RED RAIDER PREVIEW: vs. Cowboys

LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 13 Texas Tech returns to Big 12 play by hosting Oklahoma State at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the United Supermarkets in the first game of 2021 and the third on its conference schedule.

The Red Raiders (8-2, 1-1 Big 12) are currently second in the nation by limiting opponents to only 53.7 points per game and are sixth with an 8.4 turnover-margin advantage. Tech's defense has now held eight of 10 opponents under 60 points and seven under 40 percent shooting following the 79-51 non-conference win over Incarnate Word on Tuesday leading into the matchup against OSU (6-2, 0-2 Big 12).

Mac McClung leads the Red Raiders with 14.4 points per game (3 games of 20+), while Terrence Shannon, Jr. is going for 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Marcus Santos-Silva is providing 8.6 points and leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game (2 double-doubles) and Kyler Edwards leads the Big 12 with a 3.44 assist-to-turnover ratio to go along with scoring 9.2 points per game. Edwards leads the team with 31 assists, while McClung has 30 for the Red Raiders who are averaging 14.5 assists per game. Kevin McCullar made his season debut on Tuesday after missing the first nine games due to injury and matched Santos-Silva for the team lead with 11 points in the win over Incarnate Word. McCullar scored 11 points and had three rebounds and two steals in 11 minutes of play. Edwards had 10 points and eight rebounds against UIW, while McClung matched a career-high with seven rebounds to go along with eight points and three assists in the 28-point win.

The Red Raiders are limiting opponents to 36.5 percent shooting which leads the Big 12 and is 13th nationally, while 11.2 steals per game has them 11th in the country. Tech has opened Big 12 play with a 58-57 loss to No. 3 Kansas on Dec. 17 before winning a 69-67 road game at Oklahoma on Dec. 22. The Cowboys fell 77-76 in their Big 12 opener to TCU at home on Dec. 17 before taking a 77-74 loss to No. 11 Texas in Austin. Tech has won by double digits in six of 10 games, but has played a one-possession game in its first two Big 12 games.

MEDIA: The game will be televised on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Mark Neely and Tim Welsh on the call, while Geoff Haxton and Chris Level will have the radio broadcast on the Texas Tech Sports Network and locally on Double T 97.3. Fans can also follow the action with updates, highlights and photos on the @TexasTechMBB social media platforms.

SERIES HISTORY: The programs split last year's series with the home team winning both matchups. Tech opened with an 85-50 win on Jan. 4, 2020 in Lubbock before the Cowboys took a 73-70 win on Feb. 15, 2020 in Stillwater. The Red Raiders are 15-10 all-time against OSU in Lubbock, while Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with a 45-23 advantage. The programs meet for the first time on Jan. 1, 1937 in Oklahoma City. OSU won the first eight matchups in the series. The series is even at 4-4 in the Beard era.

SCOUTING REPORT: Oklahoma State travels to Lubbock on a two-game losing streak after dropping its Big 12 openers against TCU and at Texas before the holiday break. The Cowboys are averaging 76.8 points per game by shooting 44.8 percent from the field and have been held under 70 points only once this season, a 67-64 road win at Wichita State. OSU is coming off a game on Dec. 20 in Austin where it led 34-29 at halftime before seeing the Longhorns make six 3-pointers in the second half to take the win.

OSU freshman Cade Cunningham leads the Cowboys and the Big 12 with 19.1 points per game after beginning his collegiate career by shooting 45.3 percent from the field and also going 36-for-45 on free-throws. A 6-foot-8 guard from Arlington, Cunningham scored 25 points and had three rebounds in the loss at Texas after scoring 17 in the 77-76 loss to TCU. Isaac Likekele is adding 10.1 points and 8.3 rebounds, while Rondel Walker and Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe are both over eight points per game. Keylan Boone has started all eight games for OSU along with Cunningham and Likekele and is averaging 6.1 points per game. Cunningham and Likekele lead the team with 30 assists each and Bryce Williams tops the team with 12 steals to go along with scoring 7.1 ppg. Against Texas, Williams had 13 points to lead the reserves while Likekele led the Cowboys with nine rebounds and also had six points in the loss.

The Cowboys are scheduled to host West Virginia at 8 p.m. on Monday night in Stillwater and will host Texas Tech for the second game of the series on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

THE RED RAIDERS: Texas Tech's roster is made of 13 players this season with six returners and seven newcomers. Marcus Santos-Silva is the team's lone senior while the junior class is made up of Kyler Edwards, Avery Benson, Mac McClung and Jamarius Burton. The sophomore class includes Kevin McCullar, Terrence Shannon, Jr. and Clarence Nadolny. Tyreek Smith is a redshirt freshman in a class that welcomes in Chibuzo Agbo, Nimari Burnett, Micah Peavy and Vladislav Goldin.

The program returned two starters in Edwards and Shannon from last season, while McCullar started six games in Big 12 play. McCullar made his season debut in the win over UIW after missing the first nine games due to injury. Off last year's team, starters Davide Moretti, TJ Holyfield and Jahmi'us Ramsey left and are currently beginning professional careers. Ramsey led the team with 15.0 points per game and Moretti was second at 13.0 ppg. leaving the Red Raiders with 38.9 percent of their scoring back off last year's roster led by Edwards who averaged 11.4 per game.

