Elite 8 uncharted territory for Smith, Texas Tech
There’s more to Texas Tech basketball than Zhaire Smith, the sensational freshman who named his YouTube-trending 360-degree dunk from the first round of the NCA A tournament “The Zhaire.”
But at this point in the rebuild, not a lot more.
There’s no question Smith is the future for coach Chris Beard and the Red Raiders, who have bonded through hard work and country music, of all things, to reach their first Elite Eight.
If that future, ahem, doesn’t vault Smith further up NBA draft boards courtesy of another “Zhaire” or two against Villanova in the East Region final Sunday at TD Garden (2:20 p.m.). The same Bleacher Report mock draft that had Villanova’s Mikal Bridges going to the New York Knicks with the ninth pick, has the Utah Jazz taking Smith off the board with the 18th overall selection.
Smith and the Red Raiders (27-9) are a dangerous team with nothing to lose, as they’ve already made history. If they reach the Final Four in San Antonio you’ll see a whole lot of sports alums courtside. Guys like Patrick Mahomes, Danny Amendola, Michael Crabtree. Texas Tech is football. Always has been. That could change if Smith keeps bringing it.
Keenan Evans leads the Red Raiders with a scoring average of 17.7 points. Smith (11.3 average) and freshman Jarrett Culver (11.2) aren’t far behind. With a defense-first philosophy, the Red Raiders get most of their points in transition, like the dunk by Smith that’s become tournament legend.
Evans was gliding down the court in the tournament opener against Stephen F. Austin. He fired — not lobbed — a the ball to Smith, who snatched the pass with his back to the rim and turned for a backboard-shaking two-handed slam that rocked the American Airlines Center at Dallas.
“I just twisted my body where the ball was,” Smith said during an availability Saturday. “I surprised myself. I heard people say it was 360 and I heard people say it was 180. But my body was kind of turned. I’m going to say 360.
“I’d probably call it the Zhaire.”
Smith is every bit as explosive blocking shots. He leads the Red Raiders with 39 blocks and 40 steals, which lead to runouts and those crazy dunk finishes.
“Defense and transition, y’all,” Smith said with a grin. “We try to get three stops in a row every game, more than one time, to get the team going. Everybody says defense wins games and that’s what we try to build upon in this program, defense.”
The Wildcats (33-4) are the ultimate test for Smith, Beard and the Texas Tech defense. The Nova offense is the envy of any coach with Bridges, Jalen Mills, Phil Booth, Donte Divincenzo, Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman. You can’t stop all of them. And they score in so many ways.
“We know they’re a really good all-around team and they’ve got multiple players who can go off with 20,” Smith said. “And they’ve also got multiple players that can score at all three levels. So, we’ve got to play good team defense and good one-on-one defense.”
It will be interesting to see who Smith defends, although the Red Raiders aren’t afraid to switch, much like the Wildcats. Chances are he’ll open against Bridges. The assignments down the homestretch will be telling, as well.
Whoever Smith is matched against, look for CBS to roll out footage of the carnage he’s inflicted on opponents throughout the tournament, whether it’s blocked shots or dunks. Stuff like that never gets old.
“Zhaire, he’s unique,” Tech center Norense Odiase said. “He’s obviously a freak just off his athleticism. He can do a lot of things. But the thing he does best is he’s always working. He’s always in the gym. The last one to leave. The first one to be there. He’s been that way since day one. So, it’s been special to have him. He sets the tone for us offensively, sometimes getting out in transition. And also, defensively. He does a great job of running the floor.”
Evans and Red Raiders senior forward Zach Smith revealed Saturday that Beard helped build a winning culture by bringing music to practices and the locker room. Country music.
“It brings energy, it brings life,” Evans said. “Even though we probably play a little too much country, it gets the coaches in a great mood and gets them fired up.”
Smith said two of those country tunes are singalong favorites — “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” by Chase Rice and No. 1 on the list, “Mama Tried, Mama Tried, Mama Tried” by Merle Haggard.