Speaker 1: Time from expansion talks in the hot Scove to opening
day and onto the World Series weeks from seven to
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ESPN b BAN get to know the Cougar's opponents and
rivals right now, you know to know the Faux segment
on Cougar Sports with Ben Kretel.
Speaker 2: Welcome back to your sports.
Speaker 3: One of three nine ninety point three years being the
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Speaker 2: It's time to get to know the foe.
Speaker 3: The Texas Tech Red Raiders come in to town to
take on the BYU Cougars. One team has reacted, I
think pretty well after losing their best player. The other
team has not reacted so well after losing one of.
Speaker 2: Their best players. Texas Tech is going.
Speaker 3: To be a tough one, even on BYU's home court,
and we're going to get to know the foe, what
they're bringing and how they've reacted, how they've been able
to navigate the loss of JT.
Speaker 2: Topic.
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He's gonna take care of you if you have a
malfunctioning garage door. All right, let's get out to the hotline.
Speaker 2: Welcome in.
Speaker 3: Texas tech insider Nathan Geese of the Lubbck Avalanche Journal
beat rider for the Red Raiders.
Speaker 2: How you doing Nathan, I'm not doing it too bad?
Live in the dream.
Speaker 3: Are you surprised at how well this this Texas tech
team has been able to find their way after a
critical massive loss of JT topping for the season.
Speaker 4: Yes and no, I think kind of The double edged
sword here is that while the timing of losing one
of the best players in the country and probably the
Big twelve player of the years, first Team All American
is that it happened at the time where the rest
of the team was getting more healthy and those players
just weren't around much for the season. So you look
at a guy like Luke Vamboy and Josiah Mosley. They've
been on the shelf most of the year, so when
JT goes down, you're looking at, oh, well, who do
they have. Well, nobody's really seen what Luke and Josiah
can bring, but now we're kind of seeing that where
they can. You're not going to replace JT with one guy.
It has to be multiple guys top and plays played
about thirty five minutes a game, twenty points, ten rebounds.
You're not gonna have any one person played thirty five
minutes now. But if you split that up between vam
Boyan and Moseley, you slide in Lawan Watt to drop
him down to the five if you need to at
certain times, then the mixture of it works a lot better.
But what I think they found in the successes is
that it opened up the floor a lot more for
everybody because when you have Topping out there, you have
to kind of account for He needs that space and
the paint to operate, whereas without him you can kind
of spread people out, more of the paints, more available
for driving kick situations. And then on Tuesday against TCU,
you thought, Okay, you can still have that. But what
GT brings defensively is something that they're really needing to
find a replacement for. He's a physical guy. He gets
in there, and Texas metaphysical team in general, even with Topping,
So when you lose that piece, you become less physical.
How do you kind of balance that out? And that's
what they need to find right now.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's crazy to see how BYU spiraled while Texas
Tech continues to play great basketball despite losing. As you mentioned,
one of the best players in the country and maybe
the best player in the Big Twelve. Do you think
JT was on track to be the Big Twelve Player
of the year.
Speaker 4: I was making that argument in mid January and he
just kept rolling after that. That was before they got
the big wins over Houston, over Iowa State and excusing
me over Arizona because he missed I was State game.
But yeah, I mean I was making that argument before
because if he looked at what he was doing, he
was better than he was last year. If he kind
of ran away with it now, the only kind of
problem with that argument was there's so many of those
freshmen people were kind of propping up into that spot.
Ad the Bonds obviously one of them. But I think
you had to kind of look at did Arizona really
have anybody that just stands out and know he can
make the argument for Houston's Kingston findings, but if you
just look at the totality of what he was doing, yeah,
he should have been the baseball Player of the Year.
And honestly, it would not shock me if the coaches
voted him the player of the year still just because
of what he was doing, because if you look at
him miss like the last two weeks of the season,
that's not a huge chunk of the year. But he
should at least be a first team All Conference player
regardless of this. But yeah, he was in my mind
he should have repeated as Big Twell Player of the Year.
Speaker 3: When you're looking at your team, this collective team, how
to describe it? Right now, without jat. You mentioned a
few things what they're doing, maybe schematically with personnel, etc.