SENIOR (1): Santos-Silva is in his first season at Texas Tech after playing his first three at VCU and has two double-doubles through 10 games with a 13 rebound/10 point game against Northwestern State and 12-point, 10-rebound performance against Sam Houston. Santos-Silva has scored in double figures the past two games, going off for a season-high 18 points on 9-for-13 shooting in the road win at Oklahoma and then scoring 11 against UIW. He also added seven rebounds against the Sooners and is now averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this season. He leads the team in blocks with 12 after adding two more against Kansas, but has not had one in the past two games. He recorded a career-high four blocks against ACU and then followed it up with three in the win over A&M-Corpus Christi. Named the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Santos-Silva graduated from VCU this summer and has accumulated 914 points, 689 rebounds and 104 blocked shots through 107 games in his career. Beard said of Santos-Silva: "He's a guy that wants to get better and is working hard to get better. He's mature, experienced and has thick skin to want the truth. He doesn't live in La-La Land. He understands what his strengths are and what he needs to improve on. I think it's our job to make sure he has his best year ever. He's a guy who holds himself accountable, wants his coaches to hold him accountable and his teammates accountable. He is respected enough already to hold other players accountable on our team. He's got the looks of a great leader and we have high expectations for him. It's hard being a leader and best player guy. He wants that responsibility."

JUNIORS (4): Edwards is coming off a game against Incarnate Word where he approached a double-double by scoring 10 points and leading the Red Raiders with eight rebounds. He also had nine rebounds in the win at OU and is now averaging 5.3 rebounds and 9.2 points per game through 10 contests. Edwards has scored in double figures in five games this season with a high of 19 in the win over Abilene Christian where he was 9-for-10 at the free-throw line and also hit two 3-pointers. Edwards leads the Red Raiders with 31 assists this season with a career-high seven assists coming in the season opener against Northwestern State. Edwards scored a career-high 24 points last season at Kansas State and also has a 12-point performance with two 3-pointers in the 2019 NCAA National Championship game as a freshman on his impressive resume. He is back for his third season after playing a reserve role in all 38 games as a freshman during the Final Four run and starting all games last year as a sophomore. An Arlington native, Edwards averaged 11.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game to go along with 95 assists as a sophomore. He's scored 654 points, accumulated 168 assists and has made 95 3-pointers through 79 career games. He wore No. 0 the first two years of his career, but offered it to McClung over the summer as the Red Raiders where recruiting him. He was No. 11 in high school. Edward said: "It's a competition every day with our team. No one is going to take a day off." The junior class includes Burton and McClung who both transferred in and both received NCAA waivers to play this season. McClung transferred to Texas Tech after he averaged 14.2 points, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.8 rebounds in 50 career games at Georgetown University. McClung has led the Red Raiders in five of 10 games in scoring, including going for his season-high with 21 in the Big 12 opener against KU by shooting 9-for-10 from the free-throw line and hitting five shots from the field. He's also scored 20 in the opener against NSU and 20 against Troy before scoring 16 at OU, including icing the game with the final six TTU points. He's coming off a game against UIW where he was limited to eight points, but matched a career-high with seven rebounds and also had three assists. His season-high of six assists against Corpus Christi were one shy of his career-high of seven in a game against SMU on Dec. 7, 2019 while playing for the Hoyas. He was a two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week last season and is the all-time leading scorer in Virginia High School League history where he scored 2,801 points in his prep career. McClung, who has now scored 854 points in 60 career games, averaged 15.7 points per game as a sophomore for the Hoyas. Edwards and McClung were both named Big 12 Preseason Honorable Mention selections.

Burton arrived after two years at Wichita State where he averaged 10.3 points and added 102 assists last season. A Charlotte, North Carolina native, he has racked up 246 assists and scored 579 points through 77 games in his career. Burton has started three games this season, including the past two against OU and UIW. He is coming off a game against the Cardinals where he had four points and two steals. He scored a season-high 10 points against Grambling and also had three assists. He's currently averaging 4.9 ppg. and has 18 assists. Benson is the only player on this year's team that was on the 2018 Elite 8 team and 2019 NCAA Championship finals team. A fourth-year player from Arkansas, Benson scored a career-high 10 points to help lead the Red Raiders to a win over No. 1-ranked Louisville in last year's Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. Benson scored a season-high six points on Tuesday night after going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers. He is now 6-for-9 on 3-pointers this season.

