Miscellaneous
How Nike Lost Steph Curry to Under Armour. This isn’t related to Texas Tech, just found the story interesting. Via ESPN, how Nike lost Steph Curry to Under Armour:
On March 3, 2016, Business Insider relayed a note from Morgan Stanley analyst Jay Sole on Under Armour’s business prospects. In it, Curry’s potential worth to the company is placed at more than a staggering $14 billion. Sole’s call on UA’s stock is bearish relative to other prognosticators, but for one man’s power to change everything.
His note reads, “UA’s U.S. basketball shoe sales have increased over 350 percent YTD. Its Stephen Curry signature shoe business is already bigger than those of LeBron, Kobe and every other player except Michael Jordan. If Curry is the next Jordan, our call will likely be wrong.”
What few fans know is the backstory of all this — how the most electric player in a generation slipped through the grasp of the most powerful sports apparel company in the world, and how Under Armour pulled off the marketing heist of the century.
Considering how Under Armour has both Curry and Jordan Speith, I wonder if the market begins to change a bit?
Track & Field
Red Raiders to Host Texas Tech Open on Thursday – https://t.co/FG470NezNp #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/dn54kAYw4Q
— Texas Tech Track & Field (@TexasTechTF) March 23, 2016
Tennis
Congrats to Jolan Cailleau after he was named Big 12 Player of the Week today. #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/N8OaNIWvMr
— Texas Tech Women’s Tennis (@TexasTechWTEN) March 23, 2016
Today's match with No. 57 DePaul has been moved to 10 a.m. Thursday – https://t.co/hjxlwhxBx2 #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/XfJo7hIQgs
— Texas Tech Women’s Tennis (@TexasTechWTEN) March 23, 2016
Softball
Red Raiders travel to No. 21 Arizona State for three-game series. https://t.co/4NXRxsON8e#WreckEm pic.twitter.com/KE3y9IzFKH
— Texas Tech Softball (@TexasTechSB) March 24, 2016
Baseball
Three Reasons Why Texas Tech Will be Worse. Yesterday, Mike DuPont had three reasons why Texas Tech would be better and today DMN’s Mike DuPont does the opposite. Here’s reason 3:
Texas Tech will aim to replace both of its three-point threats this season. Williams and Gotcher have exhausted their eligibilities and now the Red Raiders will have to adjust moving forward. Freshman guard Andrew Sorrels is someone to keep in mind next season. Sorrels appeared in six games this season and played scarcely, averaging 1.8 minutes per game in 11 total minutes last season.
Basketball
Sweet 16. If you want to get primed for some NCAA Tournament and the Sweet 16, then check out Sports on Earth’s Matt Brown preview of the Sweet 16.
Football
Mahomes Q&A with ESPN. ESPN’s Jake Trotter does a Q&A with QB Patrick Mahomes. Go read the whole thing, but here’s a bit:
After leading the Big 12 in passing as a sophomore, how do you take your game to the next level, and what is the one area you’re focused on improving the most?
Mahomes: I’ve got to keep working to be a quarterback. I’m good at a lot of the risky, running around plays. But I have to make the easy ones easier. I miss those sometimes. One thing else I’ve got to work on is my interceptions. I threw 15 last year. That’s more than I’d ever thrown in my life. It’s something I’ve got to cut in half at least.
A couple of items to note, Terence Steele is Mahomes’ guy that has impressed this spring, that he loves the throwback jerseys, that Kingsbury is the best quarterback coach in the country and he’s not supposed to be blocking any more.
Do Work. This is offensive linemanMadison Akamnonu.
Heavy training in Spring pic.twitter.com/MGromhWB4M
— Rusty (@rustywhitt) March 23, 2016
— Rusty (@rustywhitt) March 23, 2016
Wanted: Defensive Linemen. LAJ’s Don Williams jumps on some comments made by head coach Kliff Kingsbury about the defensive linemen. Williams was able to note who was running with the first team:
Moore and junior Zach Barnes ran with the first team during the early portion of Tuesday’s practice that was open to media. End Talor Nunez made strides last summer, earning a scholarship, leading defensive linemen in touch sacks during preseason practice and securing a second-team spot. Then he suffered a season-ending knee injury before the first game.
And Breiden Fehoko opined that the guys competing are close:
“I’m excited,” Fehoko said. “I mean, with guys like Gary Moore, Zach Barnes, Ondre Pipkins, Broderick Washington, Kolin Hill, (redshirt end) Lonzell Gilmore, they’re all not far behind what people would think. They’re really grinding and learning things every day.”