*New Year's Day Predictions...LU vs. Texas Tech?*

[Guest tigersvoice]

Unless the Lamar team that everyone was expecting in the preseason polls shows up, i say tech by 30 points.  If Lamar can somehow wake up and play MUCH better than any game they've played all season, i say they lose by less than 10. 

I'll go along with this assessment.  I'm a Lamar Alumnus and support them to the Nth degree, but what has anyone seen so far this season that makes you believe that the Cards can beat the Raiders?  I don't see it.

[Guest coachacola]

BYU is a better team than Tech and LU lost to them by 22 with the score being much closer than that for most of the game.  Tech causes a lot of TOs but I think McThay and Dawkins can handle that.  Nwevo and Nabors need to have good games (especially rebounding) for LU to have a chance to win.  It would also be nice if the real DHop would show up and play.

[weslinder]

Tech by 25.

This won't happen.

Unless the Lamar team that everyone was expecting in the preseason polls shows up, i say tech by 30 points.

And this certainly won't.

I'll go along with this assessment.  I'm a Lamar Alumnus and support them to the Nth degree, but what has anyone seen so far this season that makes you believe that the Cards can beat the Raiders?  I don't see it.

What has anyone seen this season that makes him believe that the Raiders can beat anyone by 30 points?

Edit: I forgot about the LA Tech game, but LA Tech has lost to Southeast Missouri State and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff twice.  They don't count as "anyone".

[BLUEDOVE3]

BYU is a better team than Tech and LU lost to them by 22 with the score being much closer than that for most of the game.  Tech causes a lot of TOs but I think McThay and Dawkins can handle that.  Nwevo and Nabors need to have good games (especially rebounding) for LU to have a chance to win.  It would also be nice if the real DHop would show up and play.

The one thing many people don't consider is that a lot of times, good teams playing lesser teams tend to "play down" to the lesser team's level. A good example was when Lamar played ( Duke?) a few years ago in the NCAA tournament. By the half, Lamar was behind by only a few points. The intensity level for Duke was not there until the 2nd half. In fact, you could see the intensity level was entirely different in the second round after Duke(?) went on to play Kansas(?). I remember hearing people say Lamar played Duke (?) a good game. Well, Duke wasn't going all out.  Lamar can beat Texas Tech as soon as they feel some belief thst they can win against the big D-1 schools.

[Guest abovetherim]

That wasn't a great Duke team. I agree with your statement but it goes both ways. Sometimes a team not so great plays up to the level of the better team. See Nicholls State versus UNC earlier this season.

Then in 2000, Michigan State won the national championship. Lamar played MSU in East Lansing, Michigan in 2001 and lost 80-71 (9) pts to the defeating national champions on their home court.

It works both ways either playing down or playing up. Hopefully Jan. 1 Lamar will play up to Texas Tech's level. Guess we'll all have to wait and see.

[Ruckdad]

ATR - I have to disagree with you on the Duke not being a great Duke team.  I am sitting in my office right now looking at the poster of the opening tip of that game and Duke's starting lineup consists of three lottery picks.  Boozer, Battier and Williams.  ANd Mike Dunleavy came off the bench.  That Duke team won the ACC tournament, was a #1 seed and advanced to the Sweet 16 before getting tripped up by a Florida team that went to the Finals that year.

Lamar did hang with the Dukies in the first half - but only because Kenyon Spears was on fire that night.  Anything he threw up went in in the first half.  The Cardinals were within 4 with a couple of minutes left in the first half but ended the half down 11 and the Blue Devils opened it up early in the second half.

As for my prediction - As an alumnus of both schools, I really can't go wrong.  And as much as I would like to see my Cards pull an upset, it isn't going to happen.  The one thing that the Cards have going for them is that the USA will be almost empty as the school is closed and there will be few students at the game.  But I see Tech winning by about a dozen - in a low scoring affair - 64 - 52

[KFDM COOP]

I agree Dad.

[UNLV]

I'm starting to see what Roc is doing. At first I thought Roc was not as good of a coach as hyped. I also

thought his recruiting class was strange. Not so any more. I kept comparing last years team and style to this

year. However everything is totally different. Is it me, or do anyone else notice LU is playing more and more

Billy-ball each game. Now those recruits make sense. LU will play Tech a lot tougher than I first thought.

[Guest coachacola]

I agree with you UNLV.  Last year the team was built around JD, but he was a flake and the team was up and down.  Roc switched styles at the end of season going with a 4 guards and resorted to out-shooting other teams with little defense.

This year he has transitioned the team even more.  Only Sanders is starting from last year's team.  McThay and Dawkins are both starting and are causing a lot more TOs defensively and comitting less TOs than last year's team.  Nabors and Sanders are both good rebounders and the team is getting more transition points.