SOPHOMORES (3): Shannon and McCullar highlight the sophomore class with both players returning from strong 2019-20 seasons. Due to an ankle injury, McCullar had not played in the first nine games before making a statement in his debut by leading the team with 11 points in just over 11 minutes of play. He also added three rebounds and two assists in the win. McCullar is in his third season with the Red Raiders following a redshirt season during the historic 2018-19 season and then playing an important role last season on the court. He would finish his first season on the court by averaging 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, including scoring a career-high 15 points at Oklahoma State and grabbing a career-best 11 rebounds at Iowa State. McCullar started six games and played in 29 as a redshirt freshman. McCullar said: "I feel like it was just getting out there and getting experience and playing some. I just tried to build on every game. Being out there you grow more and more. Now I'm looking forward to this year because I can see the film I have from last year. Learn from those mistakes and things that I did good and build on that."
A Chicago native, Shannon scored a season-high 21 points in the road win over Oklahoma after going for 20 points and nine points against Kansas. He was 7-for-16 from the field with a career-high four 3-pointers against the Jayhawks before going off for an 8-for-12 shooting performance in Norman. A starter in nine of 10 games, he is currently averaging 13.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He averaged 9.8 points and 4.1 rebounds as a true freshman where he made 21 starts and played in 29 games. He missed the ACU game due to an injured ankle. Shannon began his second year in Lubbock with 16 points in the opener against Northwestern State and has scored in double figures in seven of nine games that he's played in. Shannon is 112-for-139 (80.6%) for his career at the free-throw line and has now scored 401 points through 38 games in his career (10.6 ppg). Last season, he scored a career-high 24 points at DePaul and secured a career-best 11 rebounds at Kansas as a freshman. Shannon is on the Julius Erving Award Watch List for the top forwards in college basketball. Nadolny played in 24 games as a true freshman in a reserve role where he scored a career-high nine points against Houston Baptist. He's currently averaging 1.9 points per game this season with a high of six coming against Corpus with a pair of 3-pointers. He also scored five against Sam Houston and has now scored 62 points in 32 games at Tech.

FRESHMEN (5): There was optimism in this year's freshman class that was the highest ranked in program history that is coming into fruition. Smith is in his second season after redshirting last year along with a four-player true freshman class who are making impacts. Peavy has started all 10 games and is averaging 6.3 ppg. and 3.3 rpg. after going for seven points and four rebounds against UIW. He recorded eight points and six rebounds against Kansas in his first Big 12 game of his career. Peavy was coming off scoring 12 points and securing five rebounds against the Corpus entering conference play. He also scored 12 points against Houston after beginning his career with 14 points in the opener against Northwestern State. Peavy earned TABC Class 6A Player of the Year honors as a senior at Duncanville High School where he averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He was named to the Jordan Brand Classic roster and was ranked second in Texas in the recruiting class. Peavy, who played for his father at Duncanville, helped lead his team to the 2019 Class 6A State Championship as a junior along with former Red Raider Jahmi'us Ramsey who was a senior on that team. Peavy was named the MVP of the State Championship game.
Smith suffered an injury during the 2018-19 season that forced him to miss the season after he had averaged 17.9 points and 12.3 rebounds per game as a senior at Trinity Christian. Smith scored four points, grabbed three rebounds and had a block against KU. He's coming off scoring three points and grabbing two rebounds in 10 minutes of play against UIW. He matched a career-high with seven points against Troy after also scoring seven in the opener and is second on the team with seven blocked shots. A Louisiana native, Smith moved to the Dallas area in high school where he was named the TAAPS 5A Player of the Year as a junior and all-state honors as a senior. Smith is averaging 3.4 points, 2.4 rebounds per game and is second on the team with 0.9 blocks per game with a career-high of three against Troy. Burnett is the first McDonald's All-American to play at Texas Tech and the highest ranked recruit in program history. He's currently averaging 5.7 points per game and leads the team with 17 steals after having three steals against Kansas in his first career conference game. Burnett recorded six steals against Grambling which was one shy of matching the single-game TTU record and he also scored a career-best 12 points in the win. Burnett scored in double figures for the second straight game with 10 points against ACU to go along with three more steals. He's coming off a game against UIW where he had a career-high four assists and also provided six points. A Chicago native, he played at Prolific Prep in California and was named to the 2020 Jordan Brand Classic, played for the USA in the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup and participated in the USA Basketball Junior National Team Minicamp. Agbo is a sharpshooter from California who is coming off a senior season where he averaged 22 points per game at Saint Augustine High School in San Diego. Agbo is currently averaging 2.1 points per game with a season-high of five coming against Northwestern State. He scored three against UIW with one 3-pointer. He was a 4-star recruit was his league's top player as a junior and the 2019-20 San Diego Preseason Player of the Year. Agbo is currently 4-for-12 from beyond the arc. Goldin is the tallest player on the roster this season, coming in at 7-foot-1 in his freshman season. The Russian forward played a season of prep basketball at Putnam Science before signing with the Red Raiders in the summer. He made his Red Raider debut against Troy, scoring four points and grabbing three rebounds in six minutes of play before going for six points, four rebounds and one block against Grambling to cap his first week of play. He is coming off scoring five points against UIW in eight minutes of playing time.

OUR LEADER: Beard is in his fifth season as the Texas Tech head coach where he has led the program to a 102-46 record, including an 8-2 mark in the NCAA Tournament. Beard was named the 2019 Associated Press National Coach of the Year and earned Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2018 and 2019. An assistant coach at Texas Tech under Bob and Pat Knight, Beard has amassed an impressive 130-51 record as a Division I head coach that started with one season at Little Rock where he was 30-5. He also has head coaching stops at Fort Scott Community College, Seminole State, McMurry and Angelo State in his collegiate career. Beard is the 17th head coach in Texas Tech history and reached 100 wins on Dec. 12, 2020 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. He is the fastest Tech coach to reach that milestone following James Dickey (148 games), Bob Knight (150), Gerald Myers (152) and Polk Robison (170). Beard is now 198-76 as an NCAA head coach.

