Texas Tech University Athletics
Men's Basketball Hosts No. 17 Oklahoma
January 27, 2000 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2000
TEXAS TECH (9-7, 0-5) vs.
#17 OKLAHOMA (15-3, 3-2)
Sat., Jan. 29, 2000 // 3 p.m.
United Spirit Arena
Lubbock, Texas
RED RAIDERS ENTER OKLAHOMA GAME STILL SEARCHING FOR BIG 12 WIN
Texas Tech entertains No. 17 Oklahoma Sat., Jan. 29, at 3 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. The Red Raiders are still looking for their first conference win of the season. Tech stands at 9-7 overall and 0-5 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma is 15-3 and 3-2.
TELEVISION
ESPN Regional
Chuck Cooperstein (Play-by-Play)
Rolando Blackman (Color Analyst)
The Texas Tech-Oklahoma game can be seen live on ESPN Regional Saturday afternoon. Chuck Cooperstein (play-by-play) and former NBA star Rolando Blackman (analyst) call the action from courtside.
LISTENING IN
The All Sports Radio Network will air all Red Raider games, beginning approximately 25 minutes prior to tip-off. The network carries nine affiliates across West Texas, including flagship station KKAM 1340 in Lubbock. Broadcasting veteran Jack Dale (play-by-play), in his 47th season, calls the action.
TEXAS TECH HEAD COACH JAMES DICKEY
Texas Tech Head Coach James Dickey is in his ninth season as the Red Raider mentor with a 154-95 overall record. Dickey has guided the Red Raiders to two NCAA Tournaments, including 1996's Sweet Sixteen appearance. Tech also has made a trip to the NIT under Dickey. He is third all-time at the University with 154 wins, trailing Gerald Myers (326 wins / 1971-91) and Polk Robison (254 wins / 1942-46, 47-61). The Red Raiders won the SWC regular-season title in 1995 and tied for the honor the following season. He became only the second coach in Texas Tech history to take a team through an undefeated conference season, when the Red Raiders finished 14-0 in the SWC in 1996. He also holds the distinction of the being the only coach in school history to record a 30-win season (1995-96). He is a two-time Southwest Conference Coach of the Year.
OKLAHOMA HOLDS SLIM LEAD IN SERIES
Oklahoma and Texas Tech have met on the hardwood 23 times since the first game of the series tiped-off in 1945. The Sooners lead the series 8-4 in Norman and trail in Lubbock 6-4.
Series Notes
- The longest win streak in the series is held by both teams at three games.
- Oklahoma has won the last three games and four of the last five.
- The Red Raiders lost to the Sooners twice last season, 72-54 in Lubbock and 78-68 in Norman.
- Rayford Young averaged 16.5 points per game against OU last season, while Andy Ellis averaged 12.5 points.
- Eric Martin led the Sooners over the Red Raiders last season, averaging 19.5 points.
- The two teams met for the first time in 1996 after a 24-year hiatus from the series.
- Since the 1996 season, the Red Raiders lead the series 4-3.
TEXAS TECH
| Ht | WT | CL | HOMETOWN | PPG | RPG | |||
| G | 03 | Rayford Young | 5-11 | 180 | Sr. | Pampa, Texas | 16.6 | 4.3 |
| G | 05 | James Ware | 6-5 | 210 | Sr. | Minneapolis, Minn. | 11.1 | 3.1 |
| C | 25 | Johnny Phillips | 6-9 | 235 | Jr. | Fort Worth, Texas | 0.9 | 1.2 |
| F | 33 | Brodney Kennard | 6-8 | 210 | Sr. | Fort Worth, Texas | 6.7 | 7.2 |
| F | 14 | Mario Layne | 6-7 | 195 | Sr. | St. Michael, Barbados | 14.1 | 4.8 |
OKLAHOMA
| Ht | WT | CL | HOMETOWN | PPG | RPG | |||
| G | 11 | J.R. Raymond | 6-2 | 175 | So. | Gastonia, N.C. | 15.6 | 3.6 |
| G | 10 | Hollis Price | 6-1 | 165 | Fr. | New Orleans, La. | 6.1 | 1.7 |
| C | 33 | Renzi Stone | 6-10 | 250 | Sr. | Tulsa, Okla. | 4.5 | 4.2 |
| F | 05 | Nolan Johnson | 6-4 | 215 | Jr. | Brooklyn, N.Y. | 7.3 | 4.3 |
| F | 21 | Eduardo Najera | 6-8 | 240 | Sr. | Chihuahua, Mexico | 19.6 | 8.7 |
DICKEY VS. OKLAHOMA
Texas Tech head coach James Dickey is 4-3 against the Sooners during his tenure. Six of the seven games have been Big 12 Conference matchups.
