Texas Tech Red Raiders try their luck at The Pit vs. New Mexico
The 10-1 Red Raiders head to a tough venue in Albuquerque on Tuesday to take on the 12-1 Lobos of New Mexico. But first, a brief Texas history lesson.
Back in 1845 – Dec. 29, 1845 as a matter of fact – Texas was admitted to the United States as the 28th state in the great union. Among the provisions was one that would, if approved by the voters with all sorts of conditions, allow Texas to divide into as many as five states.
The reasoning behind this was it was felt that given the vast size of Texas, it might be unfair for it to have but two senators representing its masses in Congress.
There's been only one real effort to slice the Lone Star State up, and it failed. But if you spend enough time in this part of the world, you would come to understand that figuratively at least, this is more than one state. As a matter of convenience, there are five distinct 'mini states.'
There is the Rio Grande Valley, where I was born and spent some time as a youth. There is the Gulf Coast area, which would include Houston, Beaumont and a whole lotta' refineries. Ch-CHING!
There is East Texas, an area that would include Dallas and where you will hear a more pronounced 'Texas twang' accent and see a whole lotta' women with big hair. Think Jersey, only in cowboy boots.
There is the Texas Hill Country, my favorite part and where I reside currently.
And then there is West Texas which brings me to tonight's college basketball game between the Red Raiders and Lobos which isn't being played in Texas at all.
No. 20 Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, a town I avoid as fervently as I try to avoid disease, changing dirty diapers and days without liquor. I've never considered that town to be part of Texas and if it was up to me I'd offer Lubbock to Oklahoma for the taking, as long as the Sooner State didn't charge us too much to take it off our hands.
Now admittedly, part of the reason I don't like the place or the college is because I'm an Aggie. Texas A&M's biggest rivalry will always be with the Longhorns, but Aggies still hate the Red Raiders with a purple passion. No use trying to explain this to anyone, simply accept it as fact.
Also accept the fact that while the rest of the nation may not know a thing about it, this matchup at The Pit in Albuquerque is a rivalry in its own right with Tuesday night's meeting the 84th in the series.
Both Tech and No. 19 New Mexico got off to somewhat surprising unbeaten runs, the Raiders winning their first nine and the Lobos blasting off to a 12-0 start.
Tech had a wild 99-92 overtime win at home against then-No. 10 Washington, moving the Red Raiders to 8-0 and putting them on the college map this season. After a win at TCU came the first and only loss in another barnburner, dropping an 85-83 loss at Wichita State on the road Dec. 19, a game in which Texas Tech almost completed a rally from 35-21 at the half with 62 second half points.
Pat Knight's club actually took the lead in the second half before falling as five- to six-point underdogs to bring what are now 10-1 straight up and 5-1 against the spread records into this one.
Steve Alford's Lobos lost their first game less than a week ago at Oral Roberts, 75-66, losing by nine to a team that New Mexico couldn't even draw a line against at most offshore books and Vegas.
A combination of fouls and poor shooting did the Lobos in against the Golden Eagles. Oral Roberts outscored New Mexico by five at the charity stripe, with the Lobos hitting just 22 of 59 from the field (37.3%), and only five of 19 from long range.
Darington Hobson, the Juco transfer who leads New Mexico in scoring, rebounds and assists, had one of his worst games of the season with just 14 points, four boards, one assist and five turnovers.
Alford will need Hobson at his best against what is a deeper Texas Tech roster. The Red Raiders have seven players putting in at least 19 minutes a game, rank 28th in the nation in FG percentage (48.6) and are among the better free throw shooting teams.
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 43-40, including last year's win in Lubbock by an 86-78 final with the Red Raiders closing as 1 ½-point favorites. It was the second consecutive 'over' in the series and the first Tech cover after three covers by the Lobos though the Raiders are 3-1 SU in that span.