BEARD AT HOME (69-10, 28-9 Big 12)
2016-17: 16-3, 6-3 Big 12
2017-18: 17-1, 8-1 Big 12
2018-19: 17-1, 8-1 Big 12
2019-20: 13-4, 6-3 Big 12
2020-21: 6-1, 0-1 Big 12

THE STAFF: Beard is assisted this season by associate head coach Mark Adams, assistant coaches Ulric Maligi and Bob Donewald, Casey Perrin (Chief of Staff), Sean Sutton (Advisor/Player Development), John Reilly (Strength & Conditioning) and associate athletic trainer Mike Neal. Adams is entering his fifth season on Beard's staff and also assisted him at Little Rock. A 1979 graduate of Texas Tech, Adams is a former head coach at Clarendon College, Wayland Baptist, West Texas A&M, Texas-Pan American and Howard College. He earned 2019 TABC Assistant Coach of the Year and is a member of multiple hall of fames, most recently being inducted into the NJCAA's Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class for 2020. Donewald is in his second season on the staff, but his first as an assistant. He has extensive experience in professional basketball and worked last season as the program's director of player development. Maligi is also in his second season on the staff and is widely respected as one of the top emerging assistants in the nation. He led the charge in the recruitment of this year's signing class which was the highest ranked in program history. Reilly, a Killeen, Texas native who competed on the BYU Track & Field team, is also in his fifth season having led the strength and conditioning each year for Beard. Neal is in his second season, coming over from Little Rock where he played basketball and was the team's athletic trainer during Beard's year leading the program.

UNCOMFORTABLE – BEARD EXPLAINS: "Being comfortable gets you beat every single time. You see it all the time in sports. You win a big game and the next time there's a letdown and a loss. We've all seen that. Life is the same way. You can have a great day at work and you could take the edge off. It takes a special person, we use the word 'elite', to remain uncomfortable. Coach Knight would talk a lot about when things were going good that we need to shake the tree from time to time. Everybody expects the best and have focus during times of adversity, but only the elite people can push themselves each day to stay uncomfortable. I think being uncomfortable is where growth comes from. Uncomfortable is what you have to be to compete in the Big 12. Our guys have embraced this. Each season we try to have a theme and with this year's group, we just feel that if we can stay uncomfortable we'll be where we need to be. We like our talent. We like our culture. If this team can keep pushing and not get too high or too low by staying uncomfortable right there in the middle, we think we have a great chance to grow."

SECURING POSSESSION: Beard stresses a 10-or-less turnover game is one of the keys to victory in every game the Red Raiders play. That was highlighted against Corpus Christi where the team had only four which is a low in the Beard era at Texas Tech and was followed by only seven against Kansas and Incarnate Word. During his five seasons, Tech has committed 10 or less turnovers 55 times under Beard through 148 games. The four turnovers against the Islanders were the first this season in single digits before the seven against the Jayhawks and UIW. The program's low turnover output was highlighted at the 2019 Final Four with only seven in a win over Michigan State and eight in the overtime loss to Virginia in the National Championship game. Tech currently has a plus-8.4 turnover margin.

FORCING THE ISSUE: Texas Tech forced 30 turnovers against Grambling for the most since the 2009 season opener against South Dakota. KU and OU both committed 16 turnovers against the Red Raider defense to begin Big 12 play and UIW committed 20 on Tuesday night. Tech has recorded 13 steals in two games this season, against Grambling and Northwestern State. That is the most steals in a game since a 15-steal game by the team against Rice on Dec. 16, 2017. The team had six steals at OU, led by Shannon and Burton who had two each.

Game-by-Game Turnovers (TTU-OPPONENT): TTU 10-NSU 19; TTU 12-SAM 18; TTU 18-HOU 14; TTU 13-TROY 22; TTU 13-GRAM 30; TTU 16-ACU 22; TTU 4-TAMUCC 20; TTU 7-KU 16; TTU 13-OU 16; TTU 7-UIW 20.

SHARING THE WEALTH: Texas Tech is averaging 14.5 assists per game after having 10 against OU and 17 against UIW. The team had 17 assists on 29 made baskets against UIW making it six games this season with 15 or more assists in a game. Tech had a season-high 25 assists in the opener against Northwestern State. Edwards has the individual high this season with seven in that game against NSU, while McClung had six against Corpus and Burnett led the team with a career-high four against UIW.

STIFLING STARTS: The Texas Tech defense has been strong throughout the first 10 games, but especially solid in the first half. Only six of the first 10 opponents have scored over 20 points. ACU was limited to only 14 points in the opening 20 minutes and Sam Houston was at 15. The 14 points scored by ACU at the break was the lowest since Northwestern State was held to 10 points at halftime in 2018. TTU led 41-19 on Tuesday against UIW.

