Tickets cost $9 for reserved seats and $4 for Texas Tech students.

The game will not be televised.

Tickets are available by calling (806) 742-TECH or on the Web at texastech.com.

For the second time in the first round National Invitation Tournament game, Seton Hall forward Herb Pope had struck Cohadarevic below the belt, sending him to the floor. And for the second time in two weeks, officials ejected an opposing player for punching a Texas Tech athlete.

Good grief this story line is getting tired.

Linehan

College basketball is known for its physicality; athletes who don’t want regular incidental and frequent intentional contact know to stick with track or golf. But what is with the onslaught of intentional fouls? Is this type of thing on the rise?

It certainly looks that way, particularly given Tuesday night’s events. Not long after Pope’s attack on Cohadarevic, a similar fist-to-groin incident occurred in the Mississippi State-Jackson State NIT game.

Kansas forward Markieff Morris, left, is fouled by Texas Tech forward Darko Cohadarevic while driving to the basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big 12 Conference men's tournament, Thursday, March 11, 2010, in Kansas City, Mo. Kansas won 80-68. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Jackson State’s Phillip Williams assaulted Mississippi State’s Dee Bost on the court, with ESPN cameras clearly capturing the thrust as Williams threw a fist at Bost’s groin. Twice in one night athletes gave up on playing tough — but at least clean — defense, and instead resorted to violence.

The defense, of course, is that these players are provoked. That was many fans’ argument after Baylor’s Brittney Griner slugged Lady Raider Jordan Barncastle on March 3. In fairness, Barncastle committed a foul against Griner immediately preceding that punch. But I’ve seen similar offenses in other basketball games
played by both men and women, and never was the response so violent.

Similarly, Pope reportedly claimed that socking Cohadarevic was simply a response to the Tech player hitting him in the head earlier in the game. That move, like Pope’s first punch, apparently went unnoticed by the officiating staff.

There are two realities at work here. First is that post play has undoubtedly gotten more physical as the athletes themselves have had more physical presence to work with. The typical college center is no longer 6-foot-7 and 185 pounds; wait, I take that back, the typical men’s basketball center doesn’t meet those measurements. But just as Griner supporters love to herald her as changing the face of women’s basketball, she’s also changing the size, making post play more physical and intense.

That can also be seen on the men’s side, where two games really unfold on the court: a shoot-out between guards, who play little off-ball defense, and a wrestling match among post players jockeying for position under the basket.

But just as much as the athletes have gotten more physical, it seems the officials are letting them get away with more contact. “Letting them play” is basketball speak for not calling ticky-tack fouls, and while I appreciate the pace that version of officiating provides, it sets a precedent that athletes may take liberties with how ethically they defend opponents.

Griner and Barncastle had an extremely physical battle going throughout much of that game leading up to the punch, and no doubt officials could have done more to rein it in.

Cohadarevic said after the Seton Hall game that when he complained about Pope’s first punch, one official told him to stop whining.

Coaches will never stop recruiting big, strong, aggressive athletes because those same athletes are the reason they win games. Therefore it falls on officiating crews to set the tone not only in single games but across leagues that they will not tolerate figurative or literal below-the-belt shots.

Twice this month Texas Tech basketball has made national headlines not for winning games, but for taking blows. Good for the Raiders for not committing the crimes, but I’m done using boxing analogies to describe basketball games.

To comment on this story:
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com l 766-8700

NEWARK, NJ — Not only did Texas Tech have a fighting chance, it delivered the knockout.

Junior guard John Roberson scored 22 points and senior forward Darko Cohadarevic added 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in one of his best efforts of the season to lead fifth-seeded Texas Tech over fourth-seeded Seton Hall, 87-69, in the first round of the National Invitational Tournament on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Texas Tech, making its fourth appearance in the NIT (its first since the 2002-03 season when it reached the semifinals at Madison Square Garden), reached the .500 mark, 4-4, in its NIT history. This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

Tech (18-15), which won only its fourth road contest in 13 outings this season, will take on the eighth-seeded Jacksonville/top-seeded Arizona State winner in the second round. Date and time TBA.

