2008–09 Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team

The 2008–09 Texas Tech Red Raiders men's basketball team represented Texas Tech University during the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team plays in the Big 12 Conference at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas. The season marked Pat Knight's first full season as head coach.

2008–09 Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Division	South
2008–09 record	14–19 (3–13 Big 12)
Head coach	Pat Knight
Assistant coaches	Chris Beard Stew Robinson Bubba Jennings
Home arena	United Spirit Arena

2008–09 Big 12 men's basketball standings
	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
No. 14 Kansas	14	–	2		.875			27	–	8		.771
No. 7 Oklahoma	13	–	3		.813			30	–	6		.833
No. 9 Missouri †	12	–	4		.750			31	–	7		.816
Kansas State	9	–	7		.563			22	–	12		.647
Texas	9	–	7		.563			23	–	12		.657
Texas A&M	9	–	7		.563			24	–	10		.706
Oklahoma State	9	–	7		.563			23	–	12		.657
Nebraska	8	–	8		.500			18	–	13		.581
Baylor	5	–	11		.313			24	–	15		.615
Iowa State	4	–	12		.250			15	–	17		.469
Texas Tech	3	–	13		.188			14	–	19		.424
Colorado	1	–	15		.063			9	–	22		.290
† 2009 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll [1]

Preseason

Personnel changes

Pat Knight took over the head coaching duties late in the 2007–08 season after Bob Knight resigned on February 4, 2008.[2] This was Pat's first full season as head coach of the Red Raiders.[3] Pat hired Bubba Jennings as an assistant coach in addition to Chris Beard and Stew Robinson.[4]

Recruiting

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Darko Cohadarevic PF	Liberal, KS	Seward County JC	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	Mar 24, 2008
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: N/A
Nick Okorie PG	Levelland, TX	South Plains JC	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 6, 2008
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: N/A
Tyree Graham^[A] SG	Durham, NC	Village Christian Academy	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Oct 26, 2007
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Robert Lewandowski PF	Overland Park, KS	Blue Valley Northwest HS	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Sep 13, 2007
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Corbin Ray SF	Katy, TX	Taylor HS	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Apr 25, 2007
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 89
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NR   Rivals: NR  ESPN: NR
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Texas Tech 2008 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2009-03-24. "2008 Texas Tech Basketball Commits". Scout.com. Retrieved 2009-03-24. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-03-24. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2009-03-24. "2008 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2009-03-24.

^A In January 2009, Tyree Graham announced he would be leaving the team, citing family reasons.[5]