PRESEASON RANKINGS: Texas Tech went into the 2020-21 season ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The Red Raiders, who were ranked No. 13 in last season's AP Preseason Top-25 Poll and spent 12 weeks in the rankings, are one of five Big 12 teams in the preseason rankings. Gonzaga is the top-ranked team in the poll, followed by Baylor, Villanova, Virginia and Iowa. The Big 12 also has Kansas at No. 6, West Virginia at No. 15 and No. 19 Texas. Texas Tech was at No. 13 in the USA TODAY Top 25 Men's Basketball Coaches Poll which was announced on Thursday ahead of the 2020-21 season that is scheduled to begin in two weeks. The USA TODAY Sports men's basketball coaches poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at Division I schools. The Red Raiders were ranked No. 12 in last season's first USA TODAY Coaches Poll. In this year's ranking, Baylor was the top-ranked team followed by Gonzaga, Villanova, Virginia and Kansas. Tech is one of five Big 12 teams in the poll, including West Virginia at No. 15 and Texas which is No. 22.

COVID IMPACT: In an effort to ensure adequate levels of safety, Texas Tech will implement a reduced capacity to approximately 25% at The United Supermarkets Arena this basketball season. In addition to the limited seating capacity, fans will see the following safety protocols this season: Big 12 Conference has mandated an established perimeter around the playing surface – 20 feet behind both team benches and 12 feet on all other sides of the court. Face coverings for all patrons (fans and staff) will be required at all times. A 100 percent mobile ticketing process. Mobile ordering in our concession areas to decrease contacts throughout the concourse. Kirby Hocutt said: "Our staff has worked diligently to ensure we accommodate as many of our fans as possible at our home basketball games. We also want to ensure we offer a safe and enjoyable experience, while being socially responsible."

NCAA BOUND: The Red Raiders were projected to make their third NCAA tournament last season before the season was canceled due to COVID 19. Tech, which advanced to the 2018 Elite 8 and 2019 National Championship final, had never made the NCAA tournament three straight seasons in program history. The Red Raiders finished last season with an 18-13 overall record and were 9-9 in conference play.

ABRUPT ENDING: Texas Tech was on the Sprint Center in Kansas City court warming up for its first-round matchup of the Big 12 Championship against Texas on Thursday, March 12, 2019 when both teams were pulled off the court. With the tournament being canceled, the Red Raiders went to the airport and returned home to Lubbock. Before arriving back to Texas that afternoon by plane, news broke that the NCAA had canceled the remainder of the season.

COVID RINGS: While the 2019-20 season ended without the opportunity to play for any postseason championships, Beard wanted to show his appreciation to the players who battled throughout the year. Each player on the roster received a ring to commemorate the season, a token of respect from Beard who felt it was important that the players could keep to remember the season that was cut short.

NBA DRAFT: Texas Tech's Jahmi'us Ramsey was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 43rd pick of the 2020 NBA Draft on November 18, 2020. An Arlington, Texas native, Ramsey earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year, All-Big 12 Second Team, NABC All-District First Team, Big 12 All-Newcomer Team, Big 12 All-Freshman Team and was a three-time Big 12 Newcomer of the Week selection. Ramsey, who is the first Red Raider to earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year, finished the season fifth in the Big 12 in scoring and was second with a 42.6 percentage on 3-pointers and fifth with a 44.2 shooting percentage. Ramsey's selection in the NBA Draft gives the Red Raiders three straight years with a pick following Zhaire Smith (2018) and Jarrett Culver (2019). Tech has now had 25 players picked in the NBA Draft in its program history.

HISTORIC RUN: Texas Tech has ascended into one of the top college basketball programs in the nation under Beard. The program advanced to the 2018 NCAA Elite 8 in only his second season and then reached the Final Four for the first time in program history in his third season. The Red Raiders won the 2019 Big 12 regular-season championship before making their historic run in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Tech started the postseason journey with wins over Northern Kentucky and Buffalo in the first and second rounds hosted in Tulsa and then went through Michigan and Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in Anaheim. TTU topped Michigan State in the Final Four in Minneapolis before falling to Virginia in the 2019 NCAA Championship Final in overtime. The national runner-up finish is the best showing in program history. Edwards, Benson and McCullar are the only players on the current roster who were on the Final Four team.

FIRST-ROUND STUDENTS: Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver remain Texas Tech students despite being drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft as underclassmen. Both are currently enrolled in online classes at TTU where they remain focused on graduating while also being in the early stages of their professional playing careers. Smith said: "It is very important to me to get my education while playing because graduating was my first goal before playing basketball. I also made a promise to my mom and Coach Beard that I will finish. It means a lot to have Coach Beard motivating me by saying that education is the key. It's going to mean a lot to my family to see me graduate because school is not easy at all for me. They are going to cry tears of joy when I finish."

CONTINUING EDUCATION: Davide Moretti left the program following his junior season to pursue a professional career back home in Italy, but remains a Texas Tech student in pursuit of his degree. Moretti took a full load of classes in the 2020 Fall Semester and is on track to graduate in May. A Bologna, Italy native he now plays for Olimpia Milano in the EuroLeague. Moretti finished his Tech career with 969 points and 166 3-pointers which ranks ninth all-time in the program. His 90.6 career free-throw percentage (213-for-235) is the all-time record that he established through 106 games played. He earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors following the 2019-20 season as a human science major at Texas Tech with a 3.68 GPA.

