On the Hardwood
The Lady Raiders/Team USA defeated Hungary 73-71 thanks to a 3-pointer from Denae Fritz with 30 secons remaining and go-ahead free throws from Sidney Love. Jalynn Bristow led the team with 14 points and was one of 6 players in double-figures. Team USA will play the People’s Republic of China for the gold medal on Friday at 1:00 p.m.
CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter writes that not all returning production is the same (I agree) and a strong lead guard and big man are key to success:
Texas Tech retained only 27% of its minutes. That ranks 38th amongst high-majors. But Grant McCasland kept big man JT Toppin and lead guard Christian Anderson, who could be one of the elite duos in college basketball next year. Texas Tech has the bones of a top-10 club because it’s easier to build a roster when you have two pillars at the most important positions. Every addition that Texas Tech made this offseason was made with Toppin and Anderson in mind. VCU transfer Luke Bamgboye provides the elite rim protection because Toppin is a good, not great, shot-blocker.
Tyeree Bryan and Donovan Atwell are the floor-spacing big guards Texas Tech needed to give space for Toppin and Anderson. Washington State transfer forward LeJuan Watts is that big wing handler who is awesome in post-ups who can fit nicely next to Toppin and Anderson, similarly to the departed Darrion Williams. All the complementary pieces make sense, but only when they are paired next to Anderson and Toppin.
On the Diamond
Double-T 97.3’s Jamie Lent on another two-way player committing to Texas Tech, Heeryun Han:
Han, who hails from Youngin, Korea comes to Texas Tech after playing the 2024 season at New Mexico Military Instute and the 2025 year at Los Medanos Junior College in California. In 2024 at NMMI he hit .347 with an on base percentage of .434. This past season he totaled a .404 batting average with 14 stolen bases and 27 walks compared to just 16 strikeouts. The left-handed hitter scored 34 runs while also driving in 41 and was voted 1st team All-Conference.
The sidearmer has spent more time on the mound this summer pitching for the Sonoma Stompers of the California Collegiate League. In 7 appearances so far he has thrown 13.1 innings and has allowed just 7 hits with 13 strikeouts and 5 walks while pitching to a 0.67era. Han’s fastball is reported to top out at around 90 with a slider, change-up and cutter all in the mix as well.
On the Gridiron
ESPN on swing games for every top 25 team:
Swing game: at Arizona State, Oct. 18.
The Red Raiders’ game in Salt Lake City against Utah could be a challenge, facing a revamped team that is always a tough out in Rice-Eccles Stadium. But Texas Tech and Arizona State are viewed as two of the clear-cut favorites in the Big 12. This game comes two weeks before the Red Raiders have to go to Manhattan and face another conference contender in Kansas State. As we learned in 2024, this new-look Big 12 can be quite unpredictable. — Lyles
SI’s Pat Forde writes that the Big Ten’s insistence for the 4-4-2-2-1 College Football Playoff format is tied to a television revenue proposal:
One answer, according to four sources familiar with CFP discussions, is that Petitti has made assurances of a play-in payday for Big Ten broadcast partners and campus administrators. That major alteration to the way college football is played would require a format that delivers four automatic bids from three games: the top two teams facing off for the Big Ten championship, with both guaranteed a CFP spot; a matchup of the third-place and sixth-place programs with the winner advancing to the playoff; and a game between the fourth-place and fifth-place teams for a CFP bid.
Those games would provide potentially lucrative postseason inventory to three broadcast partners that are not part of the actual playoff. ESPN has the primary rights to air the playoff but has sub-licensed multiple CFP games per year to TNT through the 2028 season.
If Petitti gets his play-in format, sources say a likely broadcast plan would call for Fox to air the Big Ten championship game with one of the play-in games on NBC and the other on CBS, the Big Ten’s other primary broadcast partners.
Yet another reason for all of college football to negotiate television deals together rather than separately.
Head coach Joey McGuire at the THSCA conference with Dave Campbell’s Texas Football: