Red Raider Sports Magazine - December 2019/January 2020

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RedRaiderSports.com is a publication of TRI Productions Volume 25 Issue 3 Managing Editor

 HERE'S TO 

ANOTHER

SEASON OF

CLUTCH

PLAYS

Aaron Dickens

Cover Photo Elise Bressler

Screaming fans, the squeak of shoes on the court and the unmistakable swish of a three-pointer. It’s basketball season and we can’t wait to see what the Red Raiders

Photographers Elise Bressler

Norvelle Kennedy Artie Limmer

Michael Strong

will do this season. How about another run at the National Championship?

TTU Athletics

Writers Shannon Carrico

Matt Dowdy

Mike Gustafson

Al Pickett

Benjamin Golan

Terry Greenberg

Red Raider Sports (USPS 0013-768) is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October and December. Annual Red Raider Club membership dues of $500 or higher include a one-year subscription to Red Raider Sports Magazine.

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Periodicals postage is paid in Lubbock, Texas.

Address all editorial-related correspondence to Red Raider Sports, P.O. Box 53604, Lubbock, TX 79453.

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generosity ✯ loyalty ✯ integrity ✯ community

Red Raider Club

update

Happy New Year and welcome to our first Red Raider Sports Magazine edition of 2020! I hope

each of you enjoyed the Holiday season with friends and family and were able to recharge for what is going to be a great year.

This is a special part of the athletic year for us here at Texas Tech Athletics as basketball is in

full swing, track and field has just started its indoor season, and our spring sports are preparing for

the upcoming season. The Red Raider Club enjoyed spending several days in December with so

many of our members in New York City. We can’t thank our supporters who made the trip enough

as our fans easily outnumbered Louisville’s, giving Coach Beard and his team extra support on their way to defeating the No. 1 team in the nation.

As we enter the New Year, we encourage each of our Red Raider Club members to look at

their annual giving. This is such an important part of our annual budget, which allows us to support our student-athletes not only with scholarships but through proper nutrition, sports medicine,

leadership training, academic resources and so much more. Our staff is available to help guide you through the annual giving process and how your investment greatly impacts our Fearless Champions.

In addition, The Campaign for Fearless Champions continues to impact Texas Tech Athletics.

We have completed fundraising for the new Whitacre Administration Center. This facility allows us

to start the process of renovating the Football Training Facility and later the South End Zone of Jones AT&T Stadium. The new Football Training Facility will be one of the best in the country and

will allow us to recruit top student-athletes. This facility is a top priority as we continue to invest in our football program and what Coach Wells and his staff are building. Coach Wells is focused on

improving this football program through recruiting and development. The Football Training Facility will drastically impact the Texas Tech football program for years to come.

We are also in the early stages of fundraising for our baseball clubhouse, which will provide

Coach Tadlock and our team a first-class space as they continue to chase Big 12 and NCAA titles.

We look forward to seeing many of you at Rip Griffin Park this season as Opening Day is only a

few weeks away.

It is an exciting time on campus and we can’t wait to see what 2020 will bring for each of our

We can’t thank you enough for all you do for Texas Tech Athletics. Each of you are an important

programs.

Andrea Tirey Senior Associate Athletic Director — Development —

part of the Red Raider family and we are grateful for your support, passion, and commitment to Texas Tech Athletics.

Happy New Year.

806.834.3270 andrea.tirey@ttu.edu

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Guns up!

Andrea

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Boosters may not communicate with recruits or their families on behalf of Texas Tech by phone, in-person or in writing (includes social media).

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Free or discounted items or services may not be provided to student-athletes or recruits unless the benefit is available to the public or all Texas Tech students.

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Student Athletes Achieve Record GPA

by TTU MEDIA

Texas Tech Athletics experienced its best se-

mester all-time in the classroom this fall as Red Raider student-athletes from all sports combined for a 3.24 grade point average.

This is the second-consecutive fall Tech has set

a new record for the highest term GPA. Tech also

boasted a 3.28 cumulative GPA through the past semester that is also the highest in school history.

“We are so proud of our student-athletes as

they continue to succeed in competition and also in the classroom,” Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt

said. “With another record-setting semester, this excellence is a point of celebration for not only our athletics program but our entire university. I would also

like to thank the staff at the Marsha Sharp Center

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and all of our coaches for ensuring that our studentathletes excel in the classroom and in competition.”

Tech had 12 of its 13 athleti programs achieve

both a term and cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better,

including eight with at least a 3.2 GPA. Seven pro-

grams had a term GPA of 3.2 or better en route to pushing the athletics department to its 10th-consecutive semester with at least a 3.0 GPA by its studentathletes.

Additionally, Tech’s success featured 54 stu-

dent-athletes (13 percent of its student-athletes) with a perfect 4.0 GPA this semester and 184 (43

percent) with a 3.3 GPA or better. Approximately 61

percent of Tech’s student-athletes recorded at least a 3.0 GPA this fall.

The Red Raider men’s tennis program put

together the highest team GPA at 3.63 followed

by Lady Raider Basketball at 3.52 and Lady

Raider Tennis at 3.51. Tom Stone’s soccer program, meanwhile, boasts the highest cumulative GPA on campus at 3.52 through final exams.

Tech student-athletes have a dedicated

staff at the Marsha Sharp Center who guide each student-athlete to success from the time of enrollment to graduation. The Marsha Sharp

Center provides space for private study, computer labs, supplemental instruction classrooms

and a private conferencing area for tutoring and mentoring appointments.

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A Vision

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Realized

by TERRY GREENBERG

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When Greg Sands (pictured, top left) took over the Texas Tech men’s golf program two decades ago, there was no Rawls Course, no Cash Family Team Facility, no Cash Foundation Clubhouse, no massive practice area.

