Big 12 Basketball: Bruce Weber, Scott Drew lead 2019 Coach of the Year race
By Chris Kern
4. Chris Beard
The Texas Tech Red Raiders lost the majority of their key players from a year ago but they have kept chugging along and have been one of the biggest surprises in college basketball. With the amount of production, they lost you would’ve been satisfied with just making the NCAA Tournament but here they are competing for a top-four seed.
They lost many key players such as Keenan Evans and the Smith brothers, Zach and Zhaire. This is a team that defends at an elite level and has enough offensive talent to win games. Jarrett Culver has taken his game to another level as he is looking like a future NBA lottery pick as he is averaging 17.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.
A couple other key returnees in David Moretti and Norense Odiase have played a big role in the starting lineup. Odiase had a similar role last season but Moretti has had to fill in for all the guards they lost from last year’s team. Those two have been big in replacing players but a couple of transfers have filled the other two spots in the starting lineup.
The additions of Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens have solidified this starting lineup and have both played at a high level. Mooney came over from South Dakota and Owens came over from St.John’s both being graduate transfers.
The way Chris Beard has brought this team together despite losing all that they did is incredible. They have a 21-5 record including a 9-4 mark in Big 12 play. The game against Kansas on Saturday is a big one and could also make a big difference in the Coach of the Year race.
The Red Raiders made the Elite Eight a year ago and they look like they could do so yet again. Chris Beard is one of the most underrated coaches in the country and another fantastic season may start to get himself and his team, the recognition they deserve.