Tech, which slid into the NIT losing eight of its last nine, with only a 101-90 first round win against Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament last week, and 10 of its last 13, came ready to play.

In the first 5:51 of the game, Tech maintained and stayed ahead of its game, something they have not been fond of on the road throughout the season, equalling Seton Hall, 10-10 with 14:34 left in the first half.

Then the body blow. Literally.

With 14:19 left in the first half, Cohadarevic, who had given Tech its first two leads within the first 5:49 of the game, was taken out of the game due to a right-handed, below-the-belt shot by Seton Hall sophomore forward Herb Pope, who was charged with a flagrant foul and was ejected from the game.

Sophomore forward Robert Lewandowski converted two technical free throws to give Tech a 12-10 lead. Roberson hit a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession and junior forward D’Walyn Roberts made a jumper for a 7-0 run to give Tech a 17-10 lead with 13:29 left in the first half.

Lewandowski, who replaced Cohadarevic, made the most of his playing time with four points, three rebounds, one assist and a blocked shot in eight minutes.

The Red Raiders extended their run to 13-0 on a slam by Lewandowski and baskets by senior guard Nick
Okorie and Roberts to take a 23-10 lead with 10:46 remaining, before a Jamel Jackson 3-pointer ended the streak.

Cohadarevic extended his “standing 10-count,” with a brief 4:05 rest, and came back into the game at the 10:14 mark with a 23-14 lead. Tech maintained throughout the half and took a 45-32 halftime lead.

Cohadarevic and junior guard Mike Singletary led the Raiders with 10 points apiece at half and Roberson added nine. Tech shot 54.5 percent from the floor in the first half and out-rebounded the Pirates, 24-18.

After a Jeff Robinson basket to open the second half for Seton Hall, Tech went on a 5-0 run and took a 50-34 lead with 18:56 left in the second half. Tech maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half, extending to its biggest lead of the game, 23 points, with 3:57 remaining.

Cohadarevic shot 6-of-9 from the field with one assist and no personal fouls.

Singletary, the team’s leading scorer, had 13 points, Roberts added 12 and Lewandowski finished with 10 for Tech.

Robinson led Seton Hall (19-13) with 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, and 12 rebounds and senior guard Eugene Harvey, playing in his final game, added 12.

Seton Hall's Herb Pope (15) battles for the ball with Rutgers' Hamady Ndiaye during a game this season. Seton Hall, coached by Bobby Gonzalez, below, will host Texas Tech tonight in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. (AP)

“They have a good center who was at New Mexico State, Herb Pope, and it kind of revolves around him,” Knight said. “They full-court trap and look to push the ball up. It’s nothing we haven’t gone against this year.”

That’s fortunate for the Red Raiders (17-15), who hit the road as the No. 5 seed playing at No. 4 seed Seton Hall at 8 p.m. today in the opening round of the National Invitation Tournament. If they win, the Raiders could go on to a matchup with No. 1 seed Arizona State later this week. But the Red Raiders, who’ve struggled on the road this year, aren’t eager to look past their Big East opponent.

“We haven’t paid much attention to the rest of the bracket,” Knight said. “We just know for us to get to (the NIT Final Four in) New York, we’re going to have to play three road games and that’s going to be quite a thing for us.”

Seton Hall's Herb Pope (15) battles for the ball with Rutgers' Hamady Ndiaye during a game this season. Seton Hall, coached by Bobby Gonzalez, will host Texas Tech tonight in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Tech is 3-9 on the road this year, with two of those wins coming during the nonconference portion of the schedule. Its only road win in the last three months was a 72-71 win at Oklahoma on Feb. 9.

Its only neutral site games were last week’s Big 12 tournament contests, where Tech went 1-1.

Seton Hall (19-12) also went 1-1 in its conference tournament. It finished 10th in the Big East.

The Pirates thought they might make the NCAA tournament, even gathering to watch the selection show late Sunday afternoon.