SOONER HEAD COACH KELVIN SAMPSON
Kelvin Sampson is in his sixth season at the helm of the Sooner program and has collected a 118-58 record over that span. His 16-plus years head coaching record is 194-206. Sampson got his head coaching start at Montana Tech in 1981. He moved on to Washington State in 1987, where he guided the Cougar program to an NIT and NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons. Since arriving at Oklahoma in 1994, the Sooners have made five-straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Sampson.
RED RAIDERS ALL-TIME VS. OKLAHOMA
| Brodney Kennard | Gm | Min | Pt | Rb | Bk |
| 2 | 11.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 1.5 | |
| Mario Layne | Gm | Min | Pt | Rb | As |
| 2 | 19.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 0.5 | |
| Jayson Mitchell | Gm | Min | Pt | Rb | As |
| 2 | 14.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | |
| Johnny Phillips | Gm | Min | Pt | Rb | Bk |
| 4 | 17.5 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | |
| James Ware | Gm | Min | Pt | Rb | As |
| 2 | 15.0 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 0.0 | |
| Rayford Young | Gm | Min | Pt | Rb | As |
| 6 | 26.5 | 9.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 |
TECH ON THREE-GAME SKID
Texas Tech currently finds itself in the middle of a four-game drought, its longest of the season. The last time the Red Raiders lost four straight came last season during a six-game skid.
TECH IN MIDST OF WORST BIG 12 START
Since the inception of the Big 12 Conference four years ago, Texas Tech finds itself in the midst of its worst start Big 12 play. The Red Raiders are 0-5 in league play.
TEXAS CROWD IS THIRD-LARGEST
Texas Tech's sellout crowd of 15,050 against Indiana at the inaugural game in the United Spirit Arena marked the largest home crowd in school history to witness a Red Raider basketball game. The A&M game crowd of 14,324 is the second largest, while the Texas game drew 14,045.
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
Texas Tech is second in the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense. The Red Raiders are holding opponents to 38.8 percent from the field. Oklahoma State leads the Big 12, limiting the opposition to 38.5 percent.
TECH LOSES LEAD AT THE LINE
For the first time this season, Texas Tech finds itself in unfamiliar territory. After hitting just 8-of-16 from the foul line at Baylor, the Red Raiders drop out as the league's top free throw shooting percentage team. Tech is now hitting 70.0 percent on the year, while Oklahoma leads the way with 70.3 percent.
YOUNG FINDS NICHE AT HOME
It took some time, but Rayford Young has finally found his shooting touch at the United Spirit Arena. During the last two games at the Arena, the senior guard averaged 20 points, six rebounds and six assists per game. He also shot 52.6 percent from the field. In the seven games prior, Young managed 14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Despite scoring almost 15 points per game, Young struggled from the field with a 33.3 field goal percentage.
RED RAIDERS BY THE NUMBERS
Rayford Young - Young is currently 16th on the all-time scoring chart at Texas Tech with 1,288 career points ... began the season at 24th on the list ... needs 12 points for 1,300 and to move into 15th place ... ranks fifth all-time with 357 career assists ... fourth all-time with 149 steals ... ranks sixth with 140 made three-pointers and sixth with 371 three-point attempts ... leads active team members with 16.6 points per game ... shooting 80.3 percent from the foul line on the season and is third in the Big 12 ... has started every game this season.
Brodney Kennard - Kennard is seventh all-time with 75 career blocks, including 38 already this season ... if he keeps his current pace (2.3 bpg), he will finish second all-time at Tech ... scored career-high 15 points at Baylor ... has four double-figure rebounding games this season with 11 against Indiana, 10 against North Texas, 11 at New Mexico State and 10 at OSU ... has led the team in rebounding in seven games ... averaging 7.2 rebounds per game after picking up only 4.3 ... year ago ... has started every game this season.
