Roberts has a nice outside shot, but for him to see significant playing time he needs to make his mark inside.

Suljagic is one of those players who has done quite a bit in his time at Texas Tech. When he first arrived he struggled to make layups, but he's become much more well-rounded offensively and is a good rebounder. I'd expect Suljagic to continue his improvement, although I'm not expecting a huge jump in skill, but enough to see significant time in the post.

Lewandowski is something that this team doesn't have, which is a true post player. Lewandowski has low-post moves, but I worry about him from a size and strength standpoint because he is a true freshman, but I'd expect Junior Knight to work Lewandowski in early because he could be a tremendous asset in conference play. I'm also guessing that Knight will favor Lewandowski over Rizvic because there's a much better offensive game there over Rizvic. Rizvic is good in very short spurts, but he shouldn't see significant time. Also keep in mind that Rizvic will need to set out this semester or next due to the broken jaw received from Longar Longar, and I'd expect Rizvic to see time during the second half of the year.

Prince and Craig should be at the very end of the key reserves because I'm not expecting each of them to see significant time, but it wouldn't bother me if they did, especially if the younger guys aren't playing well. Prince is a good defender, but lacks offensive assertiveness and often defers to the point that it's maddening. I don't really think we saw enough of Craig to know what he could bring, but he's a decent athlete that could contribute.

End of the Bench

No.	Player	Ht./Wt.	Pos	Year	Pts	Reb	Ast	A/TO	Stl	Blk
10	Wally Dunn	6'4"/194	SG	So.	-	-	-	-	-	-
4	Corbin Ray	6'7"/225	SF	Fr.	-	-	-	-	-	-

Walk-on Wally Dunn should be a deep reserve and could become a decent spot player. Dunn is a good shooter, but I don't know much else about him.

I'd love to see Ray redshirt this year. He's a decent prospect, but there are plenty of guys in front of him and Ray shouldn't play unless he forces Junior Knight's hand with excellent practices. If Ray plays that means that Singletary, Roberts, Prince, and Craig aren't playing well and that would probably not be a good scenario.

Basketball Anyone? Breaking Down the Big 12: Texas Tech

Zach B — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 04:54:16 -0000

Let's all take a deep breath after the Colorado football meltdown and focus on the hardwood. Continuing The Ralphie Report's breakdown of Big 12 basketball, we shift our focus to the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Bobby Knight stepped down a season ago in the midst of a mediocre season and handed the reigns over to his son and assistant coach Pat Knight. You can bet that Pat will have a very similar coaching style to his father; Pat has been at Texas Tech since 2001 and played under his father at the University of Indiana. He coached the last 11 games for the Red Raiders and went 4-7. It was an extremely up and down 11 games for Texas Tech as they lost to teams such as Nebraska and Baylor but then upset nationally ranked Texas and Kansas State. While the Red Raiders return three of their four leading scorers from a season ago, I don't think they will make much noise in the difficult Big 12 South. The younger Knight seems to be doing a solid job recruiting good talent in 2009 but this season will be difficult in Lubbock, Texas.

Last Season's Results: Whenever a coach departs in the middle of the season, the team is bound to struggle. For Texas Tech however, it was not really a question if Bobby Knight would leave but when. The General really started to wear down in recent years and he even realized it. He began grooming his son, Pat, for the head coaching job so when he decided to retire it wasn't completely catastrophic. Texas Tech went 12-8 in Papa Knight's 20 games and finished up the season 4-7 under Pat. They had some very good wins last season but their year was plagued by inconsistency and the aforementioned coaching change. As I mentioned before, Tech returns three of their four leading scorers for 2008-09. Leading the team in scoring a season ago was Martin Zeno with 16 points a game. Zeno's production will have to be replaced as he has moved on from Texas Tech and graduated. Alan Voskuil should help replace some of Zeno's lost points as he averaged 13 points a game. John Roberson was the other Red Raider in double figures last season with 12 points a game. While their guard play was tremendous a season ago, their interior play really struggled. Their leading rebounder was Zeno, a shooting guard, with 4.5 boards a game. They were killed inside and that may be their major flaw again this year.

New Faces: Improvements are being made in Texas Tech and the 2008 recruiting class is evidence of that. There will be five new Red Raiders this season, including two junior college transfers to give them a little more experience. Headlining the class is Darko Cohadarevic. Cohadarevic, originally from Serbia, is a 3-star recruit from Seward County Community College in Kansas. At 6'9'', 240 lbs, Darko should be able to step in immediately and start for Tech. He averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds a game for Seward last season. He's a very fluid big fella, and at 22 years of age, he should be mature enough to handle being thrust right into the action. Tyree Graham, Robert Lewandowski, Nick Okorie, and Corbin Ray round out the recruiting class for Pat Knight's squad. Graham and Okorie should make impacts this season for the Red Raiders at the guard position. Okorie is another junior college transfer from South Plains Community College and likens his game to that of Martin Zeno. He will more than likely be the back up shooting guard but will see quality minutes. Tyree Graham was an all-stater in his senior season at Southern Durham High School in North Carolina. He struggled qualifying academically for Texas Tech but finally got the grade and will be ready when the season starts. Lewandowski and Ray will need a year or so to full develop and contribute but you have to like what you see if you are a Red Raiders fan.

check out the rest of the Red Raider breakdown after the jump...

2008-09 Impact Players: Each year during the Bob Knight tenure saw the Red Raiders have one go-to player. Last season it was Martin Zeno and this year the Texas Tech faithful are relying on Alan Voskuil to carry this team. Voskuil, a native Texan, played in every game last season and started in 25. He scored 20 or more points in four games and ended the season averaging 13 points a game. Voskuil is a classic shooting guard who has excellent range and can light it up from anywhere on the court. He shot a sizzling 44% from beyond the arc and made at least four three-pointers in seven games for the Red Raiders. He will be a crucial piece of an athletic, yet inexperienced back court. Whenever I watched Texas Tech last season, which was only a handful of times, I was always impressed by the play of John Roberson. A silky smooth sophomore, Roberson is a pure point guard. He led the team in assists and was third in scoring as a freshman last season. He has an extremely high basketball IQ and his court vision is outstanding. Even though he is a sophomore, he has great experience playing at this level as he averaged 30 minutes a game last season. The talent is plentiful in the back court for Pat Knight's team but the major question lies with the big guys in the front court. Another super sophomore for Knight's team is Mike Singletary. The 6'6'' small forward plays with a serious mean streak and will do whatever it takes to get his team a win. While he is not the best shooter in the world, Singletary plays bigger than he is and that helps in a system that emphasizes toughness. He scored seven points a game a season ago and that should improve as he will slide into the starting lineup. Whoever draws the match up against Singletary better get ready to get beaten up because he is a fierce competitor and is not afraid to mix it up.

Projected Starting Lineup: Pat Knight should be very excited about his back court this season. He has four guys that on any given night can steal the show. The starting guards will probably be Voskuil and Roberson but newcomers Graham and Okorie will get plenty of action and make a significant impact. The bigs for the Red Raiders, although inexperienced and full of question marks, have plenty of upside and could be a force in the Big 12 if they develop properly. Singletary will get the nod at small forward and Darko Cohadarevic should be the starting center although he is better fit for the power forward spot. Rounding out the starting five for Tech will be Trevor Cook who started 11 games for the Knight's a season ago and averaged five points a game. Don't be surprised if you see D'Walyn Roberts start a few games for Texas Tech. He's a freak athlete who was very highly recruited coming out of high school. If he is able to show solid improvements, he may just work his way into the starting lineup eventually.

Projected Season Results: Looking at the Texas Tech schedule for next season, they only really play one meaningful non-conference game. They will be taking on one of the best teams in the nation in the Pittsburgh Panthers in November's Legends Classic. They play Stanford in Palo Alto but the Cardinal should be rebuilding this season after losing their coach and the Lopez twins. They'll struggle in the Big 12 South, as they have to play Baylor, Texas, and Oklahoma twice. I'd say that the ceiling for this team is about seventh in the Big 12 but they could also fall to around tenth. Iowa State and the Buffs should have the bottom two on lock. Tech was ranked as the tenth best team in the Big 12 preseason rankings but I'm a little more optimistic with this team.