MALIGI DRAWS ATTENTION: Maligi was recognized during the offseason as one of 40 coaches on ESPN's "40 Under 40" list which highlights the top young coaches throughout the national college basketball landscape and The Athletic's 40 Under 40 which identified influential people in a variety of roles within college basketball who are under the age of 40. Maligi is entering his second season with the Red Raiders and was identified at No. 13 by ESPN on the list of head and assistant coaches. In the ESPN article, Myron Medcalf highlighted Maligi who turned 36 on May 14 by saying: "The Howard University product has identified and recruited some of the most talented players in the state of Texas and beyond, as proved by successful tenures as an assistant with Texas A&M, SMU and Stephen F. Austin before joining Chris Beard's staff before last season. By all accounts, Maligi possesses the attributes and leadership qualities necessary to one day guide a Power 5 program."

DOCUMENTING HISTORY: Over the summer ESPN aired "Eddie", a documentary about legendary college basketball coach Eddie Sutton. The film covered many aspects of Eddie Sutton's life, including his family. Sean Sutton, one of Eddie's sons, was featured in the film and is entering his fourth season working with Beard at Tech as the program's director of player development and Beard's advisor. Sean played for his father at Kentucky and Oklahoma State and also worked for him as an assistant coach before being named the head coach at OSU. Talking about the documentary, Sean said: "To open up and talk about some of the things that went on behind the scenes for the public to view, I wouldn't necessarily say it was easy, but it was important. It was important to get an accurate depiction of his life and career."

ON THE NBA SIDELINES: Tech legend Darvin Ham continues to rise among the ranks of NBA assistant coaches where he helped lead Milwaukee to the best regular-season record (56-17) in the NBA last season. Ham, who became an iconic player nationally by ripping down a rim in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and winning the 1996 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest, played in the NBA from 1996-2005 and was on the Detroit Pistons' 2004 NBA Championship team. Ham was an Atlanta Hawks assistant coach from 2013-18 and has been on the Bucks sideline since the 2018 season where he is the lead assistant. He recently completed his bachelor's degree, earning his Texas Tech degree in 2019 – 23 years after leaving Lubbock to begin his professional basketball career.

BIG 12/SEC CHALLENGE: Texas Tech and LSU will meet for the second time in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Jan. 30, 2021 at the Maravich Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The eighth annual event will consist of 10 games as every Big 12 member faces 10 squads from the Southeastern Conference. The Red Raiders are 4-3 overall and 2-1 in Baton Rouge all-time against LSU. Tech has also played South Carolina, Auburn, Alabama and Arkansas twice in the challenge. This will mark the sixth consecutive year for all games to be played in one day. ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise the contests which also includes matchups of: Auburn at Baylor, Iowa State at Mississippi State, Kansas at Tennessee, Texas A&M at Kansas State, Alabama at Oklahoma, Arkansas at Oklahoma State, TCU at Missouri, Texas at Kentucky and Florida at West Virginia. Texas Tech is 4-3 all-time in the Big 12-SEC Challenge after its 76-74 overtime loss to No. 15 Kentucky last season. The loss to the Wildcats ended a 54-game non-conference winning streak by the Red Raiders which was the second best streak in the nation. Big 12 teams are 40-30 (.571) in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge after a tie in 2020.

HALL OF FAME SELECTION: Ronald Ross was selected for the 2020 Texas Tech Hall of Fame class during the offseason. Ross remains one of the beloved greats in the history of Texas Tech men's basketball as the former walk-on helped lead the Red Raiders to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including their first-ever trip to the Sweet 16 in 2005. Ross, a native of nearby Hobbs, New Mexico, was an All-Big 12 first team selection and an All-American by Basketball Times as a senior after averaging 17.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 steals per game under head coach Bob Knight. Ross also established the single-season and career school records that year by recording 86 steals, pushing his career total to 204 over 132 games. He served as a graduate assistant the past two season under Beard following a professional career overseas.

CONTINUED IMPACT, DREAM COURT: Nancy Lieberman Charities teamed up with Texas Tech University and The Culver Foundation to give the City of Lubbock a brand new Dream Court. The new Dream Court is located at Duran Park in Lubbock. This court will serve as a safe play space for youth in the community to interact with friends, family and local law enforcement. "I am so excited for the Red Raiders, Jarrett Culver and the City of Lubbock to partner with Nancy Lieberman Charities to honor our beloved, Andre Emmett. We all deeply miss him and want his legacy to live on forever in the lives of people who were touched by his genuine kindness." Basketball Hall of Famer, Nancy Lieberman said. The Dream Court™ is 50-by-84 feet with two brand new basketball goals, and features a high-performance PowerGame™ surface from Sport Court® in signature Texas Tech red and black colors. Its centerpiece is the Dream Courts logo, flanked by the brands of all supporting organizations. Emmett, who is Texas Tech's all-time leading scorer, was murdered in 2019. A dedication ceremony was held on Friday, October 23.