Andy Ellis - Out for the season ... Ellis posted his seventh career double-double against Texas A&M with 21 points and 11 rebounds ... also knocked down 11-of-13 free throws attempts in that game ... posted back-to-back-to-back double-doubles against Southwest Texas, Oral Roberts and Prairie View A&M ... finished the season with 16.9 points per game and 8.9 rebounds ... shot 50.3 percent from the field and 73.8 percent from the foul line ... started every game this season.
James Ware - Averaging 11.1 points per game and 2.7 assists ... scored ... career-high 23 points at Texas A&M-CC earlier this season ... has started every game this season.
Mario Layne - Is averaging 14.1 points per game and 1.1 blocks ... has 16 blocks ... exploded for ... career-high 32 points against Prairie View A&M on 12-of-20 shooting ... also had five boards and three assists in that game ... best performance from three-land, knocking down 3-of-4 against the Panthers ... has started every game this season.
OFF THE BENCH
Jayson Mitchell has been the Red Raiders' biggest contributor off the bench this season. Mitchell averages 22.9 minutes, 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He is shooting 44.6 percent from the field. Earlier this season, Mitchell came off the bench against North Texas and poured in a career-high 25 point and tied a school record with seven three-point baskets. He also tied his career-high in rebounds with seven at Baylor.
NOTING THE BAYLOR GAME
- With the loss, the Red Raiders remain the only team in the Big 12 Conference this season without a league win.
- Baylor snapped a 22-game Big 12 losing streak with the win.
- Brodney Kennard posted a career-high 15 points, while Jayson Mitchell grabbed a career-high tying seven rebounds.
- Tech's two leading scorers on the season, Rayford Young and Mario Layne, combined for 8-of-24 shooting from the field and 0-8 from three-point range for 17 points.
- Tech pulled to within one point of the Bears in the second half, but Baylor launched a 17-1 run to put the seal the game.
WARE POSTS FIRST DOUBLE-DOUBLE
James Ware knocked down 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds at Baylor for his first career double-double.
WARE ON FIRE FROM THREE
James Ware continues to lead the team in three-point shooting. He has connected on 37 attempts and is shooting 42 percent from the arc.
STARTING ROTATION INTERRUPTED
Texas Tech had used the same starting rotation in the first 14 games, until the injury to Andy Ellis sidelined him for the season. Johnny Phillips replaced Ellis against Texas for his first start of the season, and got his second start against Baylor. Rayford Young leads all starters with 67 career starts.
IRONMEN
Four of Texas Tech's five starters are seeing action in 30 or more minutes per game. Rayford Young (35.9), James Ware (33.0), Brodney Kennard (31.1) and Mario Layne (30.8) are all averaging over 30 minutes per game.
TEXAS TECH VS. THE BIG 12
Texas Tech has faced the member institutions of the Big 12 on 407 occasions. Tech played its 400th game against a current Big 12 opponent with a 90-84 home win over Kansas Feb. 13, 1999. Here are Texas Tech's series record with each of the Big 12 schools:
| TEAM | RECORD |
| Baylor | 61-37 |
| Colorado | 4-12 |
| Iowa State | 1-5 |
| Kansas | 1-9 |
| Kansas State | 4-8 |
| Missouri | 3-3 |
| Nebraska | 6-9 |
| Oklahoma | 10-13 |
| Oklahoma State | 6-14 |
| Texas | 50-52 |
| Texas A&M | 52-47 |
| TOTALS | 198-209 (.491) |
KANSAS MOVES PAST TEXAS TECH IN BLOCKED SHOTS
Texas Tech led the Big 12 for two weeks in blocked shots per game entering this week, Kansas edged out the Red Raiders earlier in the week to take over the lead. KU leads the Big 12 with 5.5 per game, while Tech is averaging 5.3 blocks. Behind Brodney Kennard's team-leading 38 blocks and Mario Layne's 16 rejections, the Red Raiders have 85 rejections this season. Kennard is third in the Big 12 with 2.4 blocks per game and Layne is ninth with 1.0 per game.
