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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021 VOLUME 95 ■ ISSUE 22

GAME PREVIEW

Tech set for tournament opener

By BISHOP VAN BUREN Staff Writer

The 17-10 Texas Tech men’s basketball team earned a sixth seed in the South Region of the 2021 NCAA Tournament and will kick off its appearance in the tournament with a matchup against the 11th seed Utah State Aggies, one of the best defensive teams in the nation statistically, according to ESPN. The game is set to take place at 12:45 p.m. on March 19, in Bloomington, Indiana and will be televised on TNT. After the seedings were released, head basketball coach Chris Beard and multiple Red Raider players spoke to the media in a news conference. Sophomore guard Terrance Shannon Jr. expressed his excitement to play in the tournament and face off against Utah State.

“They’re a good team, they made the NCAA tournament. Like everyone, they’re glad to be here, and I hear they’ve got a great coach,” Shannon Jr said. “We’re just ready to be in a battle.”

Utah State’s head basketball coach Craig Smith began coaching the Aggies in 2018, and he has led them to back-to-back Mountain West Conference Championships and back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.

Smith has been named Conference Coach of the Year four times in his career (2006, 2007, 2017, 2019) and has compiled an

overall record of 54-15 in his time with Utah State, according to the school’s website.

Utah State’s leading scorer this season is junior center Neemias Queta, according to ESPN, measuring in at 7 feet tall and 245 lbs. Queta averaged a double-double this season (15.1 points and 10 rebounds) as well as posting an average statline of 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks in three Mountain West Conference tournaments.

Queta set a new record for blocks in a single season for the Utah State Aggies in his freshman year (2018-19) and has not slowed down since, according to Utah State Athletics, becoming one of the better rim protecting centers in the nation. Queta’s skills are balanced on both ends though, as he has also developed into a uniquely skilled passer.

Against a Tech team without a starter over 6-foot-7-inches, Queta will try to use his height advantage to defend the rim and also on offense with improved vision benefitting his ability as a distributor.

Queta however, is not, the only reason Utah State has a size advantage over the Red Raiders, with three other centers on the roster being at least 6-foot11-inches. Utah State has an average height of nearly 6 foot8-inches, a full two inches taller than Tech’s.

There is only one player on Tech’s roster who is taller than 6-foot-7-inches—freshman center

Vlasdislav Goldin from Nalchik, Russia. Goldin has yet to play over 10 minutes this season and is averaging only 1.9 points per game, but he may be called upon to help with the size difference.

Another big man who figures to play an important role in a game where Tech has the size disadvantage is senior forward Marcos Santos-Silva, a transfer from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Santos-Silva was given the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year award ahead of the 20202021 season, and has started every game this season for Tech.

Santos-Silva has thrived in the Red Raiders’ small ball line-up, often starting at the center position for the Red Raiders as the tallest player in their lineup at 6-foot-7-inches.

Santos-Silva also spoke after the NCAA Tournament seeding was released, stressing how the Red Raiders have come far this season but not far enough.

“It’s great to accomplish one of the goals, but we’re not finished yet,” Santos-Silva said. “We’re gonna smell the roses when we get there, but when it’s time to lock in, we’re gonna lock in.”

On St. Patrick’s Day, a few days before the first round matchup, head coach Beard spoke with the media yet again and expressed his confidence against a team that relies on their size, defense, and rebounding to form their identity.

“We’re actually one of the bigger teams, with guys 6’6” or

6’7” across the line,” Beard said.

“We’ve got a lot of concerns and things that we’re worried about with this team, but I do think we’re going to be able to match up with them size wise.”

Tech’s leading scorer, Mac McClung, a junior guard, who transferred from Georgetown in the offseason, has averaged 15.7 points over 27 games played, according to Tech Athletics. McClung also led the Red Raiders in field goals made (140) at the highest attempt rate on the team (12.3 per game).

Another reason McClung has developed into an offensive weapon is his ability to get to the line, with 102 free throws made this season for most on the team (Terrance Shannon Jr at second with 85).

McClung will play an essential role for Tech’s offense against the towering Utah State Aggies, and he will have to lead the offense away from their normal downhill “attack the basket” approach and instead try and facilitate the ball into open threes.

This will be an important factor of Tech’s offense, as teams in the NCAA tournament who get more than 18 open threes in a game win 67 percent of the time, according to NCAA Statistics.

However, McClung will have to be much more careful with the ball after leading the team in turnovers this season (52). It is important for McClung to improve in this area as teams who commit

more than 20 turnovers in a game during the NCAA tournament lose 75 percent of the time, according to NCAA’s website.

McClung spoke to the media after the tournament’s first round matchups were released, expressing the excitement of his first tournament appearance and the game against Utah State.

“I’m just thankful for the opportunity, from the coaching staff and everyone … I’ve been imagining this moment for a really long time now so I’m glad it’s here, hopefully all the work and preparation will pay off,” McClung said. “(The Utah State Aggies) are a really good team and they’ve got a great coach, and you know we’re just excited to get this opportunity to play against them, and we have nothing but respect for them.”

Tech’s first round matchup of the 2021 NCAA tournament is against Utah State and takes place at 12:45 p.m. on March 19 in Bloomington, Indiana. The game is set to be televised on TNT and radio broadcasted on Texas Tech Sports Network.

