KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Texas Tech basketball team suffered a couple injury scares and couldn’t adjust to the Big 12 Tournament’s new floor in a 75-53 loss to Iowa State in the T-Mobile Center on Thursday, March 12.
The Red Raiders came out hot but couldn’t keep the momentum, suffering their third straight loss as Grant McCasland’s team turns its eyes to the NCAA Tournament.
It was a brutal day for Texas Tech in general.
Shooting drought by Texas Tech basketball lets Iowa State back into it
The Red Raiders got off to another hot shooting start against the Cyclones, hitting a trio of 3-pointers to take an early 10-point lead. Unlike the first matchup, Iowa State weathered the storm and got back into it after Texas Tech went 15 minutes of game time without hitting another three. Donovan Atwell and Christian Anderson finally ended the drought late in the half.
Big 12 Tournament floor gimmick needs to go
The first two days of the Big 12 Tournament saw plenty of players slipping and falling on the GlassFloor LED court, but the Red Raiders particularly struggled to keep their footing, which was difficult enough against a physical Iowa State team. Several times Anderson came up holding something (his hamstring, hip) after routine plays led to his legs going in any direction. Let’s call this what it is, a gimmick, and kill it with fire.
Grant McCasland can’t catch a break
This is McCasland’s third year in a row where unexpected injuries have led to Texas Tech’s exit in the Big 12 Tournament. In his first two years, Darrion Williams missed the semifinals after sustaining injuries in the quarterfinals. This time, McCasland saw both LeJuan Watts and Anderson leave the game with potential injuries. By then, the game had gotten out of hand, so neither player returned to the floor, McCasland opting to let his younger players close out the game.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech basketball falls flat in Big 12 Tournament again: 3 takeaways
Reporting by Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