But what changes has there been in the way the
form and the fashion which they're operating, still scoring, still
playing great defense. Is just culture and coaching winning out
as well here.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Absolutely. And one of the things that I keep trying
to remind people over his entire tenure here is that
Grant the Caslin is probably best when he kind of
has a hand tie behind his back. What he's kind
of forced into doing something because when he has all
of his pieces that he gets a little bit tight.
He doesn't want to sit his star players because you
feel like he needs to keep him out there. And
that was kind of something that he struggled with in
the Elite eight last year against Florida, where he should
have made different substitutions defensively, offensively and they probably would
have been Final fourteen. But now when you don't have
to sit keep top in and Anderson on the floor,
you can make those choices of we need a defensive
stock here, Hey bring this guy in, we need offense,
bring this guy in. And I think what he's really
good at is what kind of helps here is that
you're not waiting for top And to come back. Right.
Some players will be like, oh, he'll be back. Let's
not change too much. Well, they haven't changed a lot,
but they are operating in a way that's different. They
still start off with the high pick and roll with
the big man and kind of operate offensively there. But
now they've added in the new wrinkle of starting screens
with Donovan atwell starting at the free throw line, and
that changes the offense. And that's a little bit of
how the offense has changed a little bit. They've also
kind of had to change how to handle ball screen coverages.
Top and would get out in front and really hedge
high on the ball handler on screens, and now they're
still doing that, but it's not as high. So then
it's the defensive reactions that kind of change.
Speaker 3: Now, what's your scouting report on BYU right now? Have
you discussed this particular game, this particular matchup with any
of the coaches. I don't know what you've had as
far as media availability is concerned in preparation for this
game a couple of days away now, But give me
a little scattering report from your purview, from your perch
on the Heeyu Cougars.
Speaker 4: Yeah, the last time we were able to talk to
him was at the TCU game, and obviously that was
pretty heavily focused on what went wrong in that game.
But from what I saw, and I kind of saw
this a little bit even when Richie Sounder was in
the game, is that it was very heavy on Devanta,
Sanders and Rob Wright. Those three had to do stuff
and if they just weren't getting the job done, especially offensively,
they just weren't going to get the job done. Now,
Saunders is the guy where he was kind of that
glue on. He was the hustle guy, the energy guy,
the attitude guy. He just strong three point shooter, tough
to the basket, and when you take that out, they
put so much attention on especially Devanta, where the defense
was already focused on him. Now they can dedicate pretty
much till refree. Guys are just kind of making sure
he doesn't get it, or you can let him get
his and just know that the rest of the team
isn't going to beat you because they don't really have
the rep the offensive repertoire around him outside. Right, So
I think that's kind of where they're struggling and I
don't blame them if for having this kind of happen
late in the season. When you lose a guy like that,
it can be such a deflating thing. But I also
wasn't surprised when they beat Iowa State, and that's kind
of one of those get up games, Let's do it
for our guys. I think that was kind of the
same way Texas Tech did when they beat Iowa State.
Let's do it for our guy that's not here with us.
But then that comes that real adjustment of Okay, teams
have seen film on you how you operate now, and
then you have to make those other wrinkles because you're
not going to be able to surprise them anymore.
Speaker 3: When you look at the last four games of the
Texas Tech Red Raiders wins over Kansas State, Cincinnati, Iowa State,
most recently though a loss a close loss to TCU.
What happened in that game? How did the Red Raiders
fall short?
Speaker 4: This was one where it kind of so basically when
Topham went down, everybody at national media everywhere, it was like,
oh the well, this team's absolutely done well, No, they
still have good players, they can do it. Kansas State
helped because they're, let's be out there an awful team,
so that's a good way to get your feet wet
in it amped up a little bit with Cincinnati and
do it with diawas state what TCU kind of exposed
is when you don't have top and down low, you're
rebounding has to be gang rebounding. And they just did
not do that against the horn Frogs. And what really
kind of it came down to was the offense sputters
when Anderson can't be kind of free and if defenses
are trapping him before he could be able to pass
it out the top end, he could get that next
pass at the offense back and saying you're not gonna
be able to do that with a Ruth Bamboy or
just Josiah Mosley. They just don't have the same skill set.
