TTU Basketball Kicks Off Season in Style With Win Over North Florida
TTU Basketball kicked off their 2021-2022 in style Tuesday, October 9th, against the North Florida Ospreys. Coming off an off-season full of uncertainty, new Head Coach Mark Adams has shown early that Texas Tech will remain dominant with their new transfers and recruiting class. While the Red Raiders would go on to win the game 89-74, it was a tale of two halves with a majority of the team getting playing time.
Game Recap
The first half from the Red Raiders was nothing short of dominant. They would do so by outscoring the Ospreys 50-36 to head into the half with a 14-point lead. In the second half, the Red Raiders would begin to give some other guys playing time. While they would win the game, the margin would win the second half 39-38. The game as a whole was a great test to see which players on the rosters have the ability to make big-time plays on both ends of the floor.
Key Players
With the absence of Terrance Shannon Jr., the starting roster is still somewhat uncertain. But the Red Raider’s leading scorer for the season home opener was Bryson Williams. The UTEP transfer showed out in his Texas Tech debut. While he would only play 18-minutes he lead the Red Raiders in points with 22. Williams was nothing short of dominant, shooting 9-11 from the field along with seven boards with a block and steal.
The second-leading scorer for the Red Raiders was Oral Roberts transfer Kevin Obanor who finished the contest with 17-points. Obanor would play 23-minutes in the contest, shoot 5 for 12 from the field, and contribute with six rebounds of his own.
Another transfer that would show out in his debut was Davion Warren. Warren, who played 28-minutes in the contest, finished with 14-points by shooting 7-10 from the field. One of the more impressive aspects of Warren’s game was his five assists and the ability to be a facilitator for the Red Raiders.
The last two players who significantly impacted the game were returning players Marcus Santos-Silva and Kevin McCullar. Santos-Silva would finish the game with 13-points in just 16 minutes and go 6-9 from the field. McCullar, on the other hand, played 28 minutes and would only be able to score eight points. While scoring is not McCullar’s strong suit, he would also contribute by having six rebounds, five assists, and a steal.
Areas for Improvement
While the Red Raiders won their first win of the season, there are many areas of their game with room for improvement. One of the first things the Red Raiders can do is increase their presence on the defensive side of the ball. If Tech is to improve, hard nose defense will need to be played from the very get-go to the end of the game. While Tech may have won the game, there were times in the contest when the defense seemed very stagnant with communication issues. Head Coach Mark Adams almost immediately identified the problem and said it would be an emphasis moving forward.
Another issue that surfaced as the game progressed was turnovers. The Red Raiders would end the contest with 12 turnovers, which is usually an easy fix. With so many new players competing for the first time, the chemistry may be off, but expect this to improve as the season rolls along.
Overall
Overall, TTU Basketball kicked off their 2021-2022 in style Tuesday, October 9th, against the North Florida Ospreys. After winning their season and home opener at United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock, Texas. The team will now look towards their next game against Grambling State. The game is slated for Friday, November 12th, at home in Lubbock, Texas. You can watch the game on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, Texas Tech Sports Network, and listen at the Double T FM 97.3.
For Texas Tech’s Basketball full schedule click here!
For more Texas Tech Basketball Sports articles click here!
Story by Campus Live Employee Trinity Porter