I’ve always had an appreciation for what Texas Tech did for me as a 17-year-old kid. I grew up on this campus and developed maturity and confidence. The opportunity to give back is always high on my list of priorities,” he said.

All that followed.

A vision and its designer.

The Tom Doak-designed Rawls Course is No. 4 on Golfweek’s Best Campus Courses list – ahead of courses at Ohio State, Notre Dame, Stanford and the University of Michigan, whose courses were designed by legendary golf course architects.

In Golfweek’s 2019 Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the country released in December, the course came in at No. 79 – ahead of the PGA West Stadium Course in LaQuinta and the Links at Spanish Bay, both in California.

The team practice facility west of the parking lot was just renovated, becoming even more massive.

And this past fall golf season, the Texas Tech men’s golf team was No. 1 in the Golfstat Team Rankings for the first time in program history.

It’s the latest accomplishment for the program under Sands, who’s led the Red Raiders to 18 straight NCAA Regionals – a school record for any sport – and seven NCAA Championship berths.

It’s much the same story down the hall from Sands’ office, where JoJo Robertson (pictured, bottom left) leads the women’s team.

In ten seasons, Robertson’s Red Raiders have made nine NCAA Regionals and two trips to the NCAA Championships with a best finish of fifth a few years ago.

Competitive facilities help build a program and keeping up with other schools is an ongoing “arms race.”

Both Sands and Robertson say their facilities help recruit top players to Texas Tech and are a key piece to improving the golf teams.

“We’re forever indebted to Jerry Rawls and the Cash family. Without his vision and generosity, we wouldn’t enjoy the success we have had today and the opportunities to teach student athletes the game of golf,” said Sands.

“And equally, the Cashes have picked up where Jerry left off to see our vision of Texas Tech golf becoming a powerhouse,” he said.

Robertson added: “We can’t thank them enough. Jerry Rawls and the Cash family have helped make Texas Tech golf what it is today.”

Rawls is happy to give back to his alma mater.

“I spent five years at Texas Tech and they were the best years of my life. I made good grades and was well prepared when I left school.

Former Chancellor John Montford wanted something attractive on the north entrance to the Texas Tech campus and thought a golf course would be a good idea, said Rawls.

The chancellor asked Steve Locke to get people interested and Locke got in touch with Rawls, who had started Finistar, a fiber optics company in California after graduating from Texas Tech and then Purdue.

“I thought a golf course would be a great idea. As a grad student at Purdue I played with classmates, faculty, campus recruiters – it was a really neat place where lots of activities took place,” he said.

He thought Texas Tech should have a golf course and the university had space. But if he was going to donate money for the course, he wanted a commitment from his alma mater, Rawls said.

“If they were not committed to building the finest golf facility in America, I was not interested,” he said. “It had to be big enough with a driving range and short game area to attract an NCAA Tournament.”

An early idea had the Texas Tech Parkway running through the middle of the course and Rawls said he nixed that plan, saying the course had to be on contiguous land.

So an experimental cotton farm was moved.

The next step was finding someone to design the course.

A friend of Rawls’ suggested Tom Doak, who was finishing Pacific Dunes on the Oregon coast.

In recent Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play lists, the course is number one or number two, swapping positions with the iconic Pebble Beach.

“I agreed I would recruit him,” said Rawls.

They met in Bandon, Oregon, home of Pacific Dunes and other courses.

“We walked Pacific Dunes, which was not open yet. He explained what he did and the fabulous ground he had to work with. We sat down in the bar and he said ‘tell me more about your project,’” said Rawls.

Rawls told Doak Texas Tech wanted a golf course and wanted it to be the best.

“He asked what kind of ground and what kind of elevation difference,” said Rawls, who told the designer it was 18 inches from one end of the

property to the other.

“That impossible,” Rawls said Doak responded.

Rawls invited him to come to Lubbock and see for himself.

Doak did and agreed to design the course.

“He got intrigued because he wanted to do a university course,” said Rawls.

Doak also liked Rawls’ vision of a course that was for the whole university – not just the golf teams – a course to bring people back to campus.

He drove to the nearby caprock to look at landforms.

“It didn’t make sense to make it look like it sits in sand dunes,” said Doak. “There are tons of courses that look that way.”

The designer explained unlike bluffs near oceans, landforms in West Texas are more about water erosion than wind erosion.

“We built hills along the east side of the golf course to block out power lines and apartments,” he said.

This gave an illusion the course dropped down from the top of the landforms like the caprock, he said.

Doak’s team at Renaissance Golf Design moved 1.3 million cubic feet of dirt to create the course.

The designer said he appreciates how his courses do in rankings – six of his courses are in the top 100 in the world and four of those six are next to an ocean, he said.

“Doing Rawls was ten times more complicated because we had to create terrain we inherited elsewhere,” he said, adding to have it turn out well has been gratifying.

Eric Iverson, who works for Doak and worked on the Rawls Course, visited Lubbock recently.

“My overwhelming reaction to seeing it for the first time since it was built was how well the landscape has matured. It all makes for a pretty believable landscape given the circumstances,” he said.

The players.

Sofia Garcia came to play for Robertson from Paraguay and the junior has been a star for the Red Raiders, leading the team in scoring average.

The facilities were a big part of her decision to come to Lubbock.

“Tech is such a great school, but one of the main reasons I came to the United States was to improve my golf. For an athlete, it’s really important to have a great facility to improve. The short game area is one of the best in the country. We

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have the opportunity to practice a thousand different shots,” she said via email from Paraguay, where she was home for the holidays.

Then there’s the course.