TYSON SIGNS: Beard announced the signing of Jaylon Tyson to his national letter of intent for the 2021-22 academic year. A 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Allen, Texas, Tyson is a senior at John Paul II High School where he helped lead his team to its first-ever Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) state championship last season. A four-star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports, he earned TAPPS All-State first-team honors as a junior after averaging 24.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. ESPN currently lists Tyson as the seventh-best recruit in the state of Texas and 18th by the small forward position. 247Sports puts Tyson at No. 4 in Texas, while Rivals has him as the No. 34-ranked player nationally.

PLAYING IN THE USA: Texas Tech Athletics announced an extension of the current naming rights agreement to United Supermarkets Arena as the grocery chain will remain the facility's namesake through 2035. Texas Tech will receive an additional $16 million over the course of the agreement, which continues the long-standing partnership between the university and United Supermarkets. The West Texas-based chain has now committed more than $30 million to Texas Tech Athletics since securing the original naming rights to the 15,000-seat arena in 1996. United provided Texas Tech with a key $10 million investment that jumpstarted fundraising efforts for the arena, opening in 1999 as United Spirit Arena. In 2014, Texas Tech and United extended their original agreement for $9.45 million. The second extension will ink the relationship until 2035.

IT'S ACADEMIC: Beard announced the hiring of Jamaal Scott as the program's Academic Advisor on July 7, 2020. An experienced educator and athletics leader following a decorated playing career which includes being named the 2000 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, Scott will provide the Red Raider program personal, vocational, educational, and advanced counseling and training at both the individual and group levels. Scott is pivotal in the management of academic advising for the men's basketball program by assisting with course selection to ensure degree progress and completion along with serving as the contact between student-athletes and the coaching staff regarding academic progress. Scott is a graduate of the University of Richmond where he played for the Spiders from 2002-05 and was an Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team selection and a two-year team captain.

A GROWING TREE: Brian Burg was named the head coach at Georgia Southern over the summer to add to the growing list of former Beard assistant coaches who have been hired as head coaches. Burg, who joined forces with Beard at Little Rock, would work on his staff for four seasons at Texas Tech where the program reached new heights by advancing to the 2018 Elite 8, winning the 2019 Big 12 regular-season title and then reaching the 2019 NCAA Championship final. Burg is now entering his first season as a head coach at Georgia Southern and hired Tim MacAllister (former Tech Chief of Staff) as an assistant. Along with Burg, Chris Ogden is now entering his fourth season as the head coach at UT Arlington after being an assistant at Tech under Beard. Wes Flanigan was the first Beard assistant to land a Division I head coaching job, being named the Little Rock head coach after Beard left the Trojan program. Flanigan is currently an assistant at Auburn. Along with Division I coaches, Cinco Boone is the head coach at Angelo State (DII), a position he's held for six seasons after being Beard's assistant there for two years and at McMurry for one.

RECENT GRADS: A pair of our No. 22s are now Texas Tech graduates. Despite different academic paths and life timelines, Jarrius Jackson and TJ Holyfield shared a milestone on August 8, 2020 as the former Red Raiders (both wore 22 during their playing days) received their diplomas in a virtual ceremony. Jackson, who played from 2004-07 and then enjoyed a successful professional career overseas, completed his degree in University Studies while Holyfield played last season and earned his master's degree in one year as a graduate transfer. Beard said: "I'm really proud of both of them. I was really fortunate that I got the opportunity to coach Jay Jackson and Holyfield. Earning their degrees was always something we talked about being important to them and their families. It's impressive the way both of them did it."

FOLLOW US: Along with news, videos and stats being updated throughout the season on TexasTech.com, media and fans can keep up with the Red Raiders on social media by following the program on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

CHRIS BEARD QUOTES
On growing through adversity and success:
"We've talked all summer and in the preseason for the need for all of us to grow. Everyone in our program has to get better on a day-to-day basis for us to have the kind of season we want to have. Growth comes when you're uncomfortable. You see it all the time in sports when a team wins a big game and then there's a letdown. You can't let that happen. You have to stay on edge by remaining uncomfortable. We want to push ourselves each day whether we are going through success or handling adversity."

On the team's identity:
"Our culture has to be unselfish and defensive-based. We have to have a mentally tough culture. From each season your identity can change and I think this year we like our length and athleticism. We hope that translate into being the best defensive team in college basketball and I hope it translate to being a versatile and deep offensive team. I've seen a competitiveness in our team every day. They've come out every day ready to compete and battle. There has been very few moments in the preseason where they was any lack of effort or playing hard. We've felt an urgency to have great days and get better."

On the team's shooting potential:
"Right now there is some optimism that this could be our best shooting team ever, but until the lights come on and our guys start doing it on a regular basis with Big 12 and Division I competition the stat sheet will be the ultimate judge of that. I think for us to be the team that we all want to be we need our 3-point shooting to be a weapon for us. We've got some guys who I think can be really good shooters, but we'll have to wait to see. I know they're putting in the work and we believe in them."

