Texas Tech Faces Loyola To Open Season
November 14, 2014 | Men's Basketball
November 13, 2014
Texas Tech Game Notes ¦ Loyola Game Notes ¦ Big 12 Notes ¦ Texas Tech Media Guide
LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech will kick off the 2014-15 season on Friday night, as the Red Raiders host Loyola (Md.) at 8 p.m. at United Supermarkest Arena.
But it is more than just any season opener, Smith's Red Raiders are facing off with his son, G.G. Smith, and the Loyola Greyhounds.
"It is not a situation where it is me against G.G.," said Smith. "I have not played in a long time. This is a situation where the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Loyola Greyhounds are playing each other."
Red Raider head coach Tubby Smith sees this as an opportunity to begin a new season on the right foot.
"We have been practicing for this moment all summer and fall," added Smith. "We are excited to get the season underway. We have a lot of new faces on the roster with five freshmen and two junior college transfers."
Texas Tech enters the season off its best recruiting class in a decade. Tubby Smith's recruiting class was ranked No. 32 by The Hoop Scoop. It is the highest rated class since the 2005 class was rated No. 29 by The Hoop Scoop. It is just the second class for Texas Tech to be ranked inside the Top 50 over the last 10 years.
RED RAIDERS OPEN 90TH SEASON OF PLAY
Texas Tech will tipoff the 90th season of men's basketball on Friday night at the United Supermarkets Arena at 8 p.m., as the Red Raiders host the Loyola (Md.). This is the first-ever meeting between the Red Raiders and the Greyhounds. The Red Raiders are 14-1 in season openers since the United Spirit Arena in 1999. Texas Tech has won 14 straight, since dropping the 1999-00 season opener to Indiana. Since the school opened its doors in 1925, the Red Raiders have gone 62-27 (69.7 percent) in season openers and 65-24 (73.0 percent) in home openers.
Tubby Smith LOOKING FOR 2-0 IN OPENERS
Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith won his Red Raider debut last season and looks to improve to 2-0 in season openers at Texas Tech. The 16th head coach in program history, Smith is 525-244 in 23 previous seasons as a head coach at Tulsa, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and Texas Tech. He has won 20-or-more games in 19 seasons and made 17 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including capturing the 1998 NCAA title while with Kentucky. He has also made nine Sweet Sixteen appearances, four Elite Eight appearances. Smith is looking to become just the second coaching in NCAA history to take five different teams to the NCAA Tournament, joining Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger. He is also one of only seven active coaches with 500 career wins and a National Championships.
A FAMILY AFFAIR
Friday's matchup between Texas Tech and Loyola (Md.) has more meaning that most openers, as Red Raider head coach Tubby Smith will square off with the Greyhounds, who are coached by Tubby's son G.G. This is the first time the two head coaches have faced each other. G.G. played for two seasons under Tubby at the University of Georgia. During G.G.'s junior season, Tubby took the head coaching position at Kentucky. Smith went 4-0 against Georgia with G.G. on the Bulldogs. Friday marks one of two games nationally that feature father and son coaching matchups. The other game pits Rick Pitino of Louisville against Richard Pitino of Minnesota.
HOME OPENERS SINCE 1999
The United Spirit Arena opened on Nov. 19, 1999, when Texas Tech took on Indiana. That game marked the only loss in a season opener for the Red Raiders since. Texas Tech is 1341, including winners of 14 straight in season openers.
ABOUT LOYOLA (MD.)
Loyola (Md.) is led by head coach G.G. Smith, the son of Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith. G.G. Smith is in his second year as the head caoch of the Greyhounds. He led Loyola to an 11-19 record last season and a 6-12 record in the Patriot League. The Greyhounds were 23-12 and played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament in 2012-13.
HEAD COACH DEBUTS
Tubby Smith will look to become the fifth Red Raider head coach to win a season opener in their first two seasons on the High Plains on Friday, when Texas Tech hosts Loyola (Md.) at the United Supermarkets Arena. Smith looks to join Bob Bass, Gerald Myers, Bob Knight and Pat Knight as Red Raider head coaches began their first two seasons in Lubbock with season-opening wins.
Tubby Smith IN SEASON OPENERS
Friday's game against Loyola (Md.) will mark the 24rd season opener for Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith. He has led his squads to 12 straight season-opening wins. Smith is 20-3 in season openers heading into Friday's game.
FRESHMAN IN THE ROTATION
Over the last 20 years, Texas Tech has never started more than two true freshmen in the Big 12 Era. There is a possibility that (Justin Gray, SF, 2014-15), (Zach Smith, PF, 2014-15) and (Norense Odiase, C, 2014-15) will all start. In the 2011-12 season opener against Troy, Texas Tech started Jordan Tolbert and Toddrick Gotcher. The only other time came during the 2001-02 season, when Nathan Doudney and Ronald Ross started as freshmen. In the Big 12 Era, only eight true freshmen have started in the season opener (Josh Gray, PG, 2012-13), (Jordan Tolbert, PF, 2011-12), (Toddrick Gotcher, SF, 2011-12), (Martin Zeno, SF, 2004-05), (Jarrius Jackson, SG, 2003-04), (Ronald Ross, PG, 2001-02), (Nathan Dowdney, SF, 2001-02), (Andre Emmett, SF, 2000-01). Over the last 30 years, only 10 freshman have started a season opener. Statistically, a freshman has only started in the season opener 6.7 percent of the time over the last 30 years. The projected starting lineup for Friday's game is Robert Turner (Sr.), Randy Onwuasor (So.), Justin Gray (Fr.), Zach Smith (Fr.) and Norense Odiase (Fr.). At no time in the last 20 years has Texas Tech started four underclassmen on opening day.
TEXAS TECH SPLITS EXHIBITOINS GAMES
Texas Tech split its two exhibition games against Southeastern Oklahoma State and Texas A&M-Commerce. The Red Raiders topped Southeastern, but fel in overtime to Commerce. With seven newcomers, head coach Tunny Smith used the exhibition games to find the right formula for success.
TEXAS TECH TO PARTICIPATE IN ESPN MARATHON
Texas Tech will make its first appearance in the ESPN Tip Off Marathon on Tuesday, as a part of the station's 24 hours of college basketball. The Red Raider will face LSU in Baton Rouge, La. at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday as the final game of the 24-hours of basketball. The Red Raiders are one of two Big 12 teams playing in the event. Texas Tech is joined by Baylor, who takes on South Carolina at noon on Tuesday.
