LUBBOCK, Texas — Despite shooting 3-pointers at a far better percentage than is their custom, the Texas Tech Red Raiders still made only 19 baskets Monday night.
Contrast that to 22 turnovers and you can understand Tubby Smith’s chagrin after a 78-67 loss to No. 14 West Virginia.
Not even a 7-of-12 night from 3-point range could keep the Red Raiders in the game. Texas Tech was rattled by the Mountaineers’ defensive intensity, leading to desperate moments of poor execution.
“We work on coming to meet passes; we work on it every day, as a matter of fact. But we had guys running from the ball,” Smith said.
Big 12 coaches frequently fear the Saturday/Monday combination, which allows for only a one-day preparation in between games. Smith said he couldn’t think of a more problematic quick-turn opponent than West Virginia, with its chaotic brand of pressure.
“We’ve had trouble with ball security, and then you run into a team that leads the nation in steals and this is what happens,” he said.
“It’s like in football—you’ve got to run the route the right route. You’ve got to run to the right spot. And when one guy breaks down and runs near another guy, it’s just a lack of discipline on our part. We’ve got to get the whip out, I guess. We’ve got to do a better job of training them.”
Listen to all of Smith’s postgame comments above.