“The Rawls Course is tough and competitive, it allows us to prepare for anything,” she said. “I didn’t understand the importance of having a golf course where we could freely practice. We have such an advantage that the Rawls is part of the campus facilities.”

Senior Sandy Scott (pictured, top left) came to Lubbock from the home of golf – Scotland – and his junior year set a Red Raider season scoring record of 70.2.

But his biggest accomplishment so far was being picked for the 2019 Walker Cup – a prestigious match between the best amateur players from the British Isles and America.

The Americans won, but Scott had the best performance for his side, winning two matches, halving one and losing one.

“College golf has been the best decision I’ve made,” said Scott, who hopes to become a professional golfer.

“You’ve got four years of experience of being by yourself ... you learn how to deal with that, because that’s how it is on Tour,” he said.

Facilities were important to Scott in picking Texas Tech after meeting Sands at a tournament in Finland.

“The facilities are fantastic,” he said, adding the improvements to the short-game area are “mind-blowing,” Scott said.

Plus, the Rawls Course is a “links-style” course, which somewhat resembles courses in Scott’s home country.

“There are elements of links courses, but a much more modern links style,” he said, adding it gave him a little sense of home.

Beyond facilities, his decision was also based on the relationship with the coaches, getting along with the other players, weather and the university as a whole.

“The coaches really care about you as a person, not just as a golfer – they help you make strides in life. They’re invested in your overall being,” said Scott.

He’s also proud to be a member of the number-one ranked team in the nation.

“It’s been cool to see how the team has progressed over the last four years,” Scott said.

And when it’s time to move on toward his dreams, he’ll miss his teammates, coaches, the people of West Texas – and steaks.

“It’s hard to beat Texas steaks,” said Scott.

“Scottish steaks are not very good.”

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Building the programs.

Before the Rawls Course was even a vision, Sands had to find the golfers he needed to build the program.

“Kyle Willmann made the 25-footer for us to make the NCAAs for the first time in 25 years,” said Sands.

“Early in my career that was equally as important as getting Ludvig Aberg,” said Sands, mentioning the freshman from Sweden, one of the most coveted young players in the world now in his first year in Lubbock.

But as Texas Tech targets better players, facilities become even more important.

“What they look at first is the practice facilities and what’s the course like,” said Robertson, adding if they’re not impressed they’ll look elsewhere.

“We’re extremely fortunate we have the facilities we do and they are right here on campus.

I can only think of a handful of schools that even can offer something like that,” she said.

Some other schools may have impressive facilities, Robertson said, but they may be a 45-minute drive from campus.

Both Robertson and Sands said most of the players they recruit may not have heard of Tom Doak or be very knowledgeable about golf course architects, but once they see the Rawls Course, they are impressed.

“They all see pictures of it online and things that we send them, but it’s different when you see it in person,” said Robertson. “Pictures don’t show the elevation and you can’t get a feel for how challenging it is. We’ve never had a player who has walked out of here and hasn’t been impressed by this golf course.”

Doak designed the course, but Sands helped, giving Doak and his team input on wind direction, native grasses and the practice area.

As far as the design, Sands said, “It would have been stupid to give Tom Doak any sort of advice.”

Sands said it helped when they had blueprints to show recruits even when they had not turned any dirt.

“Even the dream of it ... was helping at least sell the vision of where we were headed with the program and the facilities we’re going to have.

But then the Rawls Course became more than just a dream on paper and helped us get even better athletes,” said Sands.

As the facilities grew, it gave Sands and Robertson more to develop their players and improve their teams. As the players and teams improved,

it attracted even more recruits.

“It’s almost multiplying,” he said.

When asked how they measure success in their programs, both coaches mention grade point averages, success in the classroom, conference and national honors, along with NCAA post-season success.

But both Sands and Robertson said seeing former Red Raiders succeed in professional golf speaks well of a program and also attracts recruits – much like seeing former Red Raiders in the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball.

“Everybody knows Rickie Fowler went to Oklahoma State and that’s something we’re shooting for,” said Sands of the famous PGA Tour player, who often sports his alma mater’s orange colors.

Sands is thrilled when he sees that same passion for Texas Tech from former players – some who are competing around the world.

“Every one of them is passionate about Texas Tech,” Sands said, mentioning French golfer Clement Sordet playing on the European Tour in cold weather and wearing a Texas Tech beanie.

“He’s not getting paid to wear it, but he loves Texas Tech,” said Sands.

The men’s coach said he hears from former players who tell him their time in Lubbock was the best time of their life and best decision they made.

“I think that speaks to our athletic program and our community. They’re bearing their banners far and wide – they bleed red and black and it’s neat to see,” said Sands.

Kim Kaufman has played a few years on the LPGA Tour after leaving Lubbock and on her LPGA bio it mentions how she loves Texas Tech sports.

Gabby (Barker) Lemieux has recently played on the Symetra Tour, a developmental tour for the LPGA.

Robertson says Garcia still has a year and a half left in Lubbock but has the chance to be the best player to come from Texas Tech.

“She’s incredibly impressive,” said her coach.

And there are other successes the coaches see.

“I love to see our players succeed, whether it’s golf or being a dad or being a banker. We’ve got some really successful people out there,” said Sands.

“And that comes back to our main goal of working hard and being good people by thinking of others first – that’s a big pillar for our program,

being thankful,” he said.

Robertson also is thankful for Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt for making sure her program is treated equally – which she says she doesn’t happen at all universities.

“I don’t remember Kirby ever saying no to things we’ve asked for – we’re not forgotten and that’s huge. Just knowing what other schools and coaches go through. He makes us equal with the men’s program as far as budget and anything we need,” she said.

I got what I wanted.

