 "Photo: Sam Grenadier")
All season long, Texas Tech coach Pat Knight and his team have struggled to close out games and take advantage of opportune moments. The recurring theme has saddled the Red Raiders, who have lost six straight games and 12 of 14, despite gaining respect around the Big 12 Conference for effort not fit for a losing team.
But if there is one game of the season where the pieces could come together, it's the final home game of the season at 8:30 p.m. today against No. 9 Kansas in the United Spirit Arena - or in other words, Senior Night.
In recent seasons, the Red Raiders (12-17, 2-12 in Big 12 play) knocked off a ranked opponent in Lubbock. Last year, it was No. 5 Texas and No. 18 Kansas State. In 2007, Tech beat No. 5 Kansas and No. 6 Texas A&M. Back in 2005, Tech knocked off No. 2 Kansas in a double-overtime thriller.
The Red Raiders had a chance to take the lead in the second half against No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday, but the Sooners pulled away late for a 78-63 victory.
Now, with the defending national champion Jayhawks (24-5, 13-1) strolling into Lubbock, thoughts of giving fans the opportunity to rush the court one final time this season have wedged their way into players' minds. That especially goes for seniors such as Rogdrick Craig, Michael Prince, Alan Voskuil, Damir Suljagic and Esmir Rizvic.
"It'd be big," Craig said of upstaging Kansas, who sits first in the Big 12. "We are due for one, and this season didn't go as well as planned, but if we get this big upset it would just make everything better. It'd be something that we can always remember for the rest of our lives."
Years down the road, it would be a win the Red Raiders could smile at when peering at a schedule filled with too many losses.
One of those grins would have to be Prince's, who received a lot of publicity in 2006 when former Tech coach Bob Knight pushed his chin up during a victory against Gardner-Webb. The scene exploded onto the national media's stage, once again raising questions about Bob Knight's demeanor as a coach.
Reports indicated there was nothing malicious about the situation, and everyone involved defended Prince's coach, including his parents, saying Bob Knight wanted Prince to pay attention to his coaching.
When asked of his favorite memories as a Red Raider, Prince didn't mention the infamous "raising of the chin," but he did talk about the upsets and how special they can be.
Today's matchup against Kansas is no exception, especially considering Prince was a member of the 2007 team that beat the Jayhawks - Rizvic, Suljagic and Voskuil were too.
"I'll never forget that," he said. "It was a great feeling. No one really thought we could do it. I guess we played hard an entire 40 minutes and we just came out on top.
"If we get Kansas on Wednesday, it would be a good top-off of the season. It would be a good way to go out, especially at home."
But the Jayhawks, despite being young, are a difficult matchup for Tech and are playing for their fifth straight Big 12 regular season title. Plus, the Jayhawks are 17-3 in the all-time series against Tech. Last season, Kansas handed Tech its worst loss in school history, a 109-51 stomping in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.
Junior point guard Sherron Collins (18.5 points per game) and sophomore center Cole Aldrich (17 double-doubles) lead an inexperienced squad that is loaded with high-end talent in freshmen Tyshawn Taylor, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris - to name a few.
Pat Knight said he thought it was funny how critics picked Kansas to struggle in what should have been a rebuilding year considering studs such as Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers went to the NBA.
The loss in talent was supposed to bring parity to the Big 12, but with KU coach Bill Self running the show, the Jayhawks remained in powerhouse form.
"It doesn't matter if they're young or old," Pat Knight said. "If Bill is coaching the team, they're gonna be good, and I think he proved that. "
Regardless of the mismatches and differences in both teams' seasons, Pat Knight said his players, seniors especially, deserve a landmark win for an otherwise dismal season.
"It's our last chance to play at home, the last shot we have for the home crowd, and it's the last chance these seniors get to play in the United Spirit Arena," he said. "So any time you're at home, it doesn't matter who you play, it's huge. It just happens to be Kansas this year."
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