Pitt 4-0 (0-0) vs Texas Tech 4-1 (0-0)
7:30 pm
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
This is the semi-final of the Legends classic. Texas Tech will be the first major conference opponent for Pitt this season, but they're awful as well. Their record says 4-1, but the lone loss was to Alabama by 12, and frankly Alabama's football team could probably beat their basketball team. The Red Raiders went 11-19 overall last season (3-15 in the Big 12), but they beat west virginia on a last second put-back in the first round of the Big 12 tournament so I'm a fan. Obviously I must take every available chance to rip on the hoopies so here is that play.
Billy Gillispie was coach of the Red Raiders, but he resigned before last season. Billy Gillispie has a laundry list of problems. Chris Walker served as the interim coach last season. This year however, Texas Tech will be guided by Tubby Smith with Walker back in his role of associate head coach. Smith coached Kentucky for a decade from 1997-2007 and even won the national championship in his first season. Even if his biggest coaching success came from riding the coattails of Rick Pitino's Kentucky recruits, Smith is still an excellent coach in his own right. He spent the last 6 seasons guiding the Minnesota Golden Gophers to five twenty-win seasons and 3 NCAA appearances. Minnesota was 9-22 before Smith got there, and they went 20-14 in his first season. Will Texas Tech make that kind of turnaround in Smith's first year? No, but they'll be better. They're picked to finish 9th out of 10 teams in the Big 12 this season. Haha 10 teams in the Big 12. Silly college athletics.
Player to watch: Eddie Morales is the player to watch.
Somebody's trolling at ESPN. Eddie Morales is a back-up dancer. The real player to watch is forward Jordan Tolbert who is their leading scorer and rebounder.
Prediction: Pitt 84 Texas Tech 64
Hail to Pitt,
J.O.
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