Schedule

Date time, TV	Rank^#	Opponent^#	Result	Record	Site city, state
November 14, 2008* 8:00 PM		Saint Francis	W 81–47	1–0	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
November 17, 2008* 7:00 PM		Sam Houston State	W 87–76	2–0	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
November 20, 2008* 7:00 PM		East Central	W 167–115	3–0	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
November 22, 2008* 1:00 PM		Eastern Kentucky	W 98–84	4–0	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
November 25, 2008* 7:00 PM		Southeastern Louisiana	W 74–63	5–0	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
November 28, 2008* 7:50 PM		vs. No. 4 Pittsburgh Legends Classic semifinal	L 67–80	5–1	Prudential Center  Newark, NJ
November 29, 2008* 5:30 PM		vs. Mississippi State Legends Classic third-place game	W 77–73	6–1	Prudential Center  Newark, NJ
December 3, 2008* 7:00 PM		Wichita State	W 72–69	7–1	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
December 13, 2008* 7:05 PM		at Lamar	L 79–85	7–2	Montagne Center  Beaumont, TX
December 17, 2008* 7:07 PM		at UTEP	L 78–96	7–3	Don Haskins Center  El Paso, TX
December 20, 2008* 12:00 PM		New Mexico	W 86–78	8–3	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
December 23, 2008* 7:00 PM		Centenary	W 67–53	9–3	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
December 28, 2008* 7:00 PM, FSN		at Stanford	L 66–111	9–4	Maples Pavilion  Stanford, CA
January 1, 2009* 3:00 PM		Stephen F. Austin	W 69–55	10–4	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
January 6, 2009* 7:00 PM		TCU	L 80–85	10–5	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
January 10, 2009 12:45 PM, Big 12 Network		at No. 23 Baylor	L 61–73	10–6	Ferrell Center  Waco, TX
January 17, 2009 3:00 PM, Big 12 Network		No. 11 Texas	L 49–71	10–7	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
January 20, 2009 7:00 PM		Colorado	W 63–55	11–7	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
January 24, 2009 12:47 PM, Big 12 Network		at Missouri	L 86–97	11–8	Mizzou Arena  Columbia, MO
January 28, 2009 8:05 PM, ESPNU		at Texas A&M	L 70–79	11–9	Reed Arena  College Station, TX
January 31, 2009 7:00 PM, Big 12 Network		Nebraska	L 69–82	11–10	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
February 4, 2009 8:05 PM, ESPNU		at Oklahoma State	L 80–81	11–11	Gallagher-Iba Arena  Stillwater, OK
February 7, 2009 7:00 PM, ESPNU		Baylor	W 83–76	12–11	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
February 11, 2009 8:00 PM, ESPNU		at Kansas State	L 73–85	12–12	Bramlage Coliseum  Manhattan, KS
February 14, 2009 12:45 PM, Big 12 Network		at No. 2 Oklahoma	L 74–95	12–13	Lloyd Noble Center  Norman, OK
February 18, 2009 8:30 PM, ESPN2		Oklahoma State	L 82–92	12–14	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
February 21, 2009 5:00 PM		Texas A&M	L 73–79	12–15	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
February 25, 2009 8:40 PM, ESPN2		at No. 25 Texas	L 81–87	12–16	Frank Erwin Center  Austin, TX
February 28, 2009 2:30 PM, ABC		No. 3 Oklahoma	L 63–78	12–17	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
March 4, 2009 8:30 PM, ESPN2		No. 9 Kansas	W 84–65	13–17	United Spirit Arena  Lubbock, TX
March 7, 2009 12:45 PM, Big 12 Network		at Iowa State	L 76–78	13–18	Hilton Coliseum  Ames, IA
Big 12 Tournament
March 11, 2009 8:30 PM, Big 12 Network		vs. Texas A&M	W 88–83	14–18	Ford Center  Oklahoma City, OK
March 12, 2009 8:30 PM, ESPN2		vs. No. 14 Missouri	L 60–81	14–19	Ford Center  Oklahoma City, OK
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

Source for regular season
Source for Big 12 Tournament

Notable games and events

East Central

In the third game of the season, Texas Tech defeated Division II opponent East Central 167–115, setting a new school record for most points scored in a game. The previous record of 128 was set in the double overtime victory over Texas on February 20, 1994. The combined total of 282 points also became a new record.[6][7]

Wichita State

Texas Tech led the Wichita State Shockers 43–26 going into halftime. The lead quickly deteriorated as Wichita State went on a 12–3 run to open the second half.[8] The Shockers eventually tied the game with about 41 seconds remaining.[9] Mike Singletary then hit a 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left to give the Red Raiders the win, 72–69.[10]

Nebraska

In a 69–82 loss to Nebraska, Knight ran onto the court to argue with officials after Texas Tech player Alan Voskuil was called for a foul. After receiving two technical fouls, Knight was ejected from the game. Once in the tunnel, Knight ran back onto the court to continue arguing.[11] Knight was not suspended, rather receiving a public reprimand from the Big 12 Conference.[12]

Texas

The Red Raiders were without head coach Pat Knight against Texas after he was suspended for criticizing the officials in a game four days earlier against Texas A&M.[13][14]

Kansas

Texas Tech upset #9 Kansas 84–65 at home on senior night. Senior Alan Voskuil had a career high 35 points, going 9–14 from 3-point range and 10–17 overall.[15] It was Kansas' worst defeat of the season and marked their third straight loss at the United Spirit Arena.[16]

Big 12 Tournament

The only chance the Red Raiders had at making the postseason was to win the Big 12 Tournament where the winner receives an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.[17] Texas Tech went into the tournament as the #11 seed after losing to Iowa State 76–78 in the last game of the regular season, thus giving Iowa State the #10 seed.[18]