Beard addressed the media in the post-bracket release news conference with a simple message of how the Red Raiders plan on approaching their game against Utah State and the rest of the tournament moving forward.

“We’re gonna try to have more fun in this tournament than anybody, and we’re not gonna apologize to people while we’re doing it.” @DTbishopvb

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SNACKS

Dietician discusses March Madness snacks

By JAVIER BACA Staff Writer

March Madness is about to begin on March 18 and while the tournament is fun to watch with friends and it is exciting to see how well a personal bracket is doing, having great tasting and easy to make snacks for guests to enjoy is something everyone can use during March Madness.

Brenda Garcia is a health and wellness manager and registered dietitian for the United Supermarkets. Garcia talked about some ideas for snacks that would be easy to make for college students who do not have access to equipment, such as an oven.

“We have chips and individual packages of guacamole,” Garcia said. “If you don’t want to have a whole container of guacamole you can easily store

the packages in the refrigerator and have ready to go chips and guacamole.”

Garcia said that another snack idea for students who have a microwave would be to pop a bag of popcorn.

After popping the bag a student can add chocolate chips, almonds, pecans or pretzels sticks for a good tasting popcorn mix.

There are also honey roasted pistachios and spicy pistachios that can be mixed in a bowl to make a sweet and spicy pistachio mix, Garcia said.

It is also possible to make nachos in the microwave as well.

“To make microwave nachos, get some shredded cheese and put it over some corn chips and put it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to melt the cheese,” Garcia said.

“Another way to make nachos would be to buy the premade queso and warm

up the container.”

Garcia said another easy dip that can be made is buying a smoked gouda dip that can be used with chips, crackers, carrots and sliced bell peppers.

For a dessert, Garcia said an easy way to make a chocolate mousse would be to get a bowl with some cool whip and then stir it with chocolate humus and to then put the mixture in cups inside the fridge and that would be an easy snack to make as well.

Sadie Solis is a senior English major from Lubbock. Solis discussed some snacks she likes to make whenever she has company over.

“I like making desserts,” Solis said. “I usually like to make brownies for whenever I have friends over.”

Solis said she also knows how to make meatballs and said that both

brownies and meatballs are not too difficult to make and they make for a decent snack.

The website www.foodnetwork.com also has great suggestions as to what snacks can be made for March Madness, according to the food network website.

If an oven is available, pigs in a blanket is a good and easy party snack to make for guests, according to the food network website.

Another classic go to snack for a sports event would be buffalo wings, according to the food network website.

There are dozens of recipes and videos of numerous other snacks that can be easy to make and they would all be a good snack to have for March Madness,ww according to the food network website. @JavierBacaDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

March Madness trip leads to life on lockdown At Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis on Wednesday, a couple of coaches running laps around the warning

track passed different diversions scattered across the minor league ballpark.

In one section, a badmin-

ton net. In others, a soccer ball and a football. No sign of a basketball.

When the 1,500 or so players, coaches and staff members in town for the NCAA Tournament want to get a breath of fresh air and a glimpse of some green grass, this is their option. Their only option.

This is life at a basketball tournament being played in a pandemic. The unspoken message: If they came to Indianapolis hoping for fun and games, they are not in the right place — at least not until tip-off.

“I’m in a bed for, like, 15 hours a day,” Iowa swingman Connor McCaffery said in describing his new, austere routine in Indy.

It is, quite simply, how things have to be over the next three weeks. Starting Thursday, in an attempt to get through 67 games uninterrupted, the NCAA has placed players, coaches and staff under a virtual lock and key. They don’t like calling it a bubble, but semantics aside, there is no straying between the team hotels, the adjacent convention center for practice, meetings and 30-minute windows in the weight room, and Victory Field, home of the Triple A Indianapolis Indians.

“We’ve been playing a lot of Spades,” Alabama forward Herb Jones said.

The Tar Heels might consider themselves lucky.

They’re among the few teams not playing their first games in Indianapolis. Instead, North Carolina will face Wisconsin at Purdue’s home court, 70 miles away. It means the Heels get to practice there, too.

“Today, the monotony is

really going to be broken up,” coach Roy Williams said.

“We’re going to have two and a half hours in the bus. ... It hasn’t exactly been Maui.”

Or Spokane. Or Omaha.

Or Raleigh.

Normally, on the Wednesday before the start of the tournament, parking lots at arenas in cities such as those would be open, with music playing, hot dog vendors working and fans in face paint streaming in to take advantage of free admission to team shootarounds. Certainly not much to see there in the way of real basketball, but the band plays, the cheerleaders cheer and everyone gets pumped for the next day’s action.

This year, bands, mascots and cheerleaders are staying at home (at least through the Elite 8), because teams are restricted to 34 members for their travel squads. On Wednesday, the four arenas in Indianapolis (and the ones in West Lafayette and Bloomington) were mainly empty, save for the occasional delivery truck or work crew heading in through a service entrance. Illinois Street, which cuts through the heart of downtown in front of the convention center, was a veritable speedway, with nothing more than typical lunchtime traffic passing the NCAA-sanctioned hotels.

“We have no reservations at all about the plan here to give the student-athletes the opportunity to play the games successfully,” NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt said. “We’re very confident the student-athletes, coaches and teams want that environment to have the best chance to play these games.”