TECH OPPONENTS RANKED AMONG NATION'S BEST
Five Red Raider opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the Jan. 24 ESPN/USA Today and Associated Press polls. Kansas (11/12), Indiana (12/14), Oklahoma State (16/15), Texas (14/17) and Oklahoma (17/18) are all ranked. Rankings are listed (ESPN-USA Today/AP).
RED RAIDERS 103rd IN SAGARIN RATINGS
Texas Tech is 103rd in the Sagarin Ratings, released Mon, Jan. 24. Others in the Big 12 include Kansas (10), Texas (15), Oklahoma State (17), Iowa State (24), Oklahoma (25), Missouri (49), Colorado (53), Kansas State (128), Nebraska (140), Baylor (159) and Texas A&M (184).
PRIME TIME
Texas Tech christened the United Spirit Arena in front a live national audience on ESPN Fri., Nov. 19, when the Red Raiders host Big Ten power Indiana in the season opener for both teams. The Red Raiders also play the following games on television:
| Date | Opponent | Network |
| J8 | at Oklahoma St. | ESPN+ |
| J15 | Texas A&M | FOX |
| J22 | Texas | FOX |
| J29 | Oklahoma | ESPN+ |
| F5 | at Kansas | ESPN+ |
| F12 | Baylor | FOX |
| F19 | at Texas A&M | ESPN+ |
| F23 | at Oklahoma | ESPN+ |
| F26 | Kansas State | ESPN+ |
| M4 | at Colorado | ESPN+ |
NEW ADDITION
Texas Tech added some much needed depth at the post position with the addition of Josh Faltesek. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound freshman joined the team following fall finals. He attended a junior college in Amarillo during the fall semester, but did not compete with the basketball team there.
M*A*S*H
Red Raider forward Cliff Owens is out for the season after undergoing ankle surgery prior to the start of preseason workouts. He will redshirt the year and have one year of eligibility remaining. Owens' redshirt is not a medical redshirt since he has not played in a game this season. Ellis joins Owens on the injured list and is out for the season as well. Freshman Josh Faltesek has seen limited time due to a knee injury since joining the team.
TECH CELEBRATES 75TH SEASON
The 1999-2000 season is the 75th in the history of the Red Raiders men's basketball program. The school began the program prior to the 1925-26 season. Tech's first game was a 37-25 loss to Daniel Baker on Jan. 25, 1926. The first win was a 35-21 victory at Sul Ross State on Feb. 4 of the same season. The Red Raiders hold an overall record of 1,094-809 (.576).
NINETIES THE SECOND-BEST DECADE IN SCHOOL HISTORY
Texas Tech won 160 of 292 games (54.8 percent) played during the 90s. The winningest decade came during the 70s when the Red Raiders won 174 games. Here's a rundown of the top five decades for wins: 1970s (174), 1990s (160), 1980s (153), 1950s (146), 1940s (143).
RED RAIDERS INK THREE PLAYERS
Texas Tech signed three players to national letters of intent during the early signing period - Marcus Shropshire (Grand Prairie, Texas / South Grand Prairie H.S), Jamal Brown (Dallas, Texas / Fort Scott C.C.) and Jermichael Miller (Houston, Texas / Wheatley). Shropshire is considered the No. 1 senior guard prospect in the state and the No. 5 player overall.
HOME SCHEDULE
The Red Raiders play host to 17 home games, including the two exhibitions. In addition to Indiana, Tech hosts North Texas, Louisiana-Lafayette, Southwest Texas State, Oral Roberts, Prairie View A&M and Centenary in non-conference home games. In Big 12 action, Texas A&M, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas State and Iowa State all visit the confines of the United Spirit Arena.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Red Raiders make 12 road trips this season, including eight in Big 12 Conference play. Tech faces Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas-El Paso, Stephen F. Austin and New Mexico State in non-conference action away from home. Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Baylor, Kansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Colorado dot the Big 12 road slate.
WORLD WIDE WEB
Information concerning Texas Tech basketball and the University's 17 intercollegiate sports can be accessed through www.texastech.com. Red Raiders fans also can listen to the live broadcasts of Tech hoops through the website.
