Texas Tech University Athletics
Billy Gillispie, Red Raiders Begin Play at Old Spice Classic
November 23, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie and the Red Raiders take on Indiana State on Thursday at 11 a.m. CT.
Nov. 24, 2011
TEXAS TECH NOTES • INDIANA STATE NOTES • LIVE STATS • TOURNAMENT HEADQUARTERS
THE OPENING TIP
• Texas Tech is coming off a 66-54 win over Stephen F. Austin at the United Spirit Arena.
• Indiana State enters the Old Spice Classic 4-0 after knocking off Green Bay on Monday, 57-56. The Sycamores are 3-0 at home and 1-0 opn the road this season.
• The game is being televised by ESPN2. It is also available on ESPN3.com. Bob Picozzi (Play-By-Play) and Tim Welsh (Analyst) are calling the action.
• Texas Tech is look to start the season 4-0 first the first time since 2009-10. That season, Tech began the year 9-0.
TEXAS TECH-INDIANA STATE SERIES
• This marks the second meeting between Texas Tech and Indiana State. Indiana Stateleads the series, 1-0. The last time the two teams met was at the All-College Tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla., in 1972.
TEXAS TECH vs. MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
• Texas Tech is 4-7 all-time against schools currently in the Missouri Valley Conference --Creighton (1-2), Indiana State (0-1), Southern Illinois (2-1) and Wichita State (1-3).
FROM THE START
Last time out against Stephen F. Austin, the starting lineup for the Red Raiders changed. Kevin Wagner, Javarez Willis, Toddrick Gotcher, Jordan Tolbert and Robert Lewandowski took the floor. This was slightly different that the first two games of the season, as Ty Nurse was replaced by Kevin Wagner.
CROCKETT IS SIXTH
After missing the first two exhibition games and the season opener, Texas Tech sophomore Jaye Crockett has come off the bench first in each of the last two games. Against North Texas, he came off the bench to hit his first three shots of the game. Crockett was the first player off the bench for the Red Raiders to start the first and the second half. Crockett finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds. Against Stephen F. Austin, It was much the same, as Crockett was the first off the bench for Tech and finished the game with 13 points, seven boards and three assists.
UP AND DOWN FROM THREE
One game removed from shooting better than 18.2 percent from the 3-point line, the Red Raiders hit 54.5 percent against Stephen F. Austin. For the season, the Red Raiders are 18 of 41 from beyond the arc (43 percent). Javarez Willis leads the way, hitting on 5 of 11 attempts (45 percent) from 3-point range.
NURSE AN OFFENSE THREAT
Ty Nurse has now led the Red Raiders in scoring for three consecutive games. He ranks fourth in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.3 points, but is sixth in the league in field goal percentage (53.6 percent), first in free throws made (21), third in free throw attempts (22) and percentage (95.5). Nurse had a Texas Tech newcomer best 29 in the opener and added 15 against North Texas and 14 against Stephen F. Austin. Nurse has currently made 13 consecutive free throws and is 21 of 22 on the season.
PLAYING NINE
Against Stephen F. Austin, nine players saw action in the game, including local product Kevin Wagner, who recorded his first collegiate start. It was Wagner's second career game after missing both exhibition games and the season opener. Against North Texas, 10 players entered the game.
SHOOTING FOR AVERAGE
Texas Tech leads the Big 12 Conference in field goal percentage through three games, as the Red Raiders have hit on 55.8 percent of its shots from the field. Texas Tech shot 61.1 percent from the field (33 of 54) against Troy in the opener, which eclipses the highest percentage of any game last season. The highest percentage last season was 58.8 percent (30-of-51) against Delaware State on Jan. 4. In the second game of the season against North Texas, Texas Tech was just 22 of 49 (44.9 percent), but rebounded against Stephen F. Austin. Against the Lumberjacks, The Red Raiders connected on their first six shots of the game to take a 15-5 lead. Texas Tech connected on 14 of 17 shots from the field in the first half (82.4 percent) and hit four of five 3-pointers (80 percent). The Red Raiders finished the game hitting 62.9 percent from the field. It is the best shooting performance by Tech in the last three years, eclipsing the 62.1 percent the Red Raiders shot against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 22, 2008.
PACKING THE STANDS
Sunday's announced attendance was 9,420. Through three games, the Red Raiders are averaging 9,374 fans a game. Last season, Texas Tech averaged 8,513 fans a game. The Red Raiders return home on Sunday, Dec. 18 against Grambling State.