MARCH MADNESS

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STUDENT LIFE

Students share 2019 March Madness experiences

By AMANDA HAMPTON L a Vida editor

The Texas Tech men’s basketball run during March Madness in 2019 was a memorable moment in the university’s athletic history. For many students, traveling to Minneapolis to watch the team play was a once-in-alifetime opportunity.

Luke Blackwell, a senior mechanical engineering major from Frisco, said after Tech won their Elite Eight game against Gonzaga, he immediately made plans to go to Minneapolis to watch the team play in the Final Four.

The day before the Final Four game in Minneapolis, Blackwell said he and a group of friends hit the road and left Lubbock on nearly a 17-hour drive to watch the Red Raiders play in their very first Final Four tournament.

“I think it’s a huge deal to get to go and show your support and just cheer them on,” Blackwell said.

“As much as it was my dream to go watch the Final Four, I can’t even imagine what it was (like) for their dream to get to play the Final Four.”

Kailey Balke, a 2020 Tech graduate, said the excitement Tech fans had for the team playing in the Final Four began before fans even got to Minneapolis.

“We were driving up

there, and I mean we would pass other cars that had Tech people, and we’d honk at them and do our guns up as we were driving,” Balke said.

Michael Di-Benedetto, a senior marketing major from Rockwall, said he also traveled for the Final Four and National Championship games in Minneapolis.

For Di-Benedetto, he said it did not matter how much it cost to attend the game or how long it took to travel there. He knew he did not want to miss the opportunity to watch the Red Raiders play.

While Tech has a nice arena at home for the team to play in, the Final Four and National Championship games were played in U.S. Bank Stadium, DiBenedetto said. The large football stadium made the games unlike previous ones he had attended in Lubbock.

It definitely was like such an amazing environment, just to see so many Tech fans on the other side of the country.

MICHAEL DI-BENEDETTO SENIOR MARKETING MAJOR

T h e n u m b e r o f Te c h students who traveled to watch the team play was impressive, Blackwell said.

“That was all just insane, just how many students there were,” Blackwell said. “We had the most number of students that were there, out of all the four schools represented, and we were one of the farthest ones, so mad props to Tech students for that.”

The high level of energy Tech students brought to both the Final Four and National Championship games made the experience memorable for Balke, she said.

The Tech students were lined up and waiting for the Final Four game so early they had to be moved into the tunnels beneath the stadium because they became a fire hazard, Balke said.

After the students moved into the tunnels, Balke said they were so loud that TV viewers for the Auburn and Virginia game, which took place before the Tech game, could hear them chanting from below the stadium.

“I just feel like no matter where you were, if you were a Tech fan like you were connected at that moment of screaming for them, freaking out for them, which I feel like, really says a lot about Tech and our school spirit,” Balke said.

The stadium for the

Tech games was filled with people yelling the Raider Power chant, high-fiving the players and singing along to “Old Town Road,” Balke said. “ Wa t c h i n g i t b a c k on TV, you can hear us screaming our minds out, like we were so loud,” Balke said.

There was a day in between Tech’s appearance in the Final Four and National Championship, so Balke and her friends decided to go to Mall of America, she said. That day ended up being one of her favorite parts of the trip because she met so many other people from Tech there.

“Everywhere you went in Mall of America, there w a s s o m e b o d y i n Te c h clothes,” Balke said.

For March Madness this year, Di-Benedetto said he looks forward to seeing the Red Raiders play their way of basketball. He believes the team can be successful in the tournament with coach Chris Beard, and if they can find ways to minimize a few key mistakes.

“If we keep playing our way of basketball and make big plays, (then) I think we can definitely get back to where we were,” Di-Benedetto s a i d . “ I c a n ’t w a i t t o watch them play come March Madness.” @AmandahamptonDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CBS, Turner partnership benefits NCAA Tournament There aren’t many chances to say a sports rights deal works out for networks, the organization and fans. But the CBS/Turner partnership in airing the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament certainly does.

This is the 10th year that CBS and Turner have teamed up for March Madness. While the deal provides the NCAA with its largest source of revenue, it has also turned a profit for both networks as well as benefiting fans because all of the games are available nationally.

The success of the partnership, which will last until at least 2032, has exceeded the expectations of CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus.

“Quite frankly no one knew what the relationship was going to be. There was a lot of skepticism, how could each with its own set of clients do it,” McManus said. “With the production capabilities. I was confident and (former Turner Sports chairman) David Levy was confident. We didn’t know though until we put it on the air.”

CBS has been carrying the tournament since 1982, when it shared the first two

weeks with ESPN. It took over the entire package in 1991, but by 2010 it was losing close to $50 million a year on televising the tournament. Unless view-

ers had DirecTV and paid extra for the Mega March Madness package, they were at the mercy of their CBS affiliate over which games they would see.

But since 2011, one of the most-asked questions during the first week of the tournament is “what is the channel number for truTV?”

Photos Courtesy of Kailey Balke

TOP: Tech fans pose for pictures at Mall of America while waiting for the National Championship game in 2019. BOTTOM: Tech students wait in a stairwell in U.S. Bank Stadium after showing up early to support the Red Raiders.