“We were basically hoping against hope,” Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez said in a conference call Sunday. “I knew that we needed some crazy things to happen, but the thoughts were unrealistic. I knew we weren’t going to the NCAAs and I didn’t want to set the players up for disappointment.”

Knight might have unintentionally referenced the Pirates when talking about his team’s motivation today. It’s been nearly a month since Tech, which ended its regular season with seven consecutive losses, had any chance at the NCAA tournament.

But as soon as the NIT became their goal, Knight said his players became equally excited about proving themselves there.

“It means something to me and the program just to show we’re headed in the right direction, and these kids are ecstatic,” Knight said. “I know there are some teams that are disappointed they didn’t make the NCAA and they’ll play that way, but not our guys. Our guys are excited to have this opportunity.”

Pope, that critical post player Knight referenced, averages 11.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

Seton Hall will be without junior forward Robert Mitchell, who was kicked off the team on Sunday for undisclosed reasons. Mitchell averaged 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, with 15 starts this season.

The Pirates’ leading scorer is guard Jeremy Hazell, who puts up 20.9 points per game.

Although Seton Hall is 13-4 at home this season, with two of its four losses coming against top 10-ranked teams, Tech senior Nick Okorie said he is used to feeding off that underdog status.

“I love road games,” Okorie said. “I don’t know how other guys on the team feel about them, but when other guys talk smack to me it gets me more hyped up than playing here.”

To comment on this story:

courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735

terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com l 766-8700

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Big 12’s coaches spent an entire season, even some time before it, telling anyone who’d listen this was the conference’s strongest year ever.

Turns out, they were right.

The Big 12 earned a conference-record seven NCAA tournament berths Sunday, including the No. 1 overall seed and two more in the top three, validating what its coaches have been saying all along.

“The more the merrier,” Oklahoma coach Travis Ford said Monday. “I know our coaches are always pleased when they see people value the product that the Big 12 schools are putting out there. To get over half your teams into the NCAA tournament is a very, very nice compliment.”

Football has been the calling card for the Big 12 since its inception in 1996, the perception being Kansas and Oklahoma State were the only teams playing real basketball.

The league has gradually changed its acumen over the past few years as Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri joined the Jayhawks in making deep runs in the NCAA tournament.

Still, six NCAA berths was the best the Big 12 could do – seven times, including the past two seasons – feeding an inferiority complex, as if the basketball power conferences were a big brother who wouldn’t let them win at anything.

Now that Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M and Texas are in, this relatively new conference has moved up to a level usually reserved for older powerhouses like the Big East and ACC.

“As far as us getting seven in this year, my response is: it’s about time,” Kansas State coach Frank Martin said.

Kansas, no surprise, earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. The Jayhawks start Thursday in Oklahoma City, against Lehigh.

A monumental mismatch? Probably. But after that, the road gets tougher.

The Midwest regional is considered the toughest in the tournament, one potential land mine after another awaiting the top-ranked Jayhawks.

Get by Lehigh and the second round, Kansas could face Michigan State or Maryland in the regional semifinals, then could face Georgetown or the two teams that gave the Jayhawks their two losses, Oklahoma State or Tennessee.

Even for a team that’s as deep as any in the country, one that spent all but four weeks at No. 1, that’s a tough gauntlet.

“I do believe this is a very, very difficult region,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “But, from my standpoint, to get to where you want to go, you should have to beat good people. I’m sure no matter who gets to Indianapolis they’re going to have a tough road.”

Kansas State set a school record for wins and has its highest seeding ever, No. 2 in the West. The seventh-ranked Wildcats open the NCAA tournament against North Texas in Oklahoma City on Thursday.

Baylor, No. 3 in the South and 19th in the nation, also starts on Thursday, against Sam Houston State in New Orleans. No. 23 Texas A&M gets Utah State in Spokane, Wash., as the fifth seed in the South, and Oklahoma State faces a tough first-round matchup against Georgia Tech as the seventh seed in Milwaukee. The Aggies and Cowboys both play Friday.

The other Big 12 teams in the NCAA tournament need to make quick turnarounds.