Look at the 3 guards he has coming in next year.  Both Williams and Harper are not great baskeball players but are very athletic.  Don't know about Moton except he's suppose to be a good 3 point shooter.  I believe each year Lamar's defense will keep improving and as a result the team will start winning more and more games.

[KFDM COOP]

The 3 Guards coming in are the real deal!

[weslinder]

I'm starting to see what Roc is doing. At first I thought Roc was not as good of a coach as hyped. I also

thought his recruiting class was strange. Not so any more. I kept comparing last years team and style to this

year. However everything is totally different. Is it me, or do anyone else notice LU is playing more and more

Billy-ball each game. Now those recruits make sense. LU will play Tech a lot tougher than I first thought.

I agree with a lot of this.  Even so, Roc and Billy have different defensive philosophies.  They both press, but differently.  Billy pressed to get steal opportunities and fast-break points.  Roc presses to try to get a 10-second violation and to set a tone defensively.  So far, Roc's teams have been better at half-court defense than any from Tubbs' second coaching stint. 

[BLUEDOVE3]

That wasn't a great Duke team. I agree with your statement but it goes both ways. Sometimes a team not so great plays up to the level of the better team. See Nicholls State versus UNC earlier this season.

Then in 2000, Michigan State won the national championship. Lamar played MSU in East Lansing, Michigan in 2001 and lost 80-71 (9) pts to the defeating national champions on their home court.

It works both ways either playing down or playing up. Hopefully Jan. 1 Lamar will play up to Texas Tech's level. Guess we'll all have to wait and see.

I guess I'm not a true hard core Lamar believer. I arrived in the area during the late 1980's and every year the Lamar program would promote/hype  their players & coaches as if they were potential champions. I'm just in a Missouri state of mind now; show me!

[Guest mffl]

Your right bluedove, We have hyped way too many players and coaches. It's time for the results to show up with wins.

I would love to say we are headed in the right direction and I think we are, but its not for sure. We might win every conference game or we might lose every conference game. Its time for us to show up and win a big one at Tech, that might start proving to people this team is forreal, that is IF we are.

[Guest abovetherim]

ATR - I have to disagree with you on the Duke not being a great Duke team.  I am sitting in my office right now looking at the poster of the opening tip of that game and Duke's starting lineup consists of three lottery picks.  Boozer, Battier and Williams.  ANd Mike Dunleavy came off the bench.  That Duke team won the ACC tournament, was a #1 seed and advanced to the Sweet 16 before getting tripped up by a Florida team that went to the Finals that year.

Lamar did hang with the Dukies in the first half - but only because Kenyon Spears was on fire that night.  Anything he threw up went in in the first half.  The Cardinals were within 4 with a couple of minutes left in the first half but ended the half down 11 and the Blue Devils opened it up early in the second half.

As for my prediction - As an alumnus of both schools, I really can't go wrong.  And as much as I would like to see my Cards pull an upset, it isn't going to happen.  The one thing that the Cards have going for them is that the USA will be almost empty as the school is closed and there will be few students at the game.  But I see Tech winning by about a dozen - in a low scoring affair - 64 - 52

I have the same picture in my son's room. If they were great they would have won the NC. We don't all have to agree. Yes, they had some great talent and future NBA stars but at Duke greatness is winning a NC. Here are Duke's Final Four appearances. 1963, 1964, 1966, 1978, 1986, 1988 - 1992, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2004. Again, what is the measuring stick we are using for "Great"?

I guess Lamar was "Great" when we lost to Michigan State who had Ervin "Magic" Johnson or they were "Great" when they lost to Clemson by eight in the Sweet-Sixteen. I think our title of "Greatness" is the debate here. I don't call a team with several NC's a great team if they fall in the round of 16.

How about "great" in the NFL, what is the measuring stick? Superbowl appearances? Well the Dallas Cowboys have been to Super Bowl's V • VI • X • XII • XIII • XXVII • XXVIII • XXX. Was the team that lost to the Colts great? How about the teams in the 70's that lost to the Steelers? Were they great? Well if they were, then the NFL HOF selection committee needs to elect a few more former Cowboys into Canton, OH. Again, all these teams had All-Pro players but do you consider getting beat once by a FG and less than 10 pts in both games versus the Steelers great teams?

Again, I think you and I have a difference of opinion of "Greatness".

If it was Lamar we are talking about reaching the Sweet-Sixteen then yes, it would have been a "great" Lamar team. For that matter, it would have been a "great" Texas Tech team. For Duke and the standards set by Coach K, IMO they weren't great as a team. Great Coach, some great players but not a great team.

Now, as for as this game versus TT I agree with your assessment. I see Tech winning by at least 12 if not more. I'm hopeful LU plays them tough. We'll see the results Jan. 1.