RED RAIDERS BEGIN 86TH SEASON
Texas Tech opened its 86th season of play Nov. 11 with a 90-85 win over Troy. The Red Raiders are 60-26 in season openers. Texas Tech has won 12 straight season openers. The last time the Red Raiders lost a season opener was No. 19, 1999, when Texas Tech fell to Indiana, 68-60, in the inaugural game in the United Spirit Arena.
GILLISPIE IN SEASON OPENERS
As a head coach, Billy Gillispie is 7-1 in season openers -- UTEP (2-0), Texas A&M (3-0), Kentucky (1-1) and Texas Tech (1-0).
MEMORABLE DEBUT
Ty Nurse's 29 points against Troy is the most by a Red Raider since Mike Singletary had 33 against Iowa State on Jan. 26 last season. It is also the most points in a season opener by a Texas Tech player since Curtis Marshall had 30 against UNC-Ashville in 2004 and Andy Ellis had 30 against Indiana in 1999. It is also the most points in a newcomer debut in the Red Raider Big 12 Era.
BALANCED ATTACK
Once again, it was Texas Tech's balanced attack on the offensive end that made the difference. Texas Tech had four players in double figures for the game - Ty Nurse (14), Jay Crockett (13), Jordan Tolbert (12) and Javarez Willis (10). For the season, seven Red Raiders are averaging seven points or more.
LEWANDOWSKI'S STREAK ENDS
Robert Lewandowski fouled out with 5:01 to play in the game. It snapped a 33-game scoring streak for the senior. The last time Lewandowski did not score in a game was March 23, 2010, in the National Invitation Tournament against Ole Miss.
FROM THE LINE
Texas Tech shot 92 percent from the free throw line (23 of 25) against North Texas. It is the highest output since connecting on 23 of 24 last season against TCU (95.8 percent). The Red Raiders connected on nine consecutive free throws over the final 3:04 to secure the victory. For the season, Texas Tech is 37-of-49 from the line (75.5 percent). Last season, the Red Raiders were 72.9 percent from the charity stripe.
BALL CONTROL
Texas Tech averaged 29 turnovers in two exhibitions games and have reduced that number to 19.5 through the first three games of the season.
A CLASS OF ONE
Robert Lewandowski is the lone senior on the squad this season and one of just three returning players from last year's team. He has played in 97 career games. Last season Lewandowski chipped in 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds. He had eight points, seven rebounds and one assist.
TWO SOPHOMORES RETURN
Sophomores Jaye Crockett and Javarez Willis are the other two returning players from last year's squad. Crockett played in all 32 games last season, contributing 4.8 points and 3.0 rebounds as a freshman. Willis saw action in 27 games last season, chipping in 3.6 points and 1.5 assists. Willis made an impact against Troy in the opener, chipping in 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. Crockett sat out the opener due to injury.
NEW FACES ABOUND
The Red Raiders have a complete new look for the new season, as Billy Gillispie and his staff have completed a roster complete with 12 new faces to go along with the three returners. The newcomers include eight freshmen, one sophomore and three juniors.
A LOOK AT THE OLD SPICE CLASSIC FIELD
The field for the 2011 Old Spice Classic enters the tournament 21-5 on the young season -- Arizona State (1-2), Fairfield (2-2), Dayton (2-1), DePaul (2-0), Indiana State (4-0), Minnesota (4-0), Texas Tech (3-0) and Wake Forest (3-0). The top half of the bracket, which features Texas Tech, Indiana State, DePaul and Minnesota is a combined 13-0.
The Red Raiders are 0-1 against Indiana State, their first round opponent. Texas Tech is 0-1 all-time against DePaul and 4-1 against Minnesota. The only meeting with DePaul came in 1983 at the Suntory Ball Classic in Japan. The last meeting between Texas Tech and Minnesota came on Jan. 1, 2004 at the United Spirit Arena.
Arizona State and Texas Tech have faced off 41 times, with the Red Raiders holding a slim 22-19 advantage. The two were conference foes in the old Border Conference in the 1930s through the 1950s. The last time the two met was 1988, when the Sun Devils won 83-68 in Tempe.
The Red Raiders knocked off Dayton in their own tournament in 1974 and lost the Wake Forest in the 2005 Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament Third Place game. Tech has never faced Fairfield.
