MANHATTAN, Kan. — Pat Knight said before his team’s trip here that things could get worse before they get better.
The numbers proved him correct.
Four days after losing 83-52 to Texas for the worst loss in United Spirit Arena history, Tech dropped a 94-60 loss at No. 21 Kansas State.
K-State out-rebounded Tech 44-18. The 18 boards were the fewest Tech has had this season.
“Our big guys need to understand that rebounding is key right now,” Tech forward Robert Lewandowski said. “We’re one of the last in rebounding. It’s pitiful.”
Tech (8-10, 0-3 Big 12) ranked 11th in the Big 12 Conference heading into Saturday, and tied for 10th in rebounding defense. Only Oklahoma averaged fewer rebounds, while only Missouri and Iowa State gave up as many or more boards to their opponents.
All those Wildcat rebounds led to 25 second-chance points, compared to four for the Red Raiders. K-State (13-5, 1-2 Big 12) scored 41 points in the paint, while Tech had 24 points.
Tech coach Pat Knight said Kansas State sent three or four players to chase down offensive rebounds, a luxury the poor-shooting Red Raiders could not afford.
“We’re not a very good rebounding team to begin with, so that doesn’t help, but they had three or four guys on it all the time,” Knight said. “Then we haven’t been shooting the ball very well so we can’t send everybody to get an offensive rebound. For one the chance of us getting it is not very good, and you’re worried about the fast break.”
Tech’s shooting woes continued Saturday, particularly in the first half. The Raiders shot 34.6 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range during the first 20 minutes.
Those numbers improved significantly in the second half, to 47.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent behind the arc.
Tech trailed all game, including 8-2 after two and a half minutes. The Wildcats had their first-double digit lead after less than five minutes, and led by 26 at the half.
K-State won the second half by eight points.
Knight said he was disappointed in the start, but happy to see his team keep it’s effort up after K-State had already locked in the win.
“I didn’t think we competed the first half,” Knight said. “They jumped on us, took the shot, and we didn’t step up. I thought we played better, we competed more in the second half. Whereas Texas, it’s just two bad halves.”
K-State forward Jamar Samuels led all scorers with 22 points, while guard Jacob Pullen added 21 and guard Rodney McGruder had the game’s only double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Point guard John Roberson scored 19 points to lead Texas Tech, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He was by far the Raiders’ most effective offensive force, also leading the team with five assists and two steals.
He said reading the defense led him to find open shots when his teammates could not.
“It’s basically about reading your man,” Roberson said. “They were over-playing me, so I was trying to set them up and go the other way. It was working for me.”
Now the Raiders have two days to prepare for what could be their most winnable road game of the season. On Tuesday Tech will face an Oklahoma team that sits in 11th place in the conference standings and has shared many of the Raiders’ woes this season.
““We have to have a sense of urgency,” Roberson said. “It’s going to be a tough game, every game in the Big 12 is going to be tough, but we have to go in there knowing we have nothing to lose.”
Comments (12)
Add commentEmbarrassing
The Tech men are getting to be an embarrassment. Surely we can find a coach who can get us back to being at least competitive.
i like pat knight
But its time for a complete overhaul. It is nice that curry is getting her team going finally.
Bye Bye
Again, I say, remember Pat Knight when you said you would be gone after you did not make the NCAA tournament. Let's see, we are 0-3 in Big 12 competition. Do you think we will get a wild card slot into the NCAA tournament.
Do us a favor Pat and quit, leave town, take your jerk dad with you and as many of the Hance administrators that you can get in your car with you. If you take Kent (failed politician and lobbyist) Hance and Alberto (I can't remember) Gonzales with you along with Gerald Myers, I will rent you a minibus.
I certainly was not disappointed in today's performance by the Red Raiders because I was not expecting anything out of the Red Raiders.
Go Lady Raiders and continue your winning ways. It is good to have at least one respectable team at Tech.
Change of diet
Perhaps a change of diet is in order. With all these blowouts, surely it is not healthy to the digestive system. Maybe more fiber is needed.
Changes needed
It is time for Gerald to grow a pair and get a new cosch in too try and right the ship.. I know it is too much to ask since Gerarld is scared of Bobby.
Wanted--new coach
Bad timing here. We desparately need a new coach but we don't want Myers to pick him. Otherwise we'll end up with another senior citizen. The new AD needs to hire the new coach. Maybe we should do like the Cowboys and let Bubba Jennings give it a try for the rest of the season.