Almost two decades later, Rawls is pleased.

“I got what I wanted ... a golf course I can be proud of and Tech can be proud of,” he said – and something that has made an impact beyond the golf teams.

Football coaches bring recruits out to show off the course. Professors being recruited are taken out to the course. It’s a place – like he enjoyed at Purdue – where people can gather.

Rawls also wanted to give credit to Rodnie Bermea, the course’s superintendent, who he says is the MVP for how he keeps the course in shape.

Rawls is working with Texas Tech Athletics to establish and grow an endowment fund to help with course upkeep.

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Spur Society Gala

The Spur Society recently honored the 2019 top athletic donors.

• Dusty and Leisha Womble • Tim and Annette Culp • Kelly and Becky Joy *pictured from top to bottom

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S TAKE ON NYC

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As the formal letterwinner association for Texas Tech University, the Double T Varsity Club serves to maintain and embrace the tenacious

spirit and loyalty of Red Raider alumni. The Varsity Club has over 3,000 active members, and continues to grow in an effort to con-

tact every former letterwinner in order to reconnect them with Texas

Tech. In addition, the Double T Varsity Club hosts reunions, the Hall of Fame banquet and other special events throughout the year.

The 2019 Hall of Fame Class Jarrius Jackson, Shawon Harris, Sally Kipyego, Kristy Frantz, Mike Sears and Dwayne Slay (from left to right)

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Kristy Frantz Soccer | 1996-1999

The first true goal scorer in program history, Kristy Frantz led the attack for a startup Texas Tech soccer program. Frantz was a force on the field, scoring 41 goals in her four years while dishing out 26 assists for a total of 108 points – all three being stats that rank second in program history. She exploded onto the scene as a freshman, tallying 18 goals – five of which were game-winners – and eight assists for 44 points, which stands today as the most domi-nant season by a Red Raider in history. Frantz was an All-Big 12 second team selection each of her first three seasons at Tech, in addition to being named All-Region twice. She was also a two-time first team Academic All-Big 12 selection.

Shawon Harris

Track & Field | 2004-2006, 2008

Five-time All-American hurdler, Shawon Harris, finds his name littered throughout the Texas Tech track & field record book.

Harris dominated the hurdles in his time at Tech, showing his true versatility doing so indoors and outdoors with first team All-America performances in each the indoor 60m hurdles and outdoor 110m and 400m hurdles. He also helped Tech’s 4x400 team to first team status in both 2006 indoor and 2008 outdoor. In addition, he was also a two-time Big 12 Champion, winning the 60m hurdles and 110m hurdles in 2008.

Jarrius Jackson Men’s Basketball | 2004-2007

Jackson scored the 2nd most points in TTU program history and was a two-time All-American, a John R. Wooden Award Finalist, and three-time All-Big 12 selection from 2004-07 for head coach Bob Knight. Jackson started 131 games and finished with 2,221 career points while also adding 357 assists, 196 steals, and is 5th in Tech history with 232 3-pointers made. He earned All-America honors as a junior where he averaged 20.5 points per game before receiving the honor as a senior with 19.9 points per game. Jackson, who scored a career-high 41 points at Nebraska in 2006, earned All-Big 12 first team honors in his final two seasons after a third-team selection as a sophomore and being honored as a Big 12 AllFreshman in his 1st year. After playing at TTU, he enjoyed a professional career overseas in Spain, Ukraine, and Italy.

Sally Kipyego Track & Field/Cross Country | 2006-2009

Sally came to Lubbock in 2006 as cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track runner. Kipyego made national history, too, becoming the first Kenyan to win the NCAA Cross Country Championship in 2007. She won twice more in her career to become the only woman to ever win three cross country national titles. Kipyego became one of seven women in history to win four individual titles in a single school year, doing so in 2007 with titles in cross country, the indoor 3000m and 5000m, and the outdoor 10,000m. She is the only woman in Big 12 Conference history to win three cross country titles, and her win in 2008 helped the team to its first women’s title in program history. She is a three-time winner of the Honda Sports Award, given annually to the best female athlete in each collegiate sport. She is the only woman to be honored three times in cross country. Several of her marks at Tech have yet to be touched to this day: indoor mile, indoor 3000m, indoor 5000m, outdoor 5000m and outdoor 10,000m. Professionally, Kipyego has made a career running for the IAAF World Athletics Tour and is the second-fastest Kenyan distance runner in history. She is a two-time top-five finisher in the 10,000m at the World Championships and finished runner-up in the 10,000m at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Mike Sears Football | 1973-1976

Sears was a two-time All-Southwest Conference recipient and an honorable mention All-America selection during his Red Raider career that was highlighted by two of the best seasons in school history. A three-year starter on the offensive line, Sears was a key member as only a freshman for a Tech program that finished the 1973 campaign with an 11-1 record and 6-1 mark in Southwest Conference play following a memorable win over No. 20 Tennessee in the Gator Bowl. He later helped push Tech to eight-straight wins to start his 1976 senior season, which ended with a 10-2 record and a Southwest Conference title. Sears, who was a team captain on that 1976 team, previously earned his first career start in a memorable 26-3 victory over No. 6 Texas in 1974 and proceeded to start in each of the remaining 32 games of his career. Sears, the Offensive Player of the Year for the Red Raiders in 1975, was part of the All-Decade team among Red Raiders who played in the 1970s and was also elected to the All-Texas Tech team for the duration of the Southwest Conference.

