By Jeff Walker | A-J SPORTS EDITOR

TEXAS TECH / Big man comes back for extra semester.

Texas Tech will have a little more ammunition today when the Red Raiders open Big 12 Conference play at No. 23 Baylor.

Rizvic

Little, though, might not be the right word to describe 7-foot center Esmir Rizvic.

After sitting out the entire non-conference season, Rizvic is set to begin his final semester, which he received from the NCAA after he lost a semester two years ago due to injury.

“I am excited to come back after all this time,” Rizvic said. “After practicing a lot, I’m just happy to come back to try and help the guys out.”

Rizvic took an elbow to the eye two years ago in the conference opener against Oklahoma and didn’t play the rest of the season. Tech petitioned the NCAA to try and gain back his eligibility, and Rizvic was told before last season that he could have this year’s conference play restored.

Some may look at Rizvic’s numbers at Tech – 3.2 points per game, 2.3 rebounds per game – and figure the Red Raiders may not be better with the 7-footer.

Offense, though, hasn’t been the main concern of the Red Raiders after posting a 10-5 record during the non-conference season.

Rizvic should prove to be beneficial for two reasons: He provides another big body – along with freshman Robert Lewandowski – to try and clog up the middle against the driving opposition, and he provides depth as the Red Raiders again may be without post players Trevor Cook and Damir Suljagic, who are both nursing back injuries.

“I’m hoping he’s going to be a good defensive player. I’m hoping he’s not going to be another player who’s up and down (because) I’ve got enough of those now,” Tech head coach Pat Knight said. “He gives us a defensive presence – he’s especially good from the help side. It will be hard for people to shoot over him. We’ll put him in the middle of our zone so that should help. It’s good to have another big body – I mean, this league is full of them.”

The Bears don’t present much of a threat inside. Forward Kevin Rogers is averaging 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, but he’s the Bears’ lone offensive weapon up front. Starting center Mamadou Diene is averaging just 2.1 points and 1.7 rebounds.

Baylor’s top post player off the bench is a freshman, 6-foot-7 Quincy Acy, who is averaging 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds.

The Bears’ strength – much like the Red Raiders – is in the backcourt. All three of Baylor’s starting guards – Henry Dugat, Curtis Jerrells and Tweety Carter – are averaging at least 11 points per game.

Coming off the bench is sophomore LaceDarius Dunn, who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Dunn scored 38 points – hitting 6 of 9 from 3-point range – when these teams met last season in Lubbock.

The game in Waco, Knight’s first as head coach after Bob Knight resigned, was closer, but the Bears swept the season series winning 80-74 at home and 86-73 on the road.

“They’ve got three very good guards, the type of guards that we’re trying to get here, that can break you down (off the dribble) and also score,” Knight said. “… It’s not like you can back off one of them and force them to shoot or get into them when they shoot. They have three legitimate guards that they play with that are just very good.”

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