They don't have the same kind of repertoire that Top
and does or this experience of operating in this and
the defense was where really struggled. The offense it could
stand to be better with it. But really what's kind
of come down to is Anderson's getting a lot more
attention defensively. Now He's had six turnovers in each the
last three games. That has to be better. That started
before JT got hurt. Starting the actually started in the
Arizona State game where he's had a lot of turnovers.
Now that needs to be cleaned up. They had to
get that offense back going. But the defense, it's gonna
have to come on defense. I think for Texas Tech
down the stretch.
Speaker 3: Talking to BYU versus Texas Tech, we got a big
match up. B yu is has their backs against them all.
They got to find a way to win. They continually
drop in the UH in the seedings. Joe Lunardi's NCAA
bracketology and we're breaking it down right here with Nathan Geese,
b writer Lovebing Avalanche Journal. So Nayan, is you evaluate
the Big twelve and you've seen these undulations, We've seen
the ups and downs. We've seen some teams that started
off the Big Twelve regular season very low at low points,
and now they're playing their bastball.
Speaker 2: Cincinnati is a good example of that.
Speaker 3: They've had some great wins and they're looking they're trending
to become maybe an NCAA tournament team. How would you
describe the Big twelve standings In Big Twelve basketball this year.
Speaker 4: Well, I think you look at it, it was kind
of top heavy, especially initially with those six teams Arizona,
Iowa State, Houston, Kansas, Texas Tech, and BYU. But what
the middle of the season, the late of the season scheduled.
It exposes the flaw that every team has, Like Houston's
dropped more games this year because they don't have an
interior presence anymore on offense. They got it on defense,
but it's not on offense, and that can make your
offense pretty one to mensal and go and sputtering. I
would stay there. They're kind of streaky. If you're not
getting Monchila Ditch open threes. They kind of stalls that
offense a lot. Joshua Jefferson's pretty good. But outside of
them and lipsy here or there, what are you kind
of getting from them? Arizona can't shoot threes. I don't
think it's a big problem for them, but they that
is a weakness of there's canvas. What are you getting
from Darren Peterson? How often are you gonna play? Nobody knows. Uh.
Texas Tech obviously they've got the injury factor, and so
it's b yu and I think a lot of it
right now is that those teams that have stayed healthy,
like the Cincinnati, like the TCUs, like the UCS, They're
able to kind of keep their momentum going and hit
their strive late in the year. And I think that's
what's showing up the conference right now.
Speaker 2: So who's trending to become the Big twelve Player of
the year. Would you say, then, where do you stand
on that debate?
Speaker 4: I have no idea. Honestly, I have seen once you
get after topic. That's why I kind of make the argument,
maybe it is still him, because who else is it
gonna be? He could look at aj But are you
going to give it to the guy in the tenth
or eleventh place team just because he scores a lot
of points? That's kind of maybe he wins by default
just for that. I don't see. Maybe you give it
to Jade and Bradley at Arizona just because he's been
so consistent for him and coaches love a fourth or
fifty year guy who's just kind of headstrong for him.
Levens is an option I I honestly don't know. It
could be anybody, any one of like five or six players.
I'm like, all right, if that makes sense. I kind
of get that. Usually you kind of default the best
player on the best team, and if that's Arizona, maybe
that's Bradley, but you can make an argument for a
couple of different guys on that team.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think there's a there's a heated debate and
when's the when? When does the when is that announced?
What's the timeline for that?
Speaker 4: Anyway, it should be announced early next week, so I
want to say Monday, probably Monday or Tuesday.
Speaker 3: If you were to prognosticate what the voters are gonna
what direction they're going to go, how they're going to
be split up, what would you prognosticate if you were
a betting man.