Dwayne Slay Football | 2004-2005

Few Red Raiders could disrupt a game quite like Slay, who earned first-team All-America honors in 2005 en route to leading Texas Tech to an appearance in the Cotton Bowl. Slay became known as one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in all of college football during his Red Raider career as he forced a Big 12 record eight fumbles as a senior to go along with a team-leading 112 tackles. Following the season, Slay garnered all-Big 12 first team honors by the conference coaches and was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year by several media outlets, including the Associated Press. He was recognized as a first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated, becoming the first Red Raider since 1998 and only the third defensive back all-time to collect the honor. Slay played two seasons at Tech after transferring from Reedley College in California.

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The W

No one was happier to see the first semester of the 2019-20

academic year come to an end than Lexi Gordon. The end of the fall semester meant Gordon, 6-foot transfer from Connecticut, could start playing basketball again, beginning with the Lady Raiders’ Dec. 15 game against Houston Baptist.

“It has been really tough,” admitted Gordon in looking back

on the year she had to sit out after announcing in December 2018 that she was transferring to Texas Tech after playing a year-and-a-half for the perennial national powerhouse UConn Lady Huskies.

Although she couldn’t play for a year under the NCAA’s

transfer rules, Gordon was at least able to practice every day with her new team.

“I tried to prepare like I was playing a game,” she stated. “I

was acting like I was playing the next week. Actually, (sitting out for a year) has not been as bad as I thought it might be. It went by pretty quickly.”

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ait is Over b y A L P I C K ETT

The Texas native originally signed with UConn for the opportunity to play for a team that has won 11 NCAA national championships.

But Gordon scored just 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while getting limited action in 30 games for the Huskies. So she decided to transfer and determined that Texas Tech was the best fit for her.

“I felt (Connecticut) wasn’t best for me,” Gordon said. ““I chose Texas Tech because I felt at home on my visit. Every person I met made me feel valued and loved here. I strongly believe in Coach M’s (Tech head coach Marlene Stollings) vision. I will also have the amazing opportunity to play in the Big 12 where my family can attend several games. I wanted to be closer to home and have the opportunity to play where I felt I belonged. I like the distance from home and I like the vision that Coach has for the program, and I wanted to buy into it. Coach Stollings is an offensive-minded coach, and that was what I was looking for.”

Gordon comes to Texas Tech as one of the most highly-touted women’s basketball players in school history. She was a five-star recruit – one of the top 30 prospects in the country – coming out of high school. Gordon was a four-year letter-winner at Hurst L.D. Bell, which coincidentally is also nicknamed the Lady Raiders, and is the school’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 points. She averaged 24.7 points and 9.5 rebounds per game during her senior season. She was also a candidate for the 2015 Under-16 U.S. national team and the 2016 Under-17 U.S. national team.

In making the announcement a year ago that the Gordon was transferring to Texas Tech, Stollings said, “I am very proud to welcome home the highly ranked Texas girls’ basketball phenom, Lexi Gordon. She brings an exceptional ability to score and will thrive in our high-octane offensive system. Lexi’s tireless work ethic and high basketball IQ are characteristics that will help catapult our program into the national spotlight.”

UConn coach Geno Ariemma said Gordon wanted to “transfer to a school where she would have more opportunities to play.” He called her “a great teammate” in an Associated Press story a year ago.

Gordon is also excited to join a Lady Raiders team that is off to an impressive start just the team’s second season under Stollings.

She added that it will be “really cool” to play in the Big 12 Conference against many players that she played against in high school.

Gordon comes to Tech with an impressive basketball pedigree as well as her outstanding resume. Her parents both played basketball at Texas Christian University.

Does she feel pressure to play well and make an immediate contribution?

“No,” Gordon claims. “I am anxious, but Coach (Stollings) is constantly saying to be myself. I am anxious, but there is no added pressure. I am just excited to get out there. It has been a long time coming.”

Gordon is happy to be back home in Texas, and Lady Raider fans should be excited to see what she can do on the court.

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load b y M I K E G U STA F S O N

Expectations remained high for Red Raider baseball this fall, which is notable given the losses of fixtures Josh Jung, Cam Warren, Gabe Holt, Caleb Kilian, Taylor Floyd and Dane Haveman.

The biggest takeaway heading into the winter was the number of power arms the team has at its disposal as well as the overall talent level and flexibility of the roster.

Pitching Staff

The starting pitching this fall was highlighted

by Micah Dallas, Bryce Bonnin and John McMillon. Those three finished in the top five of the 2019 pitching staff in innings pitched and strikeouts, and they all displayed stretches of dominance this fall.

McMillon was drafted in the 11th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers but turned them down to return for his senior season.

“The last two times out (in the fall), he was as good as I’ve seen him,” Red Raider coach Tim Tadlock said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.

He commanded the fastball really well. I don’t know how many people that can sit at 94-98 and throw a secondary pitch for a strike.”

The list of hard-throwing returners in the bullpen was headlined by Ryan Sublette and Clayton Beeter. Sublette’s velocity really jumped in the spring as he flashed a fastball as high as 97.

He continued to throw hard this fall and might be ready to take on a bigger role during the season.

Beeter struggled with his command at times, but his work last season striking out 40 in only 20-2/3 innings of work was impressive.

Lefty Mason Montgomery faded down the stretch last season but bounced back with a good fall. He was joined by Connor Queen and Ryan Keesee, two of the four seniors on the roster. Kee-

see threw four scoreless innings in the Red-Black intrasquad series, while Queen was the winning pitcher in Game 2.

Hunter Dobbins also had a solid fall after an outstanding summer in the Texas Collegiate League.

Newcomers Austin Becker, a transfer from Vanderbilt, and JUCO transfer Jacob Brustoski flashed wipeout stuff. Becker is straight out of central casting with a slender 6-foot-5 frame, lowmid 90s velocity and two good secondary pitches.

