Texas Tech University Athletics
Owens Named Defensive Player of Year Semifinalist
February 22, 2019 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – With at least one block in every game and 63 overall this season, Texas Tech senior Tariq Owens has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2019 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
An Odenton, Maryland native, Owens comes into Saturday's game against Kansas with 2.42 blocked shots, 5.3 rebounds and 8.4 points per game in his first season with the No. 14-ranked Red Raiders. His defensive work has helped Tech limit opponents to 36.1 percent shoot which leads the nation and to 57.2 points per game which is second. Owens has already recorded three or more blocks in 10 games this season, including establishing a new Tech record with eight blocks in a win over Memphis. In Big 12 Conference play, he has three games with four blocks and three with three blocks including in the first matchup against the Jayhawks where he also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Along with Owens, the semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year are Barry Brown Jr. (Kansas State), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), Ashton Hagans (Kentucky), De'Andre Hunter (Virginia), Tre Jones (Duke), Zavier Simpson (Michigan), Matisse Thybulle (Washington), Grant Williams (Tennessee) and Zion Williamson (Duke). The five finalists for the award will be announced on March 14 and the presentation for the winner will be on April 7.
Owens, who led the BIG EAST in blocks the past two seasons while playing at St. John's, established the new Texas Tech single-game record with eight blocks in the win over Memphis on Dec. 1 in Miami after starting his Red Raider career with six blocks against Incarnate Word in the season opener. Along with his defensive prowess, he had a season-high 18 points against Southern Cal and recorded the team's first double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in his eight-block performance against Memphis. Owens transferred to Tech after playing his freshman season at Tennessee and then two years at St. John's. He came to Lubbock with 179 blocked shots and now has 242 in his career after last week where he had two blocks in both games against Oklahoma State and Baylor.
His 63 blocks are currently fourth all-time at Tech for a single season, behind only Tony Battie who set the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season, Brodney Kennard who had 69 blocks in 1999-2000 and Battie who is third on the list with 68 blocks in the 1995-96 campaign. His 242 career would be a Texas Tech record if he had played his entire collegiate career with the Red Raiders.
Owens and the Red Raiders (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) host No. 12 Kansas (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the United Supermarkets Arena.
An Odenton, Maryland native, Owens comes into Saturday's game against Kansas with 2.42 blocked shots, 5.3 rebounds and 8.4 points per game in his first season with the No. 14-ranked Red Raiders. His defensive work has helped Tech limit opponents to 36.1 percent shoot which leads the nation and to 57.2 points per game which is second. Owens has already recorded three or more blocks in 10 games this season, including establishing a new Tech record with eight blocks in a win over Memphis. In Big 12 Conference play, he has three games with four blocks and three with three blocks including in the first matchup against the Jayhawks where he also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Along with Owens, the semifinalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year are Barry Brown Jr. (Kansas State), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), Ashton Hagans (Kentucky), De'Andre Hunter (Virginia), Tre Jones (Duke), Zavier Simpson (Michigan), Matisse Thybulle (Washington), Grant Williams (Tennessee) and Zion Williamson (Duke). The five finalists for the award will be announced on March 14 and the presentation for the winner will be on April 7.
Owens, who led the BIG EAST in blocks the past two seasons while playing at St. John's, established the new Texas Tech single-game record with eight blocks in the win over Memphis on Dec. 1 in Miami after starting his Red Raider career with six blocks against Incarnate Word in the season opener. Along with his defensive prowess, he had a season-high 18 points against Southern Cal and recorded the team's first double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds in his eight-block performance against Memphis. Owens transferred to Tech after playing his freshman season at Tennessee and then two years at St. John's. He came to Lubbock with 179 blocked shots and now has 242 in his career after last week where he had two blocks in both games against Oklahoma State and Baylor.
His 63 blocks are currently fourth all-time at Tech for a single season, behind only Tony Battie who set the single-season record with 71 blocks in the 1996-97 season, Brodney Kennard who had 69 blocks in 1999-2000 and Battie who is third on the list with 68 blocks in the 1995-96 campaign. His 242 career would be a Texas Tech record if he had played his entire collegiate career with the Red Raiders.
Owens and the Red Raiders (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) host No. 12 Kansas (20-6, 9-4 Big 12) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the United Supermarkets Arena.
Players Mentioned
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