OPINIONS

Page 4 Thursday, march 18, 2021

COLUMN

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Masks transforming into fashion statement I

t has been over one year since COVID-19 changed our lives.

That could be interpreted in many different ways for many different people. One commonality that arose for everyone was the normalization of wearing masks.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in March 2020 went back and forth about whether or not to wear a mask, we now have it embedded in our brains in 2021 to wear one. How and which type of masks are worn varies on the person.

In Asian countries such as Japan and China, it is a social norm that face masks be worn when one is feeling under the weather and out in public. It is out of respect and courtesy of not wanting to spread any type of illness to others.

The U.S. began to latch on to this idea after coronavirus showed it was spreading fast. Now, with

Chyna Vargas is a freshman journalism major from San Antonio.

mask mandates slowly being diminished, people are still continuing to wear their masks.

The reasoning may not be so obvious. Masks have developed over this past year. Symbolically, they can mean more than just “I am being respectful”.

When personal protective equipment was limited to only essential workers, the DIY in people came out. Handmade masks were becoming the new fashion.

From using old clothes to scarves, people quickly began to just use any fabric to limit exposure of an illness to others.

Not taking a serious interest in how they looked, but anything was used to

cover their face in order to run quick errands.

When it was said it would just be a two-week lockdown, people were staying inside anyways. Not purchasing masks and or not wearing any. However, the two weeks have progressed into 52 weeks.

What progressed as well is how the masks were worn.

When it was learned that isolation was not a temporary situation, but more so a make-do situation, masks became the new norm in the U.S. Companies began to notice then that people care about their appearance just like any other situation. The pandemic did not stop us from caring about how we look in public.

After a few months of lockdown, small businesses and celebrities began to launch their own masks.

Just as a fashion line.

Examples being the Kardashians with their “Skims”

masks, Mulberry’s silk face mask, and sports shops like Nike and Under Armour.

Masks have become the new fashion that when asked, “Who are you wearing today?”, the question can be targeted towards one’s mask.

N o w, w i t h m a s k mandates slowly being diminished, people are still continuing to wear their masks.

While not everyone wears “designer” masks, the idea that people still care about how they look remains the same. I have witnessed people buy in bulk black disposable masks that can go with every outfit.

If one was to explain this situation of matching a mask and an outfit one year ago, that would have

seemed unnecessary.

Masks have been refurbished from their original use. They are still protecting others but now have an additional twist to being a stylistic addition to our everyday lives.

Just like shoes, jewelry, or handbags, consideration is taken before purchasing those items. Or deeper thought goes into those items when planning an outfit. Masks have had the same effect.

Even before the pandemic, masks were featured in Fall/Winter 2019 runways.

An article by Sophie Shaw called “Mask Moments” talks about how masks vary in styles, designers showcased a mysterious accessory to their wardrobe.

Since we are only seeing half of people’s faces, it does hold an intriguing element to being out in public. This is why the masks being worn becomes the only indicator of getting to know someone.

Perhaps wearing masks also allows people to have some form of control. Tog e t h e r, i t w a s l e a r n e d that anything can happen, therefore we have to adjust and overcome. That means being part of the solution.

Not the problem.

That being said, maskwearing is a small task to do to ensure safety for others.

They can be irritating to remember when going out in public spaces, but thinking about the overall picture, they save lives.

While saving lives, one can spruce up their outfit.

Compliments are now being given to what type of mask you wear.

They have been embedded into our lives now, and it is best to take it with stride just as we did for the pandemic.

Have confidence that wearing a mask accessorizes your outfit and confident you are making a great impact by wearing one. @ChynaVargasDT

COLUMN

Corporations fail at diversity, leads to polarization Over the past month, several cultural icons have had their images revised to fit with the times. Certain Dr. Seuss books are being pulled from publication because of their racist imagery.

Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head became the gender-neutral Potato Head. Pepe Le Pew was kicked from the upcoming “Space Jam 2” because the character ’s behavior perpetuates rape culture.

The “cancellation” of these notable characters

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Toluwani Osibamowo is a junior journalism major from Plano.

have sparked countless debates on social media.

It’s highly polarized; either it’s the sensitive left that wants to ruin childhoods or the intolerant, traditional right that abhors any and all inclusionary change.

However, I don’t think the cultural shift we’re experiencing can be attached to any one group of people.

Large companies' efforts of political correctness are carefully crafted for profit, and the ethics of their inclusion campaigns are growing increasingly muddled.

Take Facebook, Apple, Netflix or Marvel. When these companies talk, the world listens.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what they mean. We must sift through corporate-

speak and press releases to follow the money and figure out what the captains of the industry truly want, which is often just that—money.

What does this have to do with Mr. Potato Head? Under the Tweet containing the Associated Press’ article on Hasbro’s decision to rebrand the toy were some responses: “The woke mob has gendered corrected a potato.

I’m certain this will bring great comfort to many,” one Twitter user said.

“As a nonbinary, I’m more pissed off with the poor treatment of workers than the pronouns of a toy.

Monopolies are attempting to fabricate a culture war to deflect these deep faults in capitalism,” another said.

“What’s worse is how we assign a political party to a response to this. I know Republicans who don’t even care. And I know Dems who feel like I do, stop changing or removing genders of toys we grew up with. Make your own new ones. Mr. and Mrs.

Potato Head were just fine,” another said.