Texas A&M

Texas A&M took a 29–48 lead into halftime and built it up to 21 early in the second half.[19] In the second half, sophomore Mike Singletary scored 29 points in a row to help Texas Tech take a 79–78 lead with 39.4 seconds left in the game and eventually win 88–83.[20] Singletary finished the game with 43 points, a career high and Big 12 Tournament record for most points in a single game.[21] Mike Singletary's 29 consecutive points is the second longest streak in NCAA history and Texas Tech's comeback from 21 points down is a Big 12 Tournament record.[20][22]

Missouri

Texas Tech was able to manage a 31–31 halftime tie against #3 seed Missouri.[23] In the second half, however, Missouri's full-court press defense allowed the Tigers to go on a 13 point run early in the second half.[24][25] Mike Singletary led Texas Tech with 17 points and Missouri's DeMarre Carroll had 19 to help Missouri win 81–60.[26]

Awards and honors

Esmir Rizvic

• Academic All-Big 12 First Team[27]

John Roberson

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention[28]
• USBWA All-District 7 Team[27]

Mike Singletary

• Academic All-Big 12 Second Team[27]
• Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team[29]

Alan Voskuil

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention[28]

See also

• 2008–09 Big 12 Conference men's basketball season

References

1. "2019-20 Big 12 Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. pp. 26–30. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
2. "Bob Knight resigns". The Daily Toreador. 2008-02-04. Archived from the original on 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
3. "Pat Knight Profile". Texas Tech Official Athletic Site. Archived from the original on 8 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
4. ""Bubba" Jennings Named Asst. Basketball Coach". RaiderPower.com. 2008-07-08. Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
5. George, Brandon (2009-01-12). "Freshman Tyree Graham leaving Texas Tech basketball program". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
6. "Texas Tech men's basketball wins in school-record rout, 167–115". Associated Press. The Dallas Morning News. 2009-11-21. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
7. Ybarra, Alex (2008-11-01). "Red Raider men's basketball knocks out East Central in record-setting victory". The Daily Toreador. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
8. "Wichita State Shockers vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders Recap". Associated Press. ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
9. Walker, Jeff (2008-12-04). "Close One: Red Raiders win on last-second three". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
10. "Shocks Fall in Thriller at TTU, 72–69". Official Athletics Site of Wichita State. 2008-12-03. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
11. Walker, Jeff (2009-02-02). "Big 12 reprimands Knight". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
12. "Big 12 Conference Reprimands Texas Tech Men's Basketball Coach Pat Knight". Big12Sports.com. 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2009-03-18.
13. Barfknecht, Lee (2009-02-23). "Texas Tech coach suspended after ripping refs". Omaha World-Herald. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
14. "Tech's Knight suspended 1 game". Associated Press. ESPN.com. 2009-02-23. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
15. "Voskuil scores 35 to lead Texas Tech past Kansas". Associated Press. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
16. Keefer, Case (2009-03-05). "Kansas stunned by Texas Tech". University Daily Kansan. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
17. Walker, Jeff (2009-02-21). "Tech needs strong run before Big 12 tourney". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
18. "Cyclones claim 10th seed over Red Raiders". Associated Press. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 2009-03-09. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
19. Carlton, Chuck (2009-03-12). "Texas Tech rallies from 21 down, shocks Texas A&M, 88–83". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 2009-06-07. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
20. "Texas Tech rallies to victory over Texas A&M as Singletary sets scoring record". Associated Press. ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 15 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
21. "NCAA Game Summary – Texas Tech Vs. Texas A&M". The Sports Network. KSAT-TV. 2009-03-11. Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
22. Walker, Jeff (2009-03-12). "Singletary's performance measures up". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
23. Barnhouse, Wendell (2009-03-12). "Missouri Takes Down Red Raiders To Advance". Associated Press. Big 12 Conference. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
24. "Recap: Missouri vs. Texas Tech". The Sports Network. The News & Observer. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
25. "Texas Tech Falls to No. 14 Missouri in Big 12 Tournament". Associated Press. Texas Tech Official Athletic Site. 2009-03-12. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
26. Latzke, Jeff (2009-03-13). "Missouri avoids Big 12 upset, downs Texas Tech". Associated Press. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
27. "2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 8. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
28. "Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Awards Announced". Big 12 Conference. 2009-03-08. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
29. "2008–09 Big 12 Men's Basketball" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. p. 5. Retrieved 2009-03-28.