After a tough, gritty game against Oklahoma, the Red Raiders turn their attention to the Texas Longhorns (14-8, 4-5). As the second half of the Big 12 begins, Texas Tech head coach Chris Beard said practice has been good heading into the second half of the fight, which is the most important part as the Red Raiders gear towards March.

Longhorns junior forward Jericho Sims was a key talk from Beard as the six-foot nine-inch player shoots a team-high 67 percent from the floor. Beard talked about Sims as being an NBA player with his length and athleticism.

“(Texas head coach Shaka Smart) does a great job with those guys,” Beard said. “Sims has worked on his game. He’s one of the most improved players in the league. He can play facing the basket this year, get a lot done around the basket, great defender, shot blocker. One of the better players in the Big 12.”

Outside of Sims, Beard said everybody on the Longhorn roster worries him due to the respect he gives to Texas.

Junior guard Matt Coleman III is shooting above 40 percent from the floor and beyond the arc averaging 12.7 points per game. Sims as well as sophomore guard Courtney Ramey and redshirt sophomore guard Andrew Jones are averaging 10 a piece as well, totally players averaging double-digits and all shooting above 41 percent.

“So much respect for the opponent, the players, and coaches in this league,” Beard said. “Texas is no different: got a great coach, they got really great players, got a great home court. We’ll have to play our best 40 of the year to have a chance.

Texas definitely has the combination between perimeter players and post players that you need to compete in this league.”

On the subject of Andrew Jones, he is coming off successfully beating leukemia and sitting out last season. Beard said the impact of having Jones back on the basketball side of things is he has become a really good player, one of the best shooters in the Big 12 as Beard explained.

“Of course, the personal side of it,” Beard said, “everything that he’s overcome with his battle against illness. So much respect for him. He’s actually from my hometown: Irving, Texas. So, he’s been a special connection between me and him and his father. More than anything, just respect. Certainly, he was in our thoughts and prayers while he was overcoming that, and that was just a cool thing. Basketball is just a competition, just a game, but to see him fight life and to be back on the court, there’s nobody more than we respect in the league than him.

With Texas being the first game of the second half of Big 12 play, the Red Raiders are in a familiar position compared to last season. With that, Beard hopes to continue getting his team better as the next game on the schedule comes up.

“With each game in the Big 12,” Beard said, “it’s a new opportunity. The second half of conference, to me, is where… things get settled. Who’s in the fight for the conference championship? Who’s in the fight for the NCAA tournament? Whose backs are against the wall? They need to win a few to get on a roll. Great thing about our league is you sit here today, everyone, no matter what your record is right now, is still in the fight. In this league, if you win three or four games in a row, you put yourself back in contention. When you drop a couple, you feel like the world is coming to an end, which is not.

Following the OU game, Beard mentioned how there are players who don’t want to be coached etc., and he addressed that today.

“It’s like we coach every team: just reminding the guys that we have a standard of excellence here. We’re not changing our expectations for any one player or one team or one game. The idea around here is to win every game on the schedule. It’s really hard to do, but it’s possible. When the ball goes up in a 40-minute game, every game is winnable. So, that’s our standard. It’s what we work towards each day, as the next game on the schedule. We also work towards becoming the best team we can be, and I think from time to time, everybody in the organization, not just players, everybody from time to time needs to be reminded why we’re here and what’s our standard, what’s our expectations because those things are never going to change.”

Beard said his young guys are doing a great job being followers and learning from Avery Benson, Davide Moretti and Kyler Edwards, and he said the effort is there.

“But this time of year,” Beard said, “effort doesn’t give you any points on the scoreboard. It’s about playing well and producing, and I’m optimistic of these next nine games. We’re going to do that.”

Kevin McCullar got off concussion protocol and was able to make an impact in the last game against Oklahoma. Terrence Shannon had a noticeable pain in his back and Clarke obviously with the ankle injury in his limited game last outing, but Beard said he thinks they will be good to go Saturday.