Brustoski is a power lefthander akin to former bullpen ace Parker Mushinski. Freshman Andrew Devine was also impressive.

Lineup

Texas Tech’s fall ball lineup featured depth and competition all over the field.

Cole Stilwell played first base in the fall and was a force at the plate. He capped the fall by driving in nine runs in the Red-Black series, including seven in the final game on two home runs.

Newcomers Jared Cushing and Cal Conley played the bulk of the fall innings at shortstop.

Conley, a switch-hitter who handled the bat well from both sides of the plate, displayed nice range and a solid arm.

Brian Klein continued his veteran ways at second base. With well over 600 career plate appearances he is the grizzled veteran of the lineup.

Jace Jung played second base opposite Klein in the Red-Black series and was good. He started the fall slow offensively but hit at least five homers down the stretch. He is a powerful left-handed hitter but otherwise looks and carries himself like his brother, Josh.

Jung, Dylan Neuse, Easton Murrell and Dru Baker rotated at third base. Parker Kelly did not

participate in fall ball but will be ready for the season.

Murrell, Neuse and Baker also played regularly in the outfield. Baker, who played exclusively on the infield this spring, spent the latter part of fall scrimmages in the outfield. He is the leading returning hitter, having hit .321 as a freshman.

Neuse had four hits and six RBI in the Red-Black series.

Freshman outfielder Dillon Carter bat ted leadoff in the Red-Black series with five hits and six runs scored. Max Marusak, Tanner O’Tremba and Cody Masters all had good stretches in the fall. Combine those guys with Baker, Neuse and the versatile Kurt Wilson and the depth was obvious.

Freshmen Nate Rombach and Bo Willis joined Braxton Fulford behind the plate at catcher.

Fulford continued his improvement and displayed a very good arm in the fall. He carried a big load last spring, having started 57 of 66 games.

“We lost some really good players and really good leaders,” Tadlock said. “We’ve got a mix of guys that will lead by example. I don’t think we know exactly who that will be. When things are rosy, it’s pretty easy to lead. When you have some setbacks, it’s a different story. If we had to point out one guy, I’d say Braxton is the frontrunner. But we need 15-20 guys who want to play baseball every day.”

The lineup this season will be difficult to pin down with so much talent, which is a good thing.

“There’s plenty of competition,” Tadlock said. “It felt like the guys practiced with good intent throughout the fall. Through the 45 days and 35 practices, the guys did a good job of having purpose and coming out and working on stuff. The fall can show you some things, but it’s not going to define anyone.”

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The Best for b y A L P I C K ETT

Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks put together one of the best seasons ever for a Red Raider defender in 2019, and his performance certainly didn’t go unnoticed.

The 6-foot-1, 245-pound senior earned first-team All-Big 12 honors and was named one of five finalists for the 2019 Butkus Award, given annually to the best linebacker in the nation.

Brooks finished the season with team-high 104 tackles as a senior, giving him 363 career tackles, the eighth-most in Texas Tech history. He also had 20 tackles for loss last season, the most since Adell Duckett set the school record with 24.5 in 2003.

Brooks also recorded three sacks, forced a fumble and recovered two fumbles.

Brooks’ effort this season drew praise from firstyear Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson.

“I have nothing but respect for the young man,” Patterson said. “Number one, he was a senior and had to go through a coaching change. I was able to develop a relationship with him in such a short period of time that was built on trust and respect. We hit it off, and to be able to help him grow not only as a person but as a player has been very rewarding to watch the progress he has made throughout this season.

He is very deserving of every recognition he has received. I am very proud of him and honored that I had the ability and the opportunity to coach him.”

It wasn’t like Brooks just suddenly appeared on the radar last fall. He made an immediate impact at Texas Tech when he arrived as a freshman out of Houston Stratford High School. He became the first Red Raider freshman to lead the team in tackles during the Big 12 era, recording 86 tackles in 2016.

He notched 89 more tackles, with a fumble recovery and an interception, as a sophomore and then led the Red Raiders in tackles for the second time in his career as a junior with 84 total tackles in 2018.

Brooks played outside linebacker during his first three collegiate seasons, but he was moved to inside linebacker this fall in Patterson 3-3-5 defensive alignment. And he seemingly blossomed, going from a player who was considered a borderline undrafted

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prospect going into the 2019 season to being listed as the top inside linebacker in the 2020 draft class by ESPN’s Mel Kiper.

“He is a guy we liked over the summer, but he’s risen on our board about as much as any player in the country,” Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl and a longtime NFL scout, said in a midseason interview. “I don’t know if anyone has made a bigger jump at linebacker this fall than Jordyn.”

Brooks, who ran on his high school’s sprint relay team, was able to use his elite speed, physical presence and remarkable football IQ to diagnose plays instantly from his new inside linebacker position.

“I can go sideline-to-sideline instead of being limited to one side of the field,” Brooks said of the move to inside linebacker this season. “I think it is a better scheme for me personally. I had my doubts about it at first, but Coach P (Patterson) kept explaining what could happen for me if I kept buying in.”

Although he recorded 10 or more tackles in six games – including 13 tackles versus Arizona, 11 stops against both Montana State and West Virginia, and 10 tackles in a loss to Iowa State – there is no doubt that his best game of 2019 came in the Red Raiders’ most impressive win of the year, a 45-35 victory over Oklahoma State.

“A tremendous performance by Jordyn Brooks, just individually very, very heroic,” Tech head coach Matt Wells said in the postgame comments after capturing his first Big 12 win. “I mean all the tackles for loss and the sacks he had. I thought he single-handedly just propelled our defense.”

Brooks had 19 tackles, four tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble against Oklahoma State.

Not coincidentally, he was battling a shoulder injury in the Raiders’ final three consecutive losses.