There’s a variety of opinions here, but the second one in particular sticks out.

Let’s first look back at the past year.

A wave of changes resulted from the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer. Some were genuine and many were performative.

For instance, the animated shows “Big Mouth” and “Central Park” respectively announced they would replace their white voice actresses playing non-white characters with actresses of color.

These are certainly steps

in the right direction. In an industry that has robbed people of color of respectable roles for so long, it’s not fair to constantly put white voices behind nonwhite faces.

It makes me wonder, though, whether there was a push from actual people for Apple TV Plus or Netflix to make these changes or if executives were acting preemptively to avoid facing the scrutiny that would come with the public’s heightened racial awareness.

This is where things get tricky. It’s the right thing to do, sure, but with lazy intentions. Controversy gets publicity, and rage Tweets from those who support diversity efforts and those who don’t are all the same when it comes to promotion.

Ultimately, the question is: What are we to gain from these woke gestures? Is every gender-neutralization or race-equalization decision just a marketing move?

Who benefits?

Certainly not marginalized communities or anyone else. With every vapid move to foster equality comes a wave of bigots eager to pin the softening of society on people of color, the LGBTQ community, or any other group that is supposed to rejoice because of performative corporate activism.

It’s not a one-sided issue, either. For every liberal who wants to dunk on an enraged conservative, there’s a conservative who doesn’t care about any changes made to cartoons or toys.

We should all care a little less. No one gets anywhere on social media by being nice and rational, I know, but it seems we’re all fighting the wrong battle.

Real, substantial social change is happening every day. While it’s easy to get caught up in manufactured rage on the Internet, we must work together and cast our judgment toward the larger forces at play.

The Political Dive

Walking Playlist

Driving Playlist

Spring Vibes Playlist

However, I don’t think the cultural shift we’re experiencing can be attached to any one group of people.

@TOsibamowoDT

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Texas Tech vs Utah State Baylor vs Hartford

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Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor Baylor

Texas vs Abilene Christian

Abilene Texas Abilene Abilene TExas

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Oklahoma vs Missouri

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mizzou

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Oklahoma St. vs Liberty

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5

BIG 12

Big 12 teams prepare for NCAA tournament

By ARIANNA FLORES Staff Writer

The Big 12 conference has made an impact over the years in the NCAA tournament with many teams going far and one winning it all.

This year, the Big 12 conference has left an impression on the NCAA tournament, with seven selections, according to Big 12 Sports. This is the sixth time in the past 11 tournaments the Big 12 has had seven selections in the nation-wide tournament.

Kansas is the only Big 12 team with a championship trophy on their mantle and has had many tournament appearances over the years.

Since 1952, Kansas has won three NCAA men’s Division I college basketball championships, according to the NCAA. The Jayhawks joined the Big 12 league in 1996, meaning the program has only one win in 2008 against Memphis 75-68 in overtime with the conference.

During the championship season in 2008, coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks finished the historic season 37-3, along with winning the Big 12 regular-season title, according to the NCAA. Coach Self began his time with Kansas in 2004 and has led the team to two Sweet 16s, five Elite Eight appearances along with one Final Four appearance in 2018, according to Kansas Sports.

Last season, Kansas was projected to earn the No.1 overall seed in the tournament with their 28-3 overall record, however, COVID-19 canceled the tournament and season, according to Kansas Athletics.

After withdrawing from the Big 12 tournament due to positive test results for

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Players push for reform on social media Isaiah Livers of Michigan, Geo Baker of Rutgers and Jordan Bohannon of Iowa were among the college basketball players pushing for NCAA reforms on social media Wednesday, the day before the tournament tips off.

With the hashtag #NotNCAAProperty, players pushed for the association to permit college athletes to earn money for things like sponsorship deals, online endorsement and personal appearances.

“The NCAA OWNS my name image and likeness,” Baker tweeted. “Someone on music scholarship can profit from an album. Someone on academic scholarship can have a tutor service. For ppl who say “an athletic scholarship is enough.” Anything less than equal rights is never enough. I am #NotNCAAProperty” The NCAA men’s basketball tournament starts Thursday with four games. Because of the pandemic, the entire tournament is being played in Indiana, with all 68 teams staying in Indianapolis in what the NCAA has described as a “controlled environment.”

The NCAA is in the process of changing its longstanding rules to allow athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses. But those efforts have bogged down since the start of 2021.

The NCAA was scheduled to vote on NIL legislation in January, but that was delayed after a letter from the Justice Department warned the proposed changes could violate antitrust laws. Now the DOJ is backing plaintiffs against the NCAA in a case that will be heard by the Supreme Court, further complicating the situation for the NCAA. Earlier this week, NCAA President Mark Emmert told The Associated Press that he was frustrated by the delay in NIL reform and hoped that rules would be in place for the start of the next fall semester as was originally intended.

COVID-19, Kansas will return to the court and enter this season as No. 3 seed and face No. 14 Eastern Washington at 12:15 p.m. on March 20, according to Big 12 Sports.

West Virginia began its time in the Big 12 in the 2012 season with Bob Huggins as the coach, according to Big 12 Sports.

In the nine years with the conference, the Mountaineers have reached the tournament five times, in 2012 and from 2015-2018.

West Virginia has made it to the Sweet 16 three times in 2015, 2017 and 2018, according to Sports Reference.