		#4 Corbin Ray Sophomore Forward 6-7 \| 225 Katy, Texas Ray saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played seven minutes, scored two points and grabbed three rebounds. He played in 17 games during the season, started against Sam Houston State, averaged 5.7 minutes per game and 1.6 points per game for the season, played 14 minutes in the home game against Texas A&M, had a season-high five rebounds over East Central University, and had his best showing in the win over New Mexico, in which he played 10 minutes and scored 10 points, was 4 of 6 from the field, and canned two 3-pointers.

		#5 D'walyn Roberts Junior Forward 6-7 \| 200 Dallas, Texas Roberts started the first 19 games for the Red Raiders; played in each game during the season and had 21 starts; averaged 16.5 minutes per game, four points per game, and 3.6 rebounds per game; played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; played 35 minutes at Lamar, made 7 of 8 field goal attempts, and recorded his season-high of 14 points; scored in double figures in six games; was perfect from the free-throw line six times for a combined 13-for-13; registered a double-double in the win over Stephen F. Austin, with 11 points and 11 rebounds; was second on the squad with 21 blocks for the season; and shot .545 from the field for the season.

		#10 Wally Dunn Junior Guard 6-4 \| 194 Midland, Texas Dunn saw his first action as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis, in which he played eight minutes, had a rebound and scored 5 points. He played in 14 games during the season as a walk-on, played a season high of 12 minutes against East Central University, scored 16 points on 6 of 8 field-goal attempts and 4 of 5 3-pointers, shot .588 from the field and made .500 of his 3-point attempts, and had no turnovers for the season. Dunn graduated from Midland College, where the Chaparrals were the 2007 NJCAA National Champions. He was a redshirt his freshman season. The team garnered conference championship honors in 2007-2008, and he played in 32 games as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points per game.

		#15 Robert Lewandowski Sophomore Forward 6-10 \| 240 Overland Park, Kan. The freshman from Blue Valley West High Sschool played and scored in the first game of the season against St. Francis. Lewandowski scored two points, made a block, and had three rebounds in his eight minutes on the court. He played in 32 games for the season and started 19 times; averaged over 15 minutes per game and played 20+ minutes in 13 contests; averaged 6.6 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game for the year; shot .581 from the field for the season; scored in double figures 10 times, with 8 of those games during conference play; recorded his season-best of 20 points at Texas A&M, when he made 10 of 15 field-goal attempts and had four rebounds in the game; had a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) at Oklahoma State; grabbed 5+ rebounds in 10 games; and led the squad with 23 blocks.

		#21 John Roberson Junior Guard 5-11 \| 165 Plano, Texas Honorable Mention All-Big 12 (2009) U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District 7 (2009) Roberson and Alan Voskuil were the only players on the 2008-2009 squad to start each game during the season. He was the leading scorer on the team, with 13.9 points per game, and second on the team with 35 steals for the year. Roberson's 212 assists top the previous single-season mark of 182 assists, set by Jason Martin during the 1995-1996 season. He was the assist leader for the Big 12. His 13 assists at Texas A&M were one shy of Stan Bonewitz's single-game record of 14 assists, set against Fresno State in the 1996-1997 season. Roberson's 6.4 assists per game for the season now are the best among all Red Raiders. His 71 3-pointers rank eighth among all Red Raiders in a single season. His 201 3-point attempts equal Bonewitz's mark in the 1997-1998 season and are fourth on the all-time single-season list. Roberson's 35.2 minutes per game were second on the squad. He played 40 minutes in five games; was second on the squad in free-throw percentage (.829), making 97 of 117 attempts; was perfect from the line in 15 games, totaling 58 for 58; averaged 3.5 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in six games; established a career high of eight rebounds at Iowa State; had a double-double performance at Texas A&M, with 13 assists and 20 points; and scored 20+ points in five games. Roberson's 33 points at UTEP were a career-best and made him the 36th Red Raider to score 30 or more points in a game, earning him All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and USBWA All-District 7 honors.