He left the 33-31 loss to TCU in the first quarter and didn’t play at all in the season finale loss at Texas.

The shoulder injury required surgery following the season.

But it was remarkable 2019 campaign and a meteoric rise for a player who had only one Power Five conference scholarship offer coming out of high school.

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ALL DECADE FOOTBALL TEAM b y A A R O N D I C K E N S & C H R I S L EV E L

Offense

QB Patrick Mahomes RB DeAndre Washington RB Justin Stockton WR Keke Coutee WR Jakeem Grant WR Eric Ward WR Antoine Wesley TE Jace Amaro OL Travis Bruffy OL Baylen Brown OL Le’Raven Clark OL Terence Steele OL La’Adrian Waddle PK Ryan Bustin KR Jakeem Grant

Defense

DL Dartwan Bush DL Kerry Hyder DL Branden Jackson DL Pete Robertson DL Broderick Washington LB Dakota Allen LB Jordyn Brooks LB Will Smith DB Douglas Coleman DB Cody Davis DB D.J. Johnson DB Jah’Shawn Johnson DB Justis Nelson P Austin McNamara

Best of the Decade

Offensive Player — Patrick Mahomes Defensive Player — Jordyn Brooks Offensive Newcomer — RJ Turner Defensive Newcomer — Dakota Allen Offensive Freshman — Jakeem Grant Defensive Freshman — Adrian Frye Special Teams Player — Ryan Bustin Offensive Lineman — Le’Raven Clark Defensive Lineman of the Decade — Kerry Hyder 28

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NOTEBOOK BASKETBALL R E C R U I T I N G

b y B E N JA M I N G O LA N

Coming of off a Big 12 title and a run to the Final Four, Texas Tech basketball signed its highest rated class in school history in the fall. Led by unanimous five-star guard Nimari Burnett, Chris Beard and his staff landed a class that ranked in the top-10 according to all three major recruiting networks.

Along with Burnett, the Red Raiders also inked four-star guard Micah Peavy and fourstar wing Chibuzo Agbo.

The first verbal commitment of the 2020 class, Chibuzo Agbo announced his intentions to be a Red Raider following his official visit in August. Agbo is listed as a 6-foot-7, 215 pound power forward but he is versatile enough to play on the wing. Where Agbo really excels is with his shot making and ability to stretch the floor. He is also ranked as one of the top 90 prospects in the country according to Rivals.com.

Corey Evans of Rivals.com said, “Chibuzo is a multi-dimensional forward that can play a variety of roles in the half-court setting. His progressions within the past year have been impressive, as is just how efficient he has become. He is a solid perimeter shot maker but has the toughness to score down low. He is what every successful program wants and needs and is just another major recruiting win for Chris Beard and his staff.”

It was no secret that Texas Tech had high interest in Duncanville forward Micah Peavy. You could say the Red Raiders started recruiting Micah when they officially offered back in April of 2018, but the connections and history go back further than that.

Micah Peavy’s father, David Peavy, played at Incarnate Word in the mid-90s when Chris Beard was a graduate assistant on the Cardinals’ coaching staff. After his playing days, David Peavy went into coaching and wound up at Gonzales High School where he coached future Red Raider star Darryl Dora.

Another Peavy-Texas Tech connection is Red Raider freshman Jahmi’us Ramsey, who played with Peavy at Duncanville last season.

Peavy is listed as a 6-foot-7, 185 pound small forward but the Red Raiders view him as a guard. He is an exceptional scorer, especially in the mid-range, and is also a plus defender and rebounder.

Eric Bossi of Rivals.com said about Peavy, “Texas Tech has landed one of the nation’s best wing prospects in Micah Peavy. His athleticism is off the charts and he has tremendous positional size but it’s his emerging leadership and developing skill that stand out. I first saw him as a freshman and he continues to get better each step of the way. He is a tremendous fit for Chris Beard and Texas Tech whose best days are still ahead of him.”

Earlier in the summer, five-star Nimari Burnett narrowed the focus of his recruitment down to 12 programs. Texas Tech was not one of them. Surprisingly, thanks to the efforts of Beard and first-year assistant coach Ulric Maligi, Burnett included the Red Raiders when he named his top five in August. Burnett visited his finalists during the fall and committed to Texas Tech in November.

Burnett is a three-level scorer, a lethal shooter and an efficient playmaker capable of playing on or off the ball. As a junior, he averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Corey Evans of Rivals.com said of Burnett, “He’s a multi-dimensional guard that can fill a variety of holes in the backcourt. Burnett has begun to shoot it better, is already one of the most complete defenders in America, a quality athlete and competes on a consistent basis. His upside is great and so is the production that he provides.”

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b y B E N JA M I N G O LA N

Monster Senior Season — The first Class of 2020 prospect to commit, Donovan Smith, pledged as a quarterback despite not having played the position during his junior season. Smith played receiver for Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School.

Smith, the son of Texas Tech running backs coach DeAndre Smith, moved to Lubbock over the offseason and enrolled at Frenship High School where he emerged as the team’s starting quarterback. He led the Tigers to a 7-4 record and a playoff berth in 2019 and showcased his playmaking ability along the way. Smith threw for 3,123 yards, added 489 yards on the ground and accounted for a total of 38 touchdowns.

Ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals. com, Smith will arrive on campus in June and hopes to compete for the starting quarterback position during preseason camp.

Talented Wide Receiver Group — If you're looking for a position group in the Texas Tech 2020 class that is as talented as any in the country, look no further than the wide receivers. The Red Raiders signed four wideouts in December - Ja'Lynn Polk, Loic Fouonji and JJ Sparkman are projected to play on the outside, while Myles Price is expected to start out at slot receiver.

