Texas Tech University Athletics
Five Red Raiders to Compete at NBA G League Winter Showcase
December 18, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech will be represented by Tariq Owens and Norense Odiase (Northern Arizona), Brandone Francis (Iowa), Matt Mooney (Memphis) and Zhaire Smith (Delaware) at the MGM Resorts NBA G League Winter Showcase tournament this weekend. Â
The 2019 NBA G League Winter Showcase tips off on Thursday at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and runs through Sunday. The event culminates with a championship game on Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 with players on the winning team receiving $100,000.  ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN+ and NBA TV will broadcast the rest of the event while GLeague.nba.com will stream all games. Smith, who was selected No. 16 in the NBA Draft after his freshman season at Tech, is in his second season with Delaware and will play at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in the first game for a Red Raider in the event. Francis, Mooney, Owens and Odiase are in their first seasons in the G-League after helping lead Tech to the NCAA National Championship Final and Big 12 regular-season championship. Francis and the Wolves will play at 7 p.m. on Thursday, while Odiase and Owens play their first game on Friday at 7 p.m. and Mooney will play at 9:30 p.m. on Friday for the Hustle.
Owens is averaging 8.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, while Odiase is at 5.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Suns. Owens scored a season-high 17 points against SCW and has scored in double digits and had a season-high five blocks last week against SBL. Odiase has recorded two double-doubles this season and has pulled down double-digit rebounds in five games. He scored a season-high 14 points on Dec. 7 against Salt Lake City and is coming off a game where he had 11 rebounds and eight points on Tuesday night.
Mooney is averaging 12.7 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Hustle who lead the G-League West Division with a 14-1 record. Mooney has started 13 of 15 games this season for the Hustle and is coming off a 14-point performance on Tuesday in a 132-109 win over the Rio Grande Valley. He scored a season-high 23 points in a win over Sioux Falls where he hit three 3-pointers and also scored 20 against the Suns. Mooney has scored in double figures in 12 games and has had four or more assists in nine games including two eight-assist performances.
Smith is scoring 12.8 points per game and is also adding 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his second season with the Blue Coats. Smith has played in nine games this season and is averaging 26.8 minutes per game. He is coming off a 16-point performance on Tuesday night against Greensboro where he was 6 of 10 from the field with two 3-pointers and has two games this season with 18 points. Francis has played in seven games for Iowa and is averaging 1.1 points per game. He scored a season-high five points against Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 10 after scoring three in his debut on Nov. 20 against the South Bay Lakers.
The Memphis Hustle earned the top seed in the MGM Resorts NBA G League Winter Showcase tournament, following its first 12 games of action this season. The Wisconsin Herd, Salt Lake City Stars and Grand Rapids Drive round out the four teams in the championship bracket.
Under the new tournament format, teams were ranked 1-28 based on their records through their first 12 games of the regular season. The Hustle, Herd, Stars and Drive will compete in the Championship Bracket while the additional 24 teams have been placed into six four-team pods. Tournament seeding was determined first by win-loss records through the first 12 games of the regular season. Ties were broken using head-to-head winning percentage followed by Showcase Points and point differential. A team received one Showcase Point for each quarter of each game in which it outscores its opponent and half a Showcase Point for each quarter of each game in which it and its opponent tie.
All games at the Winter Showcase count toward regular season records.
Â
Â
The 2019 NBA G League Winter Showcase tips off on Thursday at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and runs through Sunday. The event culminates with a championship game on Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 with players on the winning team receiving $100,000.  ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN+ and NBA TV will broadcast the rest of the event while GLeague.nba.com will stream all games. Smith, who was selected No. 16 in the NBA Draft after his freshman season at Tech, is in his second season with Delaware and will play at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in the first game for a Red Raider in the event. Francis, Mooney, Owens and Odiase are in their first seasons in the G-League after helping lead Tech to the NCAA National Championship Final and Big 12 regular-season championship. Francis and the Wolves will play at 7 p.m. on Thursday, while Odiase and Owens play their first game on Friday at 7 p.m. and Mooney will play at 9:30 p.m. on Friday for the Hustle.
Owens is averaging 8.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, while Odiase is at 5.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Suns. Owens scored a season-high 17 points against SCW and has scored in double digits and had a season-high five blocks last week against SBL. Odiase has recorded two double-doubles this season and has pulled down double-digit rebounds in five games. He scored a season-high 14 points on Dec. 7 against Salt Lake City and is coming off a game where he had 11 rebounds and eight points on Tuesday night.
Mooney is averaging 12.7 points and 4.8 assists per game for the Hustle who lead the G-League West Division with a 14-1 record. Mooney has started 13 of 15 games this season for the Hustle and is coming off a 14-point performance on Tuesday in a 132-109 win over the Rio Grande Valley. He scored a season-high 23 points in a win over Sioux Falls where he hit three 3-pointers and also scored 20 against the Suns. Mooney has scored in double figures in 12 games and has had four or more assists in nine games including two eight-assist performances.
Smith is scoring 12.8 points per game and is also adding 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his second season with the Blue Coats. Smith has played in nine games this season and is averaging 26.8 minutes per game. He is coming off a 16-point performance on Tuesday night against Greensboro where he was 6 of 10 from the field with two 3-pointers and has two games this season with 18 points. Francis has played in seven games for Iowa and is averaging 1.1 points per game. He scored a season-high five points against Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 10 after scoring three in his debut on Nov. 20 against the South Bay Lakers.
The Memphis Hustle earned the top seed in the MGM Resorts NBA G League Winter Showcase tournament, following its first 12 games of action this season. The Wisconsin Herd, Salt Lake City Stars and Grand Rapids Drive round out the four teams in the championship bracket.
Under the new tournament format, teams were ranked 1-28 based on their records through their first 12 games of the regular season. The Hustle, Herd, Stars and Drive will compete in the Championship Bracket while the additional 24 teams have been placed into six four-team pods. Tournament seeding was determined first by win-loss records through the first 12 games of the regular season. Ties were broken using head-to-head winning percentage followed by Showcase Points and point differential. A team received one Showcase Point for each quarter of each game in which it outscores its opponent and half a Showcase Point for each quarter of each game in which it and its opponent tie.
All games at the Winter Showcase count toward regular season records.
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Center
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's BasketballPostgame Press Conference: vs. Alabama (NCAA Tournament Second Round)
Monday, March 23
Press Conference: NCAA Tournament Second Round Preview
Saturday, March 21
Postgame Press Conference: vs. Akron (NCAA Tournament First Round)
Friday, March 20
A Round One Celebration
Friday, March 20