Missouri closed out the season by losing three of its final four games, including to last-place Nebraska in the conference tournament. The Tigers open Friday in Buffalo, N.Y., against Clemson in what’s likely to be the fastest game of the tournament.

Then there’s Texas.

The former No. 1 team in the nation, the Longhorns followed a 17-0 start with a crash, going 9-7 during the Big 12 regular season. Texas is the eighth seed in the East regional and opens against Wake Forest on Thursday in New Orleans, hoping to get one potentially momentum-swinging win.

“One game, it can swing quickly,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “We see it all the time, teams come into that have been down and out, and they catch it and kind of ride the wave with it … This time of year, one game here or there, one play here or there can really swing it.”

After playing in the rugged Big 12, the Longhorns should be ready for it.

The peacock presided over Tech’s final pregame practice before finding a new home with the Longhorns’ coach.

“That’s a saying Bob McKillop from Davidson College told me in the ’70s,” Barnes said last week, “’Proud as a peacock today, feather duster tomorrow.’”

Barnes loves the phrase so much it is etched on the Longhorns’ locker room wall. Knight might have felt he owed Barnes after using the saying to describe Tech’s 12-2 nonconference season and the 0-3 Big 12 start that followed.

It’s not the only time he’s leaned on Barnes, or other Big 12 coaches, during the two years since he took
over the Tech basketball program. As one of two first-time head coaches in the conference (the other is
Kansas State’s Frank Martin), Knight compares himself to a rookie boxer.

“I’m like an amateur fighter whose first pro fight he’s going against Muhammad Ali,” Knight said. “I’m learning on the fly here in one of the toughest conferences.”

He’s learning, though, that Ali makes a willing trainer. Last Monday, Baylor coach Scott Drew called Lubbock to encourage Knight after Tech finished the regular season on a seven-game losing streak. Drew, whose Bears were 20-14 last season before a run that took them to the NIT finals, promised if Tech can get into the NIT this year, the team will reap the benefits later. Baylor finished the conference season in third place this season.

Coaches certainly make unlikely allies. Within the conference it can be particularly brutal, given that fans set league victories at a premium, and teams often go head-to-head in recruiting local athletes.

But crossing paths in high school gyms, at conference meetings, and of course on the court means they see each other as colleagues as much as competitors.

“It would be very tough if you didn’t have friends in the profession who understand the chair you sit in,” Iowa State coach Greg McDermott said. “Some of the pressures are unique to this job.”

It’s common practice for teams to trade scouting reports on opponents and video footage of each other’s games. But Knight also often compares notes with other coaches who are going through similar situations within their own programs.

It helps him understand where things are going particularly well, or particularly poorly, and to keep the wins and losses in perspective.

“I was talking to another coach who’s having a bad year, and he said his players won’t practice hard, they’re having all kinds of problems,” Knight said. “He was like, ‘how are your players?’ I said they practice their butts off every day, and he said, ‘I could live with that. When they won’t work hard, you can’t work with that.’”

Knight’s closest friends in the Big 12 include Martin, McDermott and Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel. He considers Barnes a mentor, who offers everything from advice on which strength coach to hire to insights on how the Longhorns defended Tech’s offense.

When the Tech coaches went out to dinner the night before their game in Lawrence, Kan., this year, Kansas coach Bill Self stopped by the restaurant.

He compares the current group of Big 12 coaches to the legendary network during his dad’s days in the Big Ten, which included Michigan’s Johnny Orr, Illinois’ Lou Henson, Purdue’s Gene Keady and, of course, Indiana’s Bob Knight.

Like those coaches in the 1970s and ’80s, the rivalries can be bitter, but usually remain on the court.

“I remember my dad talking to someone on the phone,” Pat Knight said. “I’d be like, ‘Who’s that?’ And he’s talking to some other coach in the league. We want to beat each other, but we’re all in the same boat.”