Polk is ranked as a three-star prospect

by Rivals.com and is one of the top-50 prospects in the state of Texas. He is listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, and as a senior totaled 1,050 receiving yards with nine touchdowns. Polk chose Texas Tech over offers from Arkansas, Arizona, Baylor and others.

Sparkman, out of Longview’s Pine Tree High School, is ranked as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. Listed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Sparkman is a physical receiver who should be a mismatch against smaller corners. In total Sparkman held 14 FBS offers during the recruiting process, including ones from Arkansas, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri.

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Possibly the best player in West Texas, Midland Lee's Loic Fouonji committed to Texas Tech in late November over offers from Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and many others. Fouonji is listed at 6-foot-4, 192 pounds and is a prime candidate to see early playing time as a freshman.

A do-it-all playmaker, Price officially announced his commitment to Texas Tech in mid-September. Price will play for the Red Raiders as a slot receiver, but in high school he also started at cornerback and rarely came off the field. One of the top prospects in Dallas-Fort Worth, Price is ranked by Rivals.com as the 83rd best recruit in Texas.

Keeping Talent at Home — One of the first things Matt Wells wanted to prioritize when he was named head coach at Texas Tech building a strong recruiting base in Lubbock and West Texas. This December, the Red Raiders signed four prospects from West Texas, Smith, Fouonji, Wellington tight end John Holcomb and Amarillo Tascosa defensive end LB Moore.

Holcomb is a 6-foot-4, 215 pounder who is one of the most athletic tight ends in the country. He finished second in Texas’ Class 2A with a 49.81 400-meter time. He chose Texas Tech over offers from Indiana, SMU and Kansas.

Moore is a hybrid defensive end/linebacker who will play the "Raider" position in Lubbock. Moore is ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, and the No. 102 prospect in the state of Texas. He chose the Red Raiders over offers from Baylor, Kansas and Purdue.

Experienced Defenders — Texas Tech defensive coordinator Keith Patterson and his staff wanted to add instant-impact players in the team’s 2020 signing class, and the Red Raiders were able to do that this December.

Michigan State transfer linebacker Brandon Bouyer-Randle will arrive in Lubbock as a

Smith

Polk

Holcomb

Moore

Bouyer-Randle

Drew

Davis

Minor

Floyd

Brooks

Rogers

Carde

hirt junior with two seasons of eligibility ining. The former Spartan had elite pass ng metrics over his three seasons in East ng and will bring versatility and experience e linebacker room. owa Western Community College defenineman Devin Drew is a big, versatile linewho will help out in many different roles ont. Listed at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, Drew named the Iowa Community College AthConference Defensive Player of the Year 19 after logging 58 tackles, 9.5 sacks and ckles for loss on the season. He chose the Raiders over offers from Maryland, UNT SMU. Garden City Community College linebacker on Merriweather was a late addition to the , announcing his intentions to commit to s Tech the day before he officially signed. d at 6-foot, 225 pounds, Merriweather led junior college in tackles with 153 this seaHe chose Texas Tech over offers from Aras, Oklahoma State and Purdue.

Texas Tech Signs Deep Defensive Back s — Patterson’s 3-3-5 defensive scheme res versatile, long defensive backs and s Tech signed four of them in December. h Oak Cliff safety Jonathan Davis was one first pledges in the Red Raiders’ 2020 class emained solidly committed throughout the

process. Ranked by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit and the No. 130 prospect in the state of Texas, Davis held offers from Arizona, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kansas, Purdue and others before electing to be a Red Raider.

Magnolia West defensive back Ryan Frank committed to Texas Tech shortly after visiting the program in June. He is a bigger defensive back at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds and can play either safety or the “Spur” position in the Red Raiders’ defense. He is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 134 prospect in the state of Texas and chose Texas Tech over offers from Colorado, Houston, Oklahoma State and Utah.

Lake Dallas’ Kobee Minor is listed as an athlete by Rivals, but projects as a safety for the Red Raiders. Simply put, he is a playmaker.

Listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, Minor chose Texas Tech over California, Houston, Iowa State and Kansas. He is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 116 prospect in the state of Texas.

The lone true cornerback of the class, A&M Consolidated standout Nate Floyd was a massive addition for the Red Raiders when he committed in October. Floyd is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 125 prospect in the state of Texas and chose Texas Tech over Arizona and Missouri.

Tahj Brooks Looks to Revamp Running Game — Manor running back Tahj Brooks is

one of the highest-ranked commits in Texas Tech’s 2020 class. He held an impressive 22 scholarship offers during the recruiting process, but he chose the Red Raiders over Arizona, Arkansas, Cal, Duke, Iowa State, Kansas State, TCU and others. Brooks, a three-star prospect and one of the top 70 recruits in Texas, verbally committed to Texas Tech in June.

Brooks is a powerful back, listed at 5-foot11, 218 pounds, that is capable of running over or through defenders. He had a big senior season for Manor, rushing for 869 yards and scoring 16 total touchdowns.

Texas Tech Signs Three Linemen — The Red Raiders signed three offensive linemen in December but will look to add to that during the February signing period and throughout the spring and summer.

Lake Ridge’s Caleb Rogers and Fort Bend Marshall’s Larry Moore are the only two high school offensive linemen to ink with Texas Tech in December. Both are ranked as three-star recruits and held other Power Five offers.

Coffeyville Community College offensive tackle Ethan Carde was a relatively late addition to the 2020 class, as he verbally committed to the Red Raiders the night before the Early Signing Period began. Carde is listed at 6-foot8, 325 pounds, and projects as a left tackle in RedRaiderSports.com the Red Raiders’ offense.

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