Speaker 4: Well, I'm not so you're asking the wrong guy there,
But I honestly couldn't even begin to guess. If I
had to put five bucks on it, I'd probably say
they might just default the Demanda because he because he
is good. Obviously he's leaving the country in scoring and
right now he's kind of one of the few things
propping up the team. But I just feel like they're
probably gonna whittle it down to all right, let me
never mind, I'll put my five bucks in Jayden Bradley.
Speaker 2: Jayden Bradley, he's switching up. I like it. You were
debating with it yourself.
Speaker 4: Yes, that's I'm thinking out loud right now.
Speaker 3: Hey, So sometimes you gotta work it out. You gotta
work it out through just vocalizing things. And I think
that the pessimist in you, you know, is like, they're
just gonna.
Speaker 2: Go with the high score.
Speaker 3: But you can't go with the high score because they're
not winning games right now, they're on the death spiral.
Speaker 2: You can't do that.
Speaker 4: And then you revert it if they had won two
of their last five instead of the losses. Maybe, but
that is kind of why I'd like. I don't know.
Maybe is he even still a first team All American
because of it? I don't know.
Speaker 2: But let me ask you this.
Speaker 3: If b YU gets the win and AJ goes off,
Let's say he goes off for like a thirty piece.
Speaker 2: Does that cement him?
Speaker 3: And there's recency bias as the Big twelve Player of
the year because he is leading the country and scoring
and when he does go off it's pretty impressive. With
his holistic stat lines of rebounds, assists, and playmaking.
Speaker 4: I think they could obviously help him, because I mean
I don't honestly don't know when the votes are due
from the coaches or anything. I would assume sometimes Sunday,
and they can get all that and put together. I
think it would definitely help him. I wouldn't make him
the favorite right now, but if he goes off and
they can kind of write the ship there at least
go out on a good now, and he puts together
a good game, yeah, it wouldn't shock me. It would't
shock me if you wasn't it anyway.
Speaker 2: But yeah, it's gonna be interesting. Guys.
Speaker 3: We got a big game. Okay, it's gonna be fantastic
at the Marriott Center. Then per ten Texas Tech Red
Raiders twenty two and eight on the season twelve and
five and Big twelve play taking on the Bway Cougar's reeling.
Right now, they're twenty and ten on the season eight
to nine and Big twelve play, and I imagine the
Red Raiders are going to be heavily favored.
Speaker 2: In this game.
Speaker 3: I think they would. But then I'm pulling up ESPN
Analytics and b y you is slightly favored in this
game for ESPN Analytics fifty nine point two percent. Now,
I don't always trust the analytics, so and I don't
know if the home that home court advantage is as
prominent as it was when rich She was around. But
eight thirty pm tip off, it's gonna be a late
one at the marriage And how do you see this
game playing out?
Speaker 4: It's kind of too desperate team, Like, if you're BYU,
you're especially desperate right now. I mean, Texas Tech is
in the weird spot where this result doesn't mean a
lot for them. It might affect their NCAA tournament seating,
it means nothing for the Big twelve tournament. They already
got all the top fourth he locked up there. It's
just going to kind of depend on how Tech responds
in the physicality department and how much pride BYU is
still kind of has because they could easily just kind
of pack it in and say, all right, this season's
gone off the reels for as AJK look forward to
the draft and all that. But I think it's too
desperate teams they're going to that want to get out
of the regular season with a good note and get
into the postseason with some momentum.
Speaker 3: David best way to support you. What you do, how
you do it for all of our listeners.
Speaker 4: Just follow me on x on or Twitter whatever we're
calling it now at at Nathan Geese and everything I
write and I take a lot of photos too, is
webbric online dot com.
Speaker 2: You're gonna be heading out to Provo for this game?
Speaker 4: Nope, not Provo there, We're saving it for the Kansas
City trip.
Speaker 2: There you go.
Speaker 3: All right, Well, uh, we appreciate you spending some time
with us, and we invite everyone to follow you on
X and read all your content there within the Lubbock
Avalanche Journal.
Speaker 2: Thanks so much, Nathan. We'll get you. We'll catch up
with again soon.
Speaker 4: All right, sounds good. Thanks, There you go.
Speaker 3: That's Nathan Geese in that segment. That note, the folks
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