Hope, It’s a Dangerous Thing

Two weeks ago, an NCAA Tournament appearance seemed impossible, coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Oklahoma State, the Red Raiders sat 1-10 in conference play and things seemed dire. Since then, the Red Raiders have reeled off three straight wins, including 2 wins over ranked opponents and their first road conference win of the season. There is now a path, and more importantly, there is hope that the Red Raiders could turn this awful start into a NCAA Tournament bid.

If the Red Raiders win 3 of their last 4 games, they are firmly on the NCAA Tournament Bubble. It would even appear that the Red Raiders would have a greater chance of making the NCAA even without a win or two in the Big 12 Tournament.

This stretch of the schedule should give hope to Texas Tech fans. They first play Oklahoma, a team that has been up and down all season long and has lost 8 of their last 9 conference games on the schedule. If you can defeat them tonight, that sets up a situation that is very advantageous for the basketball program.

The next two home games on the schedule are against teams that have gone a combined 1-5 in their last 3 games each. TCU and Oklahoma State both started the conference season hot but have cooled off down the stretch. If you can find some way to win those three games on your schedule, I believe you don’t have to worry about the final road game of the regular season at Kansas, a team who is playing the best basketball in the conference currently.

If you somehow stumble in one of the next three games, I believe you have to win two games at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City to secure a spot in the Big Dance. I do believe it’s plausible to get there with just one win, but you never know how many bid stealers there will be in any given year.

In conclusion, these Red Raiders have hope for an NCAA Tournament bid. They’ve re-energized the fan base and there’s hope now where there wasn’t two weeks ago. This team has been fun to watch over the past month or so, there’s so much to look forward to with this team, they’re finally gelling together as a team and now, it seems as though they will make a run to the NCAA Tourney.

From there, anything is possible.