Earlier this week, Texas Tech was facing the dark reality of taking on a tough Iowa State team using only a seven-man rotation. What seemed like a potential disaster within the Red Raider basketball program a few days ago, may end up being a blessing in disguise. Those seven players clearly gained a ton of confidence from their last outing, and they carried that momentum right over into today’s contest. Texas Tech played an outstanding all-around game en route to pulling of the, 75-67, upset over Kansas, the No. 6 team in the nation.
“I think what we learned from the Iowa State game is that we’re still a team, whether we’re missing two or three guys or five guys,” Adams said. “We have to believe in the program, believe in the system and believe in each other. They did a great job of that against Iowa State, and I think it gave us a little bit of confidence and momentum going into this game that we can play with anybody.”
Bryson Williams continues to be a thorn in the side of the Jayhawk basketball program. He posted 23 points and 13 rebounds against Kansas last season, but it wasn’t enough for UTEP to pull off the victory. Fast forward one year, and Williams would duplicate his performance against the Jayhawks, but this time helped lead his team to a win. Williams finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists and added a steal on the defensive end.
“Bill Self bragged on him (Bryson Williams) last year before their game,” Adams noted. “I wish we would’ve played Kansas earlier in the year and maybe we would’ve got him back on track. I’m really proud of him. He’s a guy that gets up here at 6 o’clock every morning, and he’s what we’re all about. He works extremely hard, and we have to get him out of the gym sometimes because we don’t want him to wear his legs out. He’s a great person, loves the game and is a great teammate.”
Williams had his best all-around game of the year, and the super-senior came up big when the Red Raiders needed him most. Whatever confidence issues he may have been dealing with midway through the season is clearly now behind him. Williams returned to form and looked every bit of the dominant player Texas Tech fans had become accustomed to early in the season.
“It was awesome to see Bryson out there playing like we know he can," Adams said. "Playing with confidence and making so many big plays. The most exciting thing we can take away from this game is that Bryson has got his confidence back, and we can use him more in that go-to guy role like he was today.”
Clarence Nadolny topped a new career high in scoring with 11 points in the first half alone. He finished the game with 17 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals and was 5-for-5 from the free throw line and 6-for-13 from the field. Nadolny was an offensive spark plug in this game. His aggression on the offensive end repeatedly broke down the Jayhawks defense by driving into the paint and creating scoring opportunities. Nadolny was great on the defensive end as well, and he continues to give opposing offenses fits.
“I think Clarence gained some confidence and momentum in that Iowa State game because he’s been out for a while,” Adams noted. “I thought he was tremendous. He had three steals and plays with a lot of courage and intensity, and it’s contagious for the rest of our guys. I love Clarence. This is a guy that was loyal to me when I took this job, and he loves Texas Tech. He’s a great Red Raider and just plays so hard. He’s one of my favorites on the floor, and I’m sure he’s a fan favorite too. He just gives everything he has.”
