The No. 5 seed Red Raiders defeated the No. 12 seed Akron Zips to advance to the round of 32, and Texas Tech senior guard Donovan Atwell issued a warning to the NCAA tournament.
Following his 15-point effort, which included a steal, two rebounds, and three assists, Atwell stated that teams will find it challenging to stop all of us.
There was a lot of worry for the Red Raiders going into Friday’s game against Akron, one of the top offensive squads in the nation. Everyone questioned Tech’s chances of progressing in the NCAA Tournament without All-American big man JT Toppin, even if they were the higher seed.
When Tech defeated the Zips 91-71 on Friday, those doubts were put to rest.
This demonstrates that we are determined. People, we are aware, need to take the initiative. We have so many threats on both sides of the ball, I’ve been saying it all year, Atwell added. We had a number of men score in the double digits tonight. It’s going to continue. It will be difficult for the opposition squad to halt us, particularly during the transition.
We’re a difficult team to beat.
The Red Raiders put up a full effort, with five players contributing double-digit point totals. Jaylen Petty, a freshman, scored a staggering 24 points to lead Tech in scoring.
Both teams were among the best 3-point shooters in the nation. Texas Tech was fifth in the nation in made three-pointers per game and fourth in three-point percentage. With 10 made three-pointers per game, Akron came in 12th place in three-point percentage.
The Red Raiders’ victory in the battle at the arc became apparent following their head-to-head match with Akron. The Red Raiders made 11 of their 20 three-point attempts, while the Zips only hit 5 of their 19.
Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland expressed his tremendous respect for Coach (John) Groce for a fantastic year. They have such a fantastic crew. One of the most entertaining squads I’ve ever scouted. With how they score, their speed, and their ability to predict their next move, they are able to put you under pressure. We pushed our team to improve its defense and to end games with rebounds. We believed that we could win if we were able to remove rhythm 3s and bounce back. Several men made significant contributions.
The Red Raiders are now prepared to face the fourth-seeded Alabama in the round of 32 on Sunday. Even if Tech is the underdog in the game, the Red Raiders understand that it is never wise to underestimate any opponent before a game.
Ahead of Friday’s game, McCasland explained why Akron was never viewed by Tech as the weaker opponent.
He said that if you try to assess how hard you’re going to play by a number by putting it by someone’s name, then you’re stupid.
Without Toppin, who was in the conversation for national player of the year before sustaining an injury that ended his season, the Red Raiders face a difficult road in the NCAA Tournament.
On Friday, Tech performed its task, but they will need to keep looking for strategies to prevail without Toppin when they face the Crimson Tide on Sunday.
