On the Hardwood
Texas Tech basketball with a Q&A with newcomer Trey Hall:
What do you bring to the team on and off the court?
“I bring energy and always want my teammates to be straight and good. I want to be that person who picks people up when they’re down.”
What do you want to develop the most in your game?
“I want to get stronger. That’s my weakness right now. I’m going as hard as I can in the weight room every single day. Giving max effort.”
Yahoo Sports’ Demetrius Montero reports what’s been out there for a while, which is that UCF forward Jamichael Stillwell (6-8/225) is leaning towards a commitment to Texas Tech so long as he is granted a 5th year of eligibility from a TRO he’s filed. Stillwell was a rebounding machine for the Knights as he averaged 8.2 boards, 11.6 points, and 2.2 assists last year. The year prior, Stillwell averaged 10.7 boards and 13 points.
Texas Tech basketball apparently agreed to games with Behune-Cookman, Stonehill, and Mississippi Valley State. I don’t have an opinion about those teams other than they are not very good.
On the Gridiron
Sportico’s Daniel Libit made a open records request for the exchange between Texas Tech board chairman Cody Campbell and Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark regarding Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield. I’m going to quote part of this, but I am asking you to click on over and give Sportico some traffic.
“In the spirit of not publicly airing ‘family disputes,’ somebody should inform Coach Satterfield that Texas Tech has gone out of its way to not drag Cincinnati on the Sorsby deal,’” Campbell wrote in a July 8 text message to Yormark. A copy of their exchange was obtained by Sportico through a public records request. “We have plenty of receipts, and he wants no part of it,” Campbell continued. “This is not a fight he should start.”
I am begging Libit or anyone else to take the next step and get those receipts if possible.
ESPN’s Max Olson simulates the 2026 season with EA Sports College Football.
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal’s Don Williams is on a heater and opines that you shouldn’t be suckered in by the SEC threatening to do their own thing:
No one’s more skeptical of the supposed big breakaway than I am. Have been from the start. The SEC’s going to break away? In a fight scene, they’re the hold-me-back, hold-me-back guys.
To start with, for conferences to adopt self-governance, no separation is needed. Back in 2014, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors granted autonomy to the power conferences to make their own rules without needing approval of the smaller schools that far outnumber them. That’s how concepts such as full cost-of-attendance stipends and unchecked staff sizes came about.
Aside from the