To comment on this story:
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com l 766-8700

Myers told The Avalanche-Journal he is pleased with the progress the team made, improving on last season’s 14-19 record. Tech exited the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday with an 80-68 loss to No. 1 Kansas, despite leading after 10 minutes and trailing by just two points with six minutes to play. The Red Raiders are 17-15 overall and will likely qualify for the postseason NIT.

“Last year was a tough year, his first year,” Myers said. “We were outmanned most of the time last year. He went out and improved the team with some good recruits, and a lot of those boys are back.”

Knight took over as head coach when his father, Bob Knight, unexpectedly retired midway through the 2007-08 season. Tech finished out that season 4-7 under the first-time head coach.

The Raiders rose to No. 16 in the AP college basketball rankings earlier this season, thanks to a 9-0 start that included wins against Oregon State and Washington. They finished their nonconference schedule 12-2, including their first road wins in more than a full season. Tech won two neutral site games during the 2008-09 season.

After starting 4-5 in the Big 12, Tech went on a seven-game losing streak that continued through road trips to Nebraska, the last-place team in the conference, and Colorado. Tech recovered in its second game against the Buffs, winning 82-67 on Wednesday as the ninth seed playing the eighth seed in the Big 12 Tournament’s opening round.

“I like the job Pat’s doing,” Myers said. “He knows how to coach and I’m confident we’ll come back stronger next year with the offseason, all the returning players and some new recruits.”

Myers does want to see an improved post presence in order to better compete against Big 12 players like
Kansas’ Cole Aldrich, Texas’ Dexter Pittman and Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh. And he expects continued improvement through next season.

“I’m looking forward to Pat being our coach for a long time,” Myers said.

To comment on this story:
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com l 766-8700

“It’s sore right here when I’m just walking,” he says, “but man, when I land on it or when I’m sprinting, the
pain is so bad.”

Half an hour earlier, Roberts grabbed eight rebounds and scored 11 points, both the second most he’s had in Big 12 Conference play. It didn’t get Tech a win against Kansas, but gave him hope that maybe his season is getting back on track, just as it’s nearing an end.

Tech's D'walyn Roberts takes a layup against Kansas State's Dominique Sutton Tuesday night at United Spirit Arena. Tech lost to KState 83-64. (John A. Bowersmith/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)

Tech coach Pat Knight points to Roberts as a prime example of why he wants the Red Raiders (17-15) in the NIT. The 6-foot-7 junior is finally recovering from a bone bruise in his right foot that has given him problems since the conference season began two months ago.

“For a guy like D’walyn who missed the middle part of the season,” Knight said, “to get some more games under his belt can really help him going into his senior year.”

Roberts has been a regular starter since his sophomore season, when he averaged 6.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. Forward Darko Cohadarevic struggles to end his list of Roberts’ talents: jumping, dunking, rebounding. Or his attributes: skinny, quiet, and did he mention jumping? And he calls Roberts the team’s glue-guy, keeping the team grounded through a roller-coaster season.

But he’s right about the “quiet part.”

Roberts sat in a corner of the Tech locker room Thursday afternoon, silently unlacing his shoes, hardly reacting as Brad Reese cracked jokes just a few seats away.

“The most emotions he ever shows is on the court,” Cohadarevic said. “Off the court he doesn’t say a word, doesn’t smile, but he’s a great person. One of the best guys I’ve ever met.”

Forward Mike Singletary, Tech’s leading scorer, said Roberts has his vote for team MVP. He missed only one game because of the bone bruise, despite re-injuring it in the game against Texas on Feb. 20.

Because of the injury his rebounding average dropped from a season-high of 7.7 in late December to 5.4 at the season’s end. But he averaged nine rebounds per game during Tech’s two-game stay in the Big 12 Tournament.

“The son of a gun started out like a rocket in the preseason,” Knight said. “Then no one knew he was hurt, he wasn’t even practicing for four weeks, and now he’s back to the old D’walyn. He’s hitting that shot, he’s getting double-digit rebounds. I just can’t be happier.”

Because of the shooting pain, though, rebounds and blocks have become particularly difficult. He takes off less quickly and gets less height under the basket. Adrenaline helps mask the pain, but never alleviates it.

