Remembering Texas Tech’s all-time greats as the Red Raiders crash the final four

This weekend featured four great college basketball games, at least two of which were classics, as the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament teams became the Final Four. We can thank the relative lack of early round upsets for the great product at the Elite Eight level.

When the dust settled, the Final Four were Texas Tech, Virginia, Auburn, and Michigan State. Texas Tech made the Final Four thanks to a defense as good as any I can recall seeing since the days when top college basketball players stayed in college for at least three years.

The best college defense I ever saw was played by Bob Knight’s early Indiana teams, especially the undefeated 1976 championship squad. Texas Tech’s coach, Chris Beard, was Knight’s assistant at Texas Tech , which may help explain why his current team plays such good “D.” The teams of another Coach Knight disciple, Mike Krzyzewski, played great defense before Duke went the “one-and-done” route.

Texas Tech’s basketball heritage goes deeper than Bob Knight and Chris Beard, and deeper than I knew until I researched it. This is the program’s first Final Four team and last year was its first appearance among the Elite Eight. However, the Red Raiders have made it to multiple Sweet Sixteens.

Here is my attempt to identify Texas Tech’s best all-time players (without the benefit of having seen a lot of Red Raiders basketball over the years):

First Team:

Jarrius Jackson (2004-07)

This guard is second on Texas Tech’s all-time scoring list and made the Big 12 all-conference first team twice. Jackson averaged 20 points a game in his final two seasons in Lubbock. His teams made the NCAA tournament three times. He played for many years overseas and became an Italian citizen.

Andre Emmett (2001-04)

He was the star of Bob Knight’s first Texas Tech teams. Emmett led the Red Raiders to two NCAA tournaments and the semi-finals of the NIT. He remains their all-time scoring and was named second-team all-American in his senior season. Emmett was a second round pick in the NBA draft and played in 14 NBA games.

Jason Sasser (1993-96)

Sasser averaged 20 points and more than 8 rebounds per game during his final three seasons. He earned third-team all-American honors as a senior, leading Tech to a 30-2 record, its best in school history. Like Emmett, Sasser was a second round pick in the NBA draft and played in 14 NBA games.

Rick Bullock (1973-76)

Bullock averaged more than 21 points and 10.5 rebounds per game during his final three seasons. He was a four-time all-conference selection in the old Southwest Conference (SWC) and led Texas Tech to the conference championship as a freshman and a senior. He’s the only Red Raider to score more than 2,000 career points and collect more than 1,000 career rebounds.

Jim Reed (1953-56)

Reed holds the Texas Tech record for most career rebounds and most rebounds in a single season. As a junior, he averaged 22.3 points per game and 16.3 rebounds. Reed led the Red Raiders to their first two NCAA appearances.

Second Team:

Bubba Jennings (1981, 1983-85)

Jennings is Tech’s ninth all-time scoring leader and, as noted here, would almost certainly be higher if he had played during the era of the three-point shot. He’s also sixth on the all-time assists and steals lists. During his senior year, Jennings averaged 19.5 points per game on .545 shooting, was conference defensive player of the year, and led the Red Raiders to the NCAA tournament as regular season and SWC tournament champions.

Cory Carr (1995-98)

As a sophomore Carr averaged 16 points a game for Texas Tech’s Sweet Sixteen team. He then averaged 23 points per game his junior and senior seasons. Carr made third-team all-American as a senior.

Keenan Evans (2015-18)

Evans was the star of last year’s team, the first in school history to make it to the Elite Eight. He averaged 17.6 points per game for that squad. He made first-team all-Big 12 and second-team consensus all-American.

Will Flemons (1990-93)

Flemons averaged right around 20 points and 10 rebounds per game during his final two seasons in Lubbock. Both years, he was an all-SWC selection. As a senior, he led the Red Raiders to the NCAA tournament.

Tony Battie (1995-97)

He is, I believe, the most accomplished NBA player to come from Texas Tech (unless it’s Geoff Huston). Taken as the fifth overall pick in the 1997 draft, “Batman” played in the league until 2012. At Tech, he averaged 13 points and 12 rebounds a game in his junior (and final) season and was instrumental in the team’s run to the Sweet Sixteen.

Third Team:

Martin Zeno (2005-08)

As a freshman, Zeno was the point guard on the 2005 Sweet Sixteen team. During his final two seasons at Tech, he averaged more than 16 points and 4.5 rebounds from the point guard position. He ranks in the top six on Tech’s all-time points, assists, and steals lists.

Sean Gay (1986-89)

He’s in the top two on the all-time Tech assists and steals list. He also averaged just over 15 points per game during his final three seasons. As a senior, Gay shot .542 from the field. He was a three-time all-conference and all-defensive team SWC selection.

Lance Hughes (1992-1995)

Hughes was a classic “3 and D” guy, if “D” stands for dunks. He holds the school record for best three-point shooting percentage in a single season (47.7) and he won the National College Slam Dunk title at the 1995 Final Four. Hughes averaged 17.6 points per game during his final two seasons.

Dub Malaise (1964-66)

Malaise averaged 20.3 points per game during his career at Texas Tech. He holds the team record for most points in a game (50 against Texas). Malaise was a three-time all-SWC selection and was named SWC player of the year as a junior.

Paul Nolen (1951-53)

He’s second on the all-time Tech career rebounding list and holds the single season record with 17.6 per game. Nolen also averaged 16.3 points per game for his career and was a three-time all-conference selection.

Honorable Mention:

Tony Bedford (1983-86) (Coached LSU in the tournament this year)
Rayford Young (1997-00)
Mike Russell (1976-78)
Greg Lowery (1970-72)
Jeff Taylor (1079-82)
Koy Smith (1993-96)
Ronald Ross (2001-04)
Gene Knolle (1970-71)

Jarrett Culver, a sophomore and the star of this year’s team, isn’t listed because he’s still playing for Tech. Culver is an almost sure-fire NBA lottery pick, and may be as good as anyone who has ever played for the Red Raiders.