Despite not liking the Red Raiders or Lubbock, I do like Tech plus the eight points at the window on Tuesday. And that's the way I'm playing it in the Bowling & Balling Contest
The 10-1 Red Raiders head to a tough venue in Albuquerque on Tuesday to take on the 12-1 Lobos of New Mexico. But first, a brief Texas history lesson.
Back in 1845 – Dec. 29, 1845 as a matter of fact – Texas was admitted to the United States as the 28th state in the great union. Among the provisions was one that would, if approved by the voters with all sorts of conditions, allow Texas to divide into as many as five states.
The reasoning behind this was it was felt that given the vast size of Texas, it might be unfair for it to have but two senators representing its masses in Congress.
There's been only one real effort to slice the Lone Star State up, and it failed. But if you spend enough time in this part of the world, you would come to understand that figuratively at least, this is more than one state. As a matter of convenience, there are five distinct 'mini states.'
There is the Rio Grande Valley, where I was born and spent some time as a youth. There is the Gulf Coast area, which would include Houston, Beaumont and a whole lotta' refineries. Ch-CHING!
There is East Texas, an area that would include Dallas and where you will hear a more pronounced 'Texas twang' accent and see a whole lotta' women with big hair. Think Jersey, only in cowboy boots.
There is the Texas Hill Country, my favorite part and where I reside currently.
And then there is West Texas which brings me to tonight's college basketball game between the Red Raiders and Lobos which isn't being played in Texas at all.
No. 20 Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, a town I avoid as fervently as I try to avoid disease, changing dirty diapers and days without liquor. I've never considered that town to be part of Texas and if it was up to me I'd offer Lubbock to Oklahoma for the taking, as long as the Sooner State didn't charge us too much to take it off our hands.
Now admittedly, part of the reason I don't like the place or the college is because I'm an Aggie. Texas A&M's biggest rivalry will always be with the Longhorns, but Aggies still hate the Red Raiders with a purple passion. No use trying to explain this to anyone, simply accept it as fact.
Also accept the fact that while the rest of the nation may not know a thing about it, this matchup at The Pit in Albuquerque is a rivalry in its own right with Tuesday night's meeting the 84th in the series.
Both Tech and No. 19 New Mexico got off to somewhat surprising unbeaten runs, the Raiders winning their first nine and the Lobos blasting off to a 12-0 start.
Tech had a wild 99-92 overtime win at home against then-No. 10 Washington, moving the Red Raiders to 8-0 and putting them on the college map this season. After a win at TCU came the first and only loss in another barnburner, dropping an 85-83 loss at Wichita State on the road Dec. 19, a game in which Texas Tech almost completed a rally from 35-21 at the half with 62 second half points.
Pat Knight's club actually took the lead in the second half before falling as five- to six-point underdogs to bring what are now 10-1 straight up and 5-1 against the spread records into this one.
Steve Alford's Lobos lost their first game less than a week ago at Oral Roberts, 75-66, losing by nine to a team that New Mexico couldn't even draw a line against at most offshore books and Vegas.
A combination of fouls and poor shooting did the Lobos in against the Golden Eagles. Oral Roberts outscored New Mexico by five at the charity stripe, with the Lobos hitting just 22 of 59 from the field (37.3%), and only five of 19 from long range.
Darington Hobson, the Juco transfer who leads New Mexico in scoring, rebounds and assists, had one of his worst games of the season with just 14 points, four boards, one assist and five turnovers.
Alford will need Hobson at his best against what is a deeper Texas Tech roster. The Red Raiders have seven players putting in at least 19 minutes a game, rank 28th in the nation in FG percentage (48.6) and are among the better free throw shooting teams.
Texas Tech leads the all-time series 43-40, including last year's win in Lubbock by an 86-78 final with the Red Raiders closing as 1 ½-point favorites. It was the second consecutive 'over' in the series and the first Tech cover after three covers by the Lobos though the Raiders are 3-1 SU in that span.
Despite not liking the Red Raiders or Lubbock, I do like Tech plus the eight points at the window on Tuesday. And that's the way I'm playing it in the Bowling & Balling Contest