Center Robert Lewandowski envies Roberts’ length and athleticism, saying it’s Roberts’ blocks that give Tech the biggest edge. He has robbed opponents of 39 shots this season.

“Everyone likes a good block,” Lewandowski said. “But they don’t remember how many blocks you had. It’s how many points you had. He just does the dirty work, the nitty-gritty stuff, and gets it done.”

Now Roberts says the pain is beginning to fade, although he knows it won’t completely disappear until he gets multiple days’ rest during the offseason. But he’d rather that time come a few weeks from now, rather than beginning right away.

“I’m used to playing through pain,” Roberts said. “I don’t think about it too much when I’m in the game.
“I’ve got to suck it up and play.”

To comment on this story:
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com l 766-8700

The result? A lot of people with a lot of very amateur looking blogs think the Red Raiders will be in. Their seed, however, is up for debate.

The official place to find information on the NIT tournament is NIT.org, but that means little to me, because they don’t have a bracketologist. I’ll be back on that site come Sunday, but for now it does me no good.

The second most reliable source I found was this blog, which if nothing else is at least associated with CBSsports.com, a reputable news organization. Jason, of Jason’s College Sports Blog, considers Tech on the bubble. Thanks, Jason, for that rousing revelation.

Moving on. I was intrigued to find nitology.com, which at least is dedicated specifically to the NIT. It has Tech as a 5-seed facing William & Mary in the first round (The pairings can be found here.

For another opinion I referenced The Bracket Project, a simply designed Web site that I can appreciate for its ease of use. This site has Tech as a 6-seed, playing UAB in the opening round.

My opinion? I don’t know enough about the rest of the field to really have an opinion. I think there’s a long way between the success of some of the predictors’ top seeds and what Tech accomplished, but I do believe the Raiders could have a good run in the NIT.

Whether they get the chance will be determined on Sunday.

“We’re gonna get this one,” he said.

He was wrong.

Texas Tech did not beat No. 1 Kansas, but came close enough to inspire confidence in the Red Raiders.
Singletary, who finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists, said if Wednesday’s win against Colorado was enough to get Tech into the NIT, Thursday’s loss to Kansas demonstrated just how far the
team could go.

“If we play like that every night, we can do a lot of damage in the NIT,” Singletary said. “I think this was good for us.”

Tech will wait until Sunday evening to find out if it has a spot in the tournament. The NCAA is expected to take seven teams from the Big 12 Conference, and Tech’s 17-15 overall record is eighth in the league.

After a disappointing stretch in which it lost seven consecutive games, Tech got an 82-67 win to open the Big 12 Tournament. And while it couldn’t make a bucket down the stretch, its 12-point loss was much closer than the 89-63 loss in Lawrence, Kan., in January.

“We’ve been playing great ball these last few games, and I would hate for that stretch we had to keep us from going to the postseason,” point guard John Roberson said. “We’re a great team, and if we can play with Kansas we can play with anybody on a neutral court.”

In each of the previous seasons, the NIT has taken two 17-win teams and one 16-win team. Coach Pat Knight said he is not interested in participating in either of the two lower-tier tournaments.

He thinks, though, that Tech has the necessary elements to make the NIT field. Tech’s RPI before playing Kansas was 70. But three of the top strength of schedule calculators have Tech in the top 25: Realtimerpi.com lists it 16th, and USA Today’s Jeff Sagarin has it 20th. Ken Pomeroy lists Tech 23rd.

Without knowing his team’s fate, Knight said the players will have Friday off from practice while the coaching staff focuses on recruiting. While the rest of Texas Tech’s students begin spring break, the basketball team will practice Saturday and Sunday before finding out if its season will continue.

“I know it was a rough three weeks but we’ve done enough to at least earn that,” Knight said. “You’ve got to go down fighting and show hey, those guys are a good team, and it would be nice to have them in our tournament.”

To comment on this story:
courtney.linehan@lubbockonline.com l 766-8735
terry.greenberg@lubbockonline.com l 766-8700