This season, the No. 3 seed Mountaineers will face No. 14 Morehead State at 8:50 p.m. on March 19.

Tech has played in the national tournament 17 times and has yet to win a championship.

While with the Big 12 conference, Tech has played in the tournament eight times, according to Tech Athletics.

The Red Raiders are the latest Big 12 team to have made an appearance in the Final Four and Championship Final in 2019 where the Red Raiders lost to Virginia 85-77, according to ESPN. Head coach Chris Beard led the Red Raiders to the Elite eight in 2018 along with the Final Four.

This is the third straight NCAA Tournament selection for the Red Raiders, according to Tech Athletics. No. 6 seed Tech will face No. 11 Utah State at 12:45 p.m. on March 19.

Baylor and head coach Scott Drew have not won a national championship, but have appeared in eight consecutive NCAA tournaments since 2010

Photo Courtesy Of Texas Tech Athletics

Sophomore guard Terrance Shannon Jr. looks to pass the ball to one of his teammates during the Tech men’s basketball game versus Northwestern State at 6 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2021, at the United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock. The Red Raiders were selected as the No. 6 seed for the NCAA Tournment and will face No. 11 seed Utah State at 12:45 p.m. on March 19, 2021. to this season, excluding the 2020 season, according to Baylor Sports.

Half of those appearances resulted in the Bears reaching the Sweet 16, and won the NIT Championship title in 2013, according to the NCAA. No. 1 Baylor will take on No. 16 Hartford at 2:30 p.m. on March 19.

No. 4 seed Oklahoma State has won two NCAA Championship in 1945 and 1946, both before playing in the Big 12 conference league, according to

Sports Reference.

The Cowboys’ last appearance in the tournament was back in 2017, but they were selected to play in 14 tournaments since joining the Big 12 league in 1996, according to the NCAA website.

2004 was the last time Oklahoma State made it far in the tournament, going to the Final Four and losing to Georgia Tech 67-65, according to OSU Sports.

Moving to Norman, Oklahoma has appeared in every NCAA tournament since 1998

and will play its in 17th consecutive tournament, excluding the canceled 2020 season, according to the NCAA website.

The Sooners’ furthest appearance happened in 2016 where they reached the Final Four with former coach Jeff Capel, according to Sooner Sports.

The No. 8 seed Oklahoma will face Missouri at 7:25 p.m. on March 20.

No. 3 seed Texas has a rich history in the tournament with a Sweet 16 appearance

in 2002 and a Final Four appearance in 2003, according to Longhorn Sports.

The Longhorns last time reaching a monumental point in the tournament was in 2008 where they lost in the Elite Eight as the No. 2 seed against No. 1 Memphis 85-67, according to Longhorns Wire website.

These seven teams will continue to make history within the March Madness bracket with games starting March 19. @AriannaFloresDT

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SEEDING

Red Raiders look to get hot, avoid early exit

By NICO SANCHEZ Staff Writer

With March Madness just around the corner, fans around the country have been frantically doing their best to fill out their brackets in time before the tournament starts.

This year, the Red Raiders, who finished the season No. 20 in the nation, will head into the tournament as a No. 6 seed of the South Region of the tournament.

Tech finished 17-10 in their regular season, losing by one point to Texas in the Big-12 tournament in their last game.

But despite the loss, head coach Chris Beard has confidence in his team.

“I think you could ask Baylor you could ask Oklahoma state what they think of Texas Tech,” Beard said.

“And I don’t think there’s anybody in this tournament we can’t beat.”

This appearance will mark the 17th all-time official appearance for Tech in the tournament, as their appearance in 1996 was vacated. Their tournament record in those appearances is 14-17.

“When we came to Tech five years ago, our thing was, we got to get in the fight,” Beard said.

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee, which is made up of ten members, is who decides the initial ballots, selections, seeding, and, in the end, official bracket.

Once a team is selected as one of the top 64 in the nation they are divided into four locational sections.

The sections are East, South, West, and Midwest.

Once placed into a regional section, each team is seeded somewhere between one and 16 to find their final positioning on the bracket.

Tech’s last tournament appearance came in 2019, when they were a No. 3 seed in the West Region.

That team, led by now-Minnesota Timberwolf Jarrett

Culver, wound up coming within one win of becoming national champions.

Along the way during that run, the Red Raiders beat No. 1 seeded Gonzaga and No. 2 seeded Michigan State before falling in overtime of the championship game to Virginia.

Tech’s 2020 squad, led by now-Sacramento King Jahmi’us Ramsey, would have made the tournament last year, had it not been canceled due to COVID-19.

Even though that squad finished out the season on a four-game losing streak, they could have easily made noise in March for the same reason this year’s squad can.

There is a reason that this tournament is such a hot-spot for betting every year. With so many teams and so little known entities, nobody knows for sure how these tournaments are destined to play out.

Upsets, blowouts and unexpected heroes are just part of an event that captivated a national audience year after year.

In fact, according to NCAA Statistics, in nine out of the past 10 March Madness tournaments, a fifth-seeded team, or a team lower than the fifth seed has reached the final four of competition.

And on the rare occasion, teams like these can win the whole thing.

The Red Raiders may only be a No. 6 seed within their region, but all it takes is one guy to get hot, and it can flip the entire script.