		#23 Nick Okorie Senior Guard 6-1 \| 195 Houston, Texas Okorie started his career as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 19 minutes and scored 16 points. Okorie played in 29 games during the season and had 19 starting spots. He missed four games due to an ankle injury; averaged more than 25 minutes per game and played 30+ minutes in eight games; played 36 minutes at Texas and at Iowa State; was perfect from the free-throw line in nine games, totaling 40 of 40; was third on the team with 21 steals; averaged 3.1 rebounds per game; and grabbed 5+ boards in nine games. His scoring average of 11.3 points per game was fourth among squad members. Okorie scored 15+ points in nine games, with six of those games against conference opponents; sank 10 of 10 free throws and had 17 points against Kansas; scored 24 points at Oklahoma and at Texas; averaged 16.3 points per game over the last 10 games; and started nine times.

		#24 Trevor Cook Senior Forward 6-9 \| 241 Coppell, Texas Legends Classic All-Tournament (2008) Cook was awarded his undergraduate degree in May 2009. He played in 14 games during the season and had eight starts, but missed 19 games due to a back injury. Cook averaged 14 minutes per game and played 25+ minutes in three games, and was perfect from the free-throw line in four games, totaling 16 for 16. His eight rebounds against East Central University equal his top mark from the previous season. He had 13 blocks in his abbreviated season, averaged 7.6 points per game, scored in double figures six times and had 20 or more points in two games. His 24 points against Pittsburgh mark his best scoring performance as a Red Raider, and he was selected to the Legends Classic All-Tournament Team for his performances against Pittsburgh and Mississippi State.

		#31 Darko Cohadarevic Senior Forward 6-9 \| 242 Belgrade, Serbia Cohadarevic played his first game as a Red Raider in the season opener against St. Francis. He played 12 minutes, grabbed two rebounds and scored four points. Cohadarevic played in 26 games and started twice; averaged nearly 11 minutes per game and had five games in which he played 15+ minutes; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; averaged 2.2 rebounds per game and had at least five rebounds in five games; scored double figures in three contests; had 12 points against East Central University and against Stephen F. Austin; and scored 10 points and had six rebounds in the win over Texas A&M in the opening round of conference championship play.

		#32 Mike Singletary Junior Forward 6-6 \| 217 Humble, Texas Second Team Academic All-Big 12 (2009) Big 12 Championship All-Tournament (2009) Singletary was one of four players to play in each game during the season. He had four starts and averaged 23.1 minutes per game; played 30+ minutes against six opponents; was perfect from the free-throw line in four games; attempted more free throws than all other teammates (187) and made more free throws than all other teammates (136); had three games in which he made 34 of 40 free-throw attempts; was the leading rebounder on the team, with 5.8 boards per game; had three games (Centenary, Kansas and at Iowa State) of 10+ rebounds and 12 games with at least seven rebounds; and had double-double performances against New Mexico, Kansas and at Iowa State. His 12.2 points per game were third on the squad and he scored at least 15 points in 13 games, averaged 18.2 points per game over the final nine games of the season, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team, and gained Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team honors after scoring 60 points in two games (Texas A&M and Missouri). Singletary made 21 of 33 attempts during those two games. He set a Big 12 Championship scoring record with 43 points in the opening round game against Texas A&M (the previous record was 38 points by Marcus Fizer of Iowa State vs. Baylor in 2000). His 43-point game equals Dub Malaise's 1966 performance against TCU as the fourth-highest scoring output in Texas Tech history. Singletary led the biggest rally in Big 12 championship history, erasing the Red Raiders' 21-point, second-half deficit and taking Texas Tech to an 88-83 win over Texas A&M (the previous record was 20 points by Texas two seasons ago). He scored 29 consecutive points for the Red Raiders, with no other Tech player scoring, to become the NCAA's No. 2 consecutive-points scorer, behind Temple's Bill Mlkvy's 54 consecutive points against Wilkes on March 3, 1951.