On defending the culture of the program:
"You have to defend the culture. It takes time. It takes buy in. Eventually, you don't want to sit there and build it every year. The guys that have been in this program whether its staff members, whether it's players, anybody that's been here before and benefited from the successes that this program has had, and that helps individuals. I mean you've got to show up and defend it every day. It's not a matter of if we're going to have an unentitled locker room or whether we're going to have a mentally tough team. Or whether we're going to respect academics or if we'll be on time. We're not encouraging people to do this. We're defending it. It's a nonnegotiable. Starting with those seven players that were in our locker room last year, I think our whole coaching staff is back so the idea of defending the culture is what it's all about to me."

Postgame - Incarnate Word: "The way we approached the game tonight was that it was the most important game we've ever played or coached. This was the next game on the schedule. If you feel any different, you don't know how to compete. We had one focus the last couple of days and that was to beat Incarnate Word. We weren't thinking of what's next."

Postgame - Oklahoma: "I told the guys after the game that this might be one of my favorite wins of my coaching career. I thought our guys responded about as well as we have ever responded following a loss. I was disappointed after that Kansas loss. I could have coached better, we could have played better, guys could have stayed out of foul trouble."

Postgame – Kansas: "Give Kansas a lot of credit, it's what they do. You could write a book on how many great games Kansas gets in that are one or two-possession games and what their winning percentage is under Bill Self. It's amazing and you've got to give him a lot of credit. Tonight isn't one of those that we've been in before where we just felt like it came down to the last play. I don't think it should've come down to the last play. A lot of this was self-inflicted tonight. We got veteran players that are zeroes across the stat sheet that's not going to get it done. You've got to make free throws in a Big 12 game at home and in an out of bounds play at the end you got to find a way to make the play where the other team doesn't beat you on a layup. We practice those things and certainly during the timeout we were talking about that the whole time. Give Kansas credit, we just didn't get it done. Didn't coach well enough, didn't play well enough down the stretch."

Postgame – Corpus Christi: "For us heading into Big 12 play, that was the highlight of the game to take care of the basketball with only four turnovers. It wasn't like we were playing against some kind of defense where that was easy. Corpus pressures the ball and has a great coach who has been doing this a long time. They changed up their defense and have some quick guys on the perimeter. The four-turnover game was real for us. That was definitely a positive."

Postgame - Abilene Christian: "They gave us all we could handle tonight. We were fortunate to get to that free-throw line tonight and make some shots but I think our guys earned the right to get to that free throw line. We weren't trying to get fouled if that makes sense. We knew what we were getting into. I told the guys all week, 'These guys will play 40 minutes, if we get up, they are going to play 40 minutes. If they punch us up a little bit, they are going to play 40 minutes' and that's exactly what happened. We basically found a way to win tonight from the free throw line when other areas of the game weren't working for us."

Postgame – Grambling: "In the first half, we were as frustrated as we've been. Only equal by the Houston game the first half and so you've got to get Grambling a lot of credit. It's not like we're out there trying not to play well but I thought Grambling has a great game plan it forced us into some mistakes in the first half especially. So, that's an experienced team that's a well-coached team, we are going to pull for those guys the rest of the season."

Postgame – Troy: "We got some offensive from our defense tonight. In the Houston game, we only had two baskets off our defense. That is just not the way we play our game or how you play in the Big 12. To get to a certain place on the board in this division, you have to get a certain number of points off your defense. There isn't a single offense in our league, or in college basketball, that can handle 100 percent of the scoring load."

Postgame – Houston: "I do think there was a little bit of fight in the second half for us to show some grit and have a chance to get back in the game. When you come from behind like we did. You have to play almost perfect down the stretch. It was not for the lack of effort. We've just got to play a little bit better when we get in those big moments."

Postgame – Sam Houston: "That's how we play, that's Texas Tech basketball. I'd like to think that's our fifth year here and all our teams play like that, but these guys deserve that credit. No exhibitions, no scrimmages. It's kind of a unique year and the way that they are playing right now you have to give them credit. There's a flow right now. A trust factor."

Postgame – Sam Houston: "There's an unselfishness and flow to our team right now that is fun to watch. That's how we play, that's Texas Tech basketball. I'd like to think that's our fifth year here and all our teams play like that, but these guys deserve that credit. No exhibitions, no scrimmages. It's kind of a unique year and the way that they are playing right now you have to give them credit. There's a flow right now."

Postgame – Northwestern State: "That word expectation means everything. That's absolutely what I expect. I expect these guys to play Texas Tech basketball. I expect them to defend with purpose and pride. I expect them to trust their teammates on offense and play unselfish. I expect us to take a couple lumps along the way, because we are kind of an unexperienced young team in some ways, but it's a long journey. But I do expect that. I expect these guys to put themselves in a position to win every game on the schedule and tonight we got that done."

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Players Mentioned

Chibuzo Agbo

Avery Benson

Jamarius Burton

Kyler Edwards

Vladislav Goldin

TJ Holyfield

Mac McClung

Kevin McCullar

Davide Moretti

Clarence Nadolny

Micah Peavy

Jahmi'us Ramsey

Marcus Santos-Silva

Terrence Shannon, Jr.

Tyreek Smith