One of March Madness’ most intriguing offers is seeing who will rise up above the rest and put on a show.

S t e p h C u r r y f o r D avidson in 2008, Kemba Walker for UConn in 2011, or even Carsen Edwards for Purdue in 2019 all are perfect examples of guys who were seldom known nationally until they put on a show for the country in the tournament.

Perhaps Red Raider fans will get another glimpse at

the ‘March Kyler Ewards’ who fans seem to flock to.

Or maybe junior guard Mac McClung will get on a hot streak at just the right time.

The two are part of a bigger product of Tech basketball that is looking to ramp up toward the tournament in hopes of avoiding an early exit.

“Nobody on our team wants to go home early,” Edwards said. “So I mean, we’re gonna give it our all the first game and, you know, try to come up with a victory.”

Fortunately for Tech, while the team has its fair share of limitations, it also has its fair share of talented players who could find a groove at any moment.

The Red Raiders will open up the tournament against the No. 11 seeded Utah State Aggies, who finished their regular season with an impressive 20-8 record.

Because they were only a No. 6 seed, Tech will have to face an incredibly talented Arkansas Razorbacks team in the second round if they advance.

But a lot of the Red Raiders are going into the matchup with additional baggage.

Both Santos-Silva and McClung have limited, or early-exit March Madness remembrances.

“He didn’t win his first game. So I mean, he has a little chip on his shoulder.”

Edwards said about Santos-Silva’s March Madness appearance. “He wants to get far and not only just win the first game but win games after.”

It will be a long road back to the final four head coach Chris Beard’s squad, but if they can play their best and be a little bit lucky, anything can happen.

“Here we are for the f o u r t h s t r a i g h t y e a r, ” Beard said “We’re right in the middle of the fight.”

Their first game will take place on March 19.

The entire tournament will be held this year in Indianapolis. @NicoSanchezDt

FILE PHOTOS/The Daily Toreador

TOP: Guard Jarrett Culver pulls up for a mid-range jumper in the 2019 March Madness tournament Championship game. Texas Tech went on to lose the championship. BOTTOM: Texas Tech men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard watches his team run plays during the 2019 March Madness tournament Championship game.

MARCH MADNESS

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MARCH 18, 2021

7

TOURNAMENT

Red Raiders lean on preparation leading into March Madness

By ZACH RICHARDS Sports Editor

Texas Tech men’s basketball is entering its third-straight NCAA tournament with an opening appearance against Utah State on March 19.

Back-to-back-to-back trips to the big dance is a program record for the Red Raiders, according to Tech Athletics. They will enter action as the No. 6; Utah State is No. 11.

But despite late success, Tech has a bit of history in March.

17 prior trips to the NCAA Tournament dating back to 1954 outlines Tech’s basketball program, according to Tech Athletics. Through the perilous program restructuring in Lubbock, the Red Raiders have seen a flurry of head coaches lead them to March Madness.

Head coach Chris Beard is the latest, as he joins Tubby Smith, legendary head coach Bob Knight, James Dickey, Gerald Myers, Gene Gibson and the

trailblazer - Polk Robison, who was the first Tech head coach to bring the Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament in 1954.

With an 18-7 record, Polk, in his eighth season at the helm, battled Santa Clara in the first round of the tournament, losing 73-64.

They spent just one year out of play until their resurgence in 1956, according to Tech Athletics, where they lost another first-round heartbreaker in a one-point, 68-67 victory.

Throughout the years, traditions, culture and preparations are instilled into any great program, and for Tech, it lays the foundation of a solid postseason.

“I think we’ve been preparing for this since like, you know, since we got here, I mean, just the beginning of the year,” junior guard Kyler Edwards said.

“We’ve just been preparing every day, I feel like.”

Edwards is perhaps the most seasoned veteran on

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard addresses the media following the Red Raiders’ March Madness game in 2019. After reaching the national champiship, Tech fell to Virginia. the team, in respect to years at Tech and March Madness appearances.

The 6-foot-4-inch junior was part of the 2019 national championship contender team for Tech.

And along the way, Edwards provided numerous sparks off the bench. According to Tech Athletics, he averaged 5.5 points and 1.1 assists in his limited role.

But he saved his best

for last, over doubling his scoring total in the National Championship game with 12 points against Virginia on the biggest stage of his life, to that point.

Fast forward two years, Edwards will have another opportunity to shine at the big dance come March.

But even as a veteran leader, March always holds surprises.

“I was star-struck when I first got in there,” Ed-

wards said about his arrival to assembly hall.

“Just seeing the banners in the arena was pretty cool.”

But the program is still centered around a solid base for Tech.

No more focused on the foundation of merit than Beard, who has brought a light to Lubbock at the head of a competitive basketball team.

“A lot of what we do is based on past years,” Beard said. “There’s a lot of things that we’re doing consistent with, you know, what we’ve done before.”

And what better path to follow than a programleading win streak into the final stage of the NCAA Tournament?

But with all the nerves of the biggest stage in college basketball, a calmness comes from being prepared.

“I think confidence comes from preparation and your calmness comes from knowing that you’ve done everything you can do,” Beard said. “If we’re gonna make a run in this

deal, you know, nerves can’t be a factor.”

