Texas Tech is in the Final Four

INTRO
“Texas Tech is in the Final Four”
BASKETBALL
“No Middle” defense
Averaging 7.4 steals pg (#54 nationally); 15.7 turnovers forced pg (#22); Tariq Owens 88 blocks
Tech opponents averaging 57 pts; 37.4% FG; 23.4% 3PT
Switch on everything, no weak link in defense; switched less on Gonzaga in second half as part of adjustment
Weakest part of TTU defense is rebounding, rank #131 (MSU is #6)

3 point shooting
Texas Tech is 17-0 when making at least 7 3-pointers
Tech has 6 players who made at least 20 3-pointers this season; four are shooting 38% or better (Davide Moretti 46.3%; Kyler Edwards 43.8%; Deshawn Corprew 40.8%; Matt Mooney 38.1%)
Tech averages 7.2 make 3-pointers on 19.6 attempts pg, ranks #67 nationally in 3PT%
Tech fell below that in games vs NKU, Buffalo, and Michigan

Sweet Sixteen Wrap; defeated Michigan 63-44
https://texastech.com/boxscore.aspx?id=14439&path=mbball
We went into this game worried about Michigan’s defense and Moretti’s inaccuracy beyond the arch (0-7 from 3pt in first two games)
Moretti ended up with 15 points on 5-7 shooting (3-4 3PT) 2-2 FT
Initially felt that rebounds would tell the story. Michigan still outgained TTU 35-31 on the glass.
TTU was up 8-6 after 11 min - 14 total points. This. Is. March.
TTU allowed 16 points in the first half while scoring 24

Elite Eight Wrap; defeated 1 seed Gonzaga 75-69 on Saturday
https://texastech.com/boxscore.aspx?id=14452&path=mbball
Tech outscored Zags 40-32 in second half
Culver 19 pts; Mooney 17 pts; Moretti 12 pts
First time in the tournament this year to allow 60 or more points; to no. 1 offensive efficiency ranked team
19 points below Gonzaga season scoring average

Final Four
Tech’s path to the Final Four; eliminated BPI teams 2, 8, & 22
MSU eliminated 3, 24, 53 (best win was 1 point)
Virginia (9, 29, 34; best win in OT); Auburn (7, 5, 18)

Matchup with Michigan State, Sat. 4/6, 7:49 p.m., US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis; defeated 1 seed Duke 68-67 on Sunday
Guard Cassius Winston averaging 19 ppg in tournament
ESPN Jeff Borzello “How the Final Four Teams Were Built (ESPN Top 100 Recruits)” Michigan State: 7, Texas Tech: 0
Detroit News James Hawkins “Texas Tech’s Chris Beard admires Tom Izzo and Michigan State, won’t let them be cowed by Spartans”
Beard’s admiration of Izzo
MSU terminology “Michigan State toughness” “Tom Izzo rebounding”
Beard: “The last two years, when we get to March, no matter who’s in front of us, we’ve played against a team just as good in the Big 12. So as  as Michigan State is - and believe me, they’re really, really good, obviously - we have played teams this year, Kansas State and Iowa State, we have played Duke in non conference. So for us, it’s another great game.”

BPI 39.3%; FiveThirtyEight 46%; Haslametrics 66.3 - 65.8; Las Vegas MSU -155 (Tech +135), -3 (implied odds MSU 60.8 - 42.6 TTU)

Texas Monthly Dan Solomon “A Handy Guide to Hopping on the Texas Tech Basketball Bandwagon”
Brian Hamilton (@_Brian_Hamilton) has had excellent articles on The Athletic profiling Mooney, Moretti, Culver (today), and chronicling how TTU made it to Minneapolis
FOOTBALL
DeMarcus Fields has returned to the team and is practicing (suspended with Da’Leon Ward, Joseph Wallace, Corey Fulcher)
There was a scrimmage in Lubbock on Saturday, apparently
https://texastech.com/news/2019/3/30/football-wells-takes-in-first-scrimmage-to-start-spring-series.aspx
Coach Wells, “"I liked the way the defense tackled," Wells said. "I thought we tackled well in space. I thought Ta'Zhawn Henry ran with good balance. He had some runs with good vision and good balance. SaRodorick (Thompson) made a nice run on the touchdown run. Those were the three things that stood out the most to me."

Midland Scrimmage this Friday (April 5th) - 7pm - Grande Communications Stadium
Spring Game Sat (April 13th) - 2pm - The Star in Frisco
BASEBALL
19-7 (3-3); def. UNM 15-6
Went 2-1 in Manhattan
Playing at New Mexico tonight (7pm) and tomorrow (2pm)
Back at home against KU this weekend (Texas Tech TV only)
QUESTIONS
https://twitter.com/LSRR07/status/1113134262113521666
GOIN YARD
WHAT WE LEARNED
Someone made a Spotify playlist of Coach Beard’s Fireside Chat recommendations (thank you, Tyler): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0ZGvcIKRDpQrRLjWvKLpYR?si=3p66KYZ-RWqNT9XhurK-yQ

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