No. 10 Texas Tech has the Huge 12 Preseason Participant of the 12 months in JT Toppin and the Huge 12 Preseason Newcomer of the 12 months in LeJuan Watts.
Whether or not the expertise and early accolades translate right into a convention title is as much as coach Grant McCasland and his employees.
Texas Tech earned a No. 3 NCAA Match seed and made a run to the Elite Eight final spring. With a equally formidable group in tow, the Purple Raiders will open the brand new season Tuesday in opposition to visiting Lindenwood in Lubbock, Texas.
Toppin, a multitalented ahead, was a second-team All-American and earned preseason All-American recognition this fall after averaging 18.2 factors and 9.4 rebounds in his first season at Texas Tech. The Purple Raiders additionally introduced again fourth-leading scorer Christian Anderson, who had 10.6 factors per sport and shot 38% from 3-point distance as a freshman.
Darrion Williams, Likelihood McMillian and Elijah Hawkins had been amongst those that left both resulting from commencement or a switch, however McCasland used the portal to his profit as properly. Watts, specifically, stands out on the wing. After his freshman 12 months at Japanese Washington, he carried out even higher at Washington State (13.7 ppg, 6.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 42.2% from deep).
In response to his new coach, Watts’ influence is seen not simply on paper, however on the follow ground.
“Being round LeJuan Watts, his ardour for this, his really feel for the sport … being round him and (seeing) how a lot he actually desires to be nice day-after-day,” McCasland mentioned this offseason. “You recognize in recruiting him that they have an effect risk due to our place. He is such a flexible participant that we felt like he wanted to be concerned.
“He would not simply like it; he lives it day-after-day.”
Different switch names to know in Lubbock embody Donovan Atwell (13.3 ppg at UNC Greensboro final season) and Tyeree Bryan (10.4 ppg, 42.9% 3-point taking pictures at Santa Clara).
Texas Tech was picked third within the Huge 12 preseason coaches’ ballot and second by the media. The Purple Raiders nonetheless should overcome defending champion and title favourite Houston.
They received 23 and 28 video games in McCasland’s first two seasons, however there is not any resting on their laurels in Lubbock.
“I feel we have simply put collectively the correct mix of offensive gamers, the place our greatest areas (to enhance), and we have made this very clear from the start, is simply how a lot better can we get defensively,” McCasland mentioned this week. “… I simply know we have got to enhance on the defensive facet of the ball considerably if we’ll get the place we wish to get.”
Lindenwood has spent three seasons in Division I so far and posted its finest document as a program in that point final 12 months, going 16-17 and 10-10 within the Ohio Valley Convention. The Lions had been tied with Morehead State for fifth within the 11-team league’s preseason ballot voted on by head coaches and sports activities data administrators.
The Lions are hoping for continued progress this season. They hosted Southern Illinois for an exhibition sport this week and pushed the larger college earlier than falling 86-76. Heart Milos Nenadic, a switch from Maine, led all scorers with 21 factors on 10-of-14 taking pictures together with 5 assists.
“I assumed our guys actually battled and did a superb job,” coach Kyle Gerdeman informed Lindenwood’s athletics web site. “I feel we made progress from the final day trip and I feel we received higher from the place we had been per week in the past.”
Lindenwood can be aided by the return of final 12 months’s prime two scorers, Anias Futrell (12.8 ppg) and Jadis Jones (12.5).
–Subject Stage Media