The battle tested, Red Raiders have gone through a flurry of difficult battles heading into March, in the middle of a conference with seven March Madness entrees, six of which are nationally ranked.

Tech will enter the tournament sitting at 17-10 overall, and a 9-8 record in conference play.

And even though the Red Raiders have struggled on the road during the 2020-’21 season (5-4), their habits do not change.

“For us, it’s just controlling what we can control,” Beard said. “If we’ve got an opportunity to practice we got to get better. This was the message on day one. And this was the message you know, 25 minutes ago when I talked to our team last.”

Tech will bring its process and preparation to a meeting with Utah State at 12:45 p.m. on March 19 at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. @ZachRichardsDT

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Crowded bars: March Madness or just plain madness?

CHICAGO (AP) — The NCAA Tournament and bars were made for each other, with fans of powerhouse teams like Gonzaga and longshots like Colgate pouring in to cheer their teams. Until last year, that is, when COVID-19 blew up everybody’s brackets.

This year, the tournament’s back, and bars and restaurants, some shuttered for months, are open for March Madness, though things may look a little different.

Only a limited number of fans will be allowed in the

stands to watch the games in Indiana as the tournament starts Thursday. As for those who choose to watch at bars or restaurants, their experiences will vary depending on their location.

Some bars are under strict limits on the number of people allowed inside and will require fans to wear masks and keep their distance. Others could be packed to capacity with maskless fans.

So if somebody on the Fighting Illini hits a game winner at the buzzer, back at the Esquire

Lounge in Champaign, where the University of Illinois is located, any hugging and high fiving will be limited to people sitting at the same table, which are separated by 6 feet (2 meters) and Plexiglass barriers.

“You can hug the people at your table,” said co-owner Paul Higgins. “It’s not quite as fun.”

But if a Baylor player hits the same shot, in Texas — where all those rules and much of the Plexiglass disappeared after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott lifted restrictions — the scene will be much different.

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All of this easing and lifting of restrictions has public health experts worried about potential superspreader events at bars around the country. March Madness arrives as vaccinations increase in the U.S. and the death toll from COVID-19 has dropped, but health experts note that many seniors and other at-risk people still haven’t been vaccinated.

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BASKETBALL COURT

March Madness courts to be revamped

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Toreador

Fans surround the basketball court at the Final Four game of the 2019 NCAA March Madness tournament. Texas Tech defeated Michigan State 61-51 to advance to its first National Championship. The courts in Indiana will be receiving a makeover for this year’s tournament.

By BISHOP VAN BUREN Staff Writer

On the first day of March the NCAA released different court designs that will be used in this year’s march madness tournament, releasing nine concepts to be used at different locations in every round until the Final Four and championship, according to a post from the March Madness Twitter account.

Inside the court, boundary lines stay the same through the different designs, with a two-tone wood court lined with black paint and a March Madness logo.

The borders of the court are where you start to see

some variety, with each border featuring a labeling of the location and round of the tournament, half of the perimeter in blue (matching the logo) and the other half in a color dependent on location.

On every court, the words “The Road To The Final Four” are displayed on the baseline.

There are six courts that will be featured in the first and second round, with each court wrapped in a different perimeter based on what arena/stadium they are playing at in Indiana.

The six arenas these courts will be featured at are the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington (red),

the Mackey Arena in West Lafayette (blue), the Lucas Oil Stadium (green), Bankers Life Field (red), Hinkle Fieldhouse (orange) and the Indiana Farmers Coliseum (purple) all in Indianapolis.

The Lucas Oil Stadium is the home of the Indianapolis Colts while Bankers Life Fieldhouse is home of the Indiana Pacers. Also, Hinkle Fieldhouse and Indiana Farmers Coliseum are home to some college teams in the area, the Butler Bulldogs and IUPUI Jaguars, respectively.

“It’s definitely cool this year’s NCAA tournament is different obviously,” Beard said in a news conference on March 17. “The whole thing

is in the Indianapolis area.”

In the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, the courts will keep the same border format but will substitute the changing color scheme for blue and black on every court.

Additionally, an exclusive March Madness logo will be featured in the center of the court commemorating the teams who made it past the first two rounds.

The Red Raiders’ first games of the tournament will take place in Bloomington, Indiana, at the Assembly Hall, a venue that Chris Beard has developed a connection with over the years.

“Today was the first time

I had ever been in Assembly Hall, but I felt like I had been there before with all the study and coach (Bob) Knight’s programs over the years … it’s almost like I kind of knew where I was when I walked in,” Beard said. “It’s obviously a historic venue, and I thought our guys did a great (job) embracing it.”

The court design for the Final Four was released a few days after the initial release and is nothing like the ones that came before it in the tournament. We see our first inbounds paint change, with the paint inside the free throw lines now blue, matching the inner half perimeter (the

outer half is black).

Also, featured along the perimeter are two words in black and outlined in gold, “Unity” and “Equality”. The half-court line features “INDY 2021” and the bottom “The Road Ends Here”, in response to the previous “Road To The Final Four” line used in previous courts.

The midcourt logo also goes through a change, now showcasing “Final Four” in large text. There is a ring of stars around the logo, resembling the Flag of Indiana.

The Final Four Court will be used on April 3 and 5 at Lucas Oil Stadium. @DTbishopvb