Tech SportsTicket Office
Tech Sports ticket office actually called our office this week begging us to buy tickets and bring people to the USA. (our office did not renew our tickets after the Leach fiasco)
It was Wednesday after the Texas debacle. Ha–I felt sorry for the poor kid having to make those calls and beg for our interest. What horrible timing....less than 12 hours after the worst home loss in the USA.
1. I will never support Tech as long as Hance, Myers, and Tubbs are in charge. 2. I had season tickets during Bobby Knight’s tenure, but he showed his true colors and quit when the going got tough. Maybe he will advise his son to do the same. 3. I had season tickets during the Leach Era when we had a national identity and an entertaining product to watch..with an innovative coach–but our idiot administrators wouldn’t back a coach against a punk rich kid. 4. Pat Knight is a great guy..I like how he conducts himself–unfortunately it just isn’t working. 5. This is not from a casual sports fan...I had season tickets to football and basketball, I went to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta in 96 & Albuquerque in 05. I was willing to spend good money to support the Red Raiders...but I AM DONE. When you fire the coach who brought our university great attention, and keep a jerk hypocritical basketball coach who leaves kids in Austin after a loss for running late & throws a salad at the chancellor then runs around an intersection like an idiot....only to hire his inexperienced son. Not a dime nor any of my time will go towards Texas Tech athletics.
Folks–NOBODY outside of Loop 289 cares about Tech sports anymore. Tech is an afterthought headed for the Mountain West Conference!!
I really like Bobby and Pat,
I really like Bobby and Pat, but man this is getting bad. This ten year 'night experiment has been a disaster. Three tournament teams and one sweet sixteen appearance. As a season ticket holder it is sad to see the USA empty and wasted every game. What a shame that beautiful arena has been a waste. Let's get a new coach that can recruit and fill it up again. Sorry Pat but it is time to part ways.
The Raiders Basketball Death March!
It is over! The players don't want to play for Pat and he has lost them. The team plays like they want to see him go! Do it now and have Bubba run it to at least make it interseting! Start the search for next year now. Tech, Lubbock, and the State of Texas deserve better than this.
backstabbers
I would liken bubba jennings taking over as coach to jason garrett taking over as the cowboys coach. If bubba is there now whats going to change when he is the coach? Is pat oppressing bubba's basketball savvy now and doing things his way or does he listen to his staff and is willing to try new things. I know i ask this everytime i write something on here but, can we please have the names of the players put back on their jerseys. This team concept crap that bobby (i shot the neighbor with my shotgun) knight, ( yea remember that?) apparently isnt working. I would like to see Lance Hughes have something to do with the program. His thunderous dunks were a stretch for someone half a foot taller. Got any better ideas? I got one, you know how music follows a cycle like you have a good bass song, then a guitar song, then a piano song, and then a drum song and then it repeats itself? Well, I think its time for tech to go to fastbreak basketball. The teams out there become the norm and everyone follows, we need to find the next michael jordan, we need to be the pioneers of the new smashmouth bball. remember the phi slamma jamma? Slam dunk first, ask questions later. I have a really great exercise on how to condition the players on this kind of ball. Kind of like the hurry up offense in football and extremely high pressure on defense. Ive seen it work.
Nothing to do with Leach
This is men's basketball. It has nothing to do with football. Leach made an ass of himself talking back to his boss and had to go. The James kid was just the straw that broke the camel's back. This is basketball and we are being embarrassed on a regular basis. A change has to be made. Losing is one thing but being humiliated on a regular basis is something else. I would say to Tech Alum, if you really are an alum, this is still Texas Tech. This is my team and I support them and will continue. We definitely need a change in coaches and Myers is scheduled to leave. Hance has done wonders for Tech in fund raising. As to the football coach, the stadium is still full and we won eight games. A lot of teams did not!
Bye Knight
Its time to go - Grumpy - you are right, this has nothing to do with Leach so move on people. We need Knight out and I agree with the others that it would be a great idea to have Bubba run the team until we have a chance to find a new coach. One of my favorite memories of Lance (aside from the obvious great games he played) was after he left as a player, he came for a game in the old coliseum and as a freshman, Stan Bonowitz was shooting one 3 after another and Dickey put him on the bench. Lance was screaming at the top of his lungs.. "You're so stupid Dickey, put him back in the game" over and over :) Miss the good 'ole days, when the Tech men were great. Side note to Kristy Curry for getting the Ladies back on the map!