 "Photo: Sam Grenadier")
John Roberson and the rest of the Texas Tech basketball team, like many students, will be out of town tonight.
However, after playing Stephen F. Austin tonight at 7 p.m. in Nacadogches, there’s an early return trip to Lubbock for the Red Raiders — including a three-hour practice on Thanksgiving day and a game against Samford on Saturday in the United Spirit Arena.
“I don’t expect my mom to come down here (for Thanksgiving),” Roberson said. “We’re going to be together so hopefully we can get a bit more team chemistry while everyone else is gone.”
Tech coach Pat Knight said after Saturday’s victory against Lamar, Thanksgiving break will be business as usual among the team.
Knight said Wednesday will be a mandatory off day because of an NCAA rule requiring at least one day off from the sport per week, but the players will have to work Thanksgiving day in preparation for Samford.
Knight, who played college basketball at Indiana under his father, said he carries on Bob Knight’s tradition of inviting players to his home for a holiday dinner. However, the basketball season overlaps arguably the two biggest holiday seasons of the year, and the team can’t afford to take too much time off.
“I’ve never had a holiday off, Thanksgiving or Christmas growing up,” Knight said. “We’ll practice Thanksgiving — a long three-hour practice — but I’ll reward them with a dinner at my house.
“There’s no kumbaya or anything like that. They get a meal at my house, that’s about it. We’ll still be doing our defensive drills, rebounding. We have to get prepared for Samford.”
But before Samford — the sixth early-season game at home — Tech (5-0) enters its first road game against Stephen F. Austin from the Southland Conference.
The Red Raiders won just one game away from the United Spirit Arena last year when they topped Mississippi State at a neutral site during Thanksgiving break that season.
Tech has not won a true road game since Feb. 20, 2008, when the Red Raiders defeated Colorado 69-55 in Boulder, Colo.
The Lumberjacks, on the other hand, won the Southland Conference tournament last season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament, where the Jacks lost to Syracuse in the first round.
Tech defeated the Lumberjacks last season in Lubbock 69-55.
The Jacks (1-1) enter the game off a 62-61 comeback win against Jackson State. The Jacks loss’ came against Minnesota, 82-42.
The Red Raiders have a 3-0 record against Southland teams this season with wins against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Northwestern (Louisiana) State and Lamar.
Despite the preconceptions that Stephen F. Austin will be about the same talent level of the first three Southland schools, the Red Raiders are not taking the trip lightly considering their road woes last season.
“It’s going to be a hostile environment,” Roberson said regarding the Lumberjacks. “They’ve got a good team, well coached. They’re going to be ready to play us, they came in here last year and played us tough. We’re going to be ready.”
Knight said his team’s 5-0 record at home is a great start, but the Red Raiders must win road games this year if they want a chance to play postseason basketball.
“If you plan on being anywhere in the postseason, it’s the guys who take care of the home floor and can win some games on the road,” he said. “It’s going to be tough. We haven’t beat a Southland opponent on the road yet. It’d be nice to get wins on the road again — we have to. If we don’t start winning on the road, we’re just not going to do anything in the postseason.”
Be the first to comment on this article!