Linking Up Texas Tech’s NCAA Berth

We’re rounding up all of the links I can find on Texas Tech’s #3 see in Tulsa on Friday at 12:30. First of all, if you don’t have a printable bracket, you can print this one out and get $10 off of a JiffyLube oil change. I’d like to remind you that we’ll do some sort of bracket challenge, but I may need you to wait a day to see if we can get this sucker sponsored. If not, I’ll post something tomorrow for sure.

If you want to learn a little bit about Northern Kentucky, Texas Tech’s first opponent, then I’d very much recommend checking out the T-Rank site as it gives you all sorts of statistical data to check out.

Speaking of analytics, FiveThirtyEight has a neat interactive bracket to give you the mathematical predictions for each game, with Texas Tech having a 91% chance of winning against Northern Kentucky and a 6% chance to win the NCAA Tournament. That’s not bad odds. If you’d like to read a full feature from 538, then FiveThirtyEight’s Neil Paine and Josh Planos take a look at each bracket.

If you are looking for team reaction, then I’m here for that too.

A-J Media’s Carlos Silva, Jr. writes about how Matt Mooney, who was promised an NCAA berth 10 months ago:

A quick embrace teammate Parker Hicks was followed up with a handshake from head coach Chris Beard, who promised Mooney almost 10 months ago that the very moment would be reality.

“You know, coach (Chris Beard) talks about just soaking it in. Maybe not be on your phone all the time like in the Selection Show,” Mooney said. “Just take a minute to soak it in because it is a really cool experience. Enjoy it, but then you’ve gotta have that point where you lock in and be like, ’OK, now we gotta go win a game. Get ready for Northern Kentucky, get our minds set on that.”

As far as national media is concerned, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello thinks that Texas Tech is a Final Four team:

YahooSports’ Pete Thamel takes a deep dive into the West Bracket and ultimately picks Texas Tech to win the West Bracket:

Best potential regional final game: No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 3 Texas Tech. There are two great tacticians on the sideline in Few and Beard and loaded teams on the court. Gonzaga’s Rui Hachimura is a top-15 NBA pick and averages 20.1 points per game. The Zags have plenty of options, as Brandon Clarke (16.5), Zach Norvell (15.3) and Josh Perkins (11.0) all average double digits.

SportingNews’ Vinnie Iyer takes a look at the KenPom ratings and based on those ratings right now, Texas Tech would be a Final Four pick.

CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander ranks all 68 NCAA teams and thinks that Texas Tech was the #10 team overall:

The 26-6 Red Raiders were bounced from the Big 12 Tournament prematurely, but don’t let that dissuade you from thinking this team can win the national title. It’s probably the best value bet out there. Elite defense (No. 2 in America), lottery pick (Jarrett Culver), multiple reliable 3-point shooters — and one of the 20 best coaches in America in Chris Beard.

And for some Tulsa coverage, Tulsa World’s Bill Haisten takes a look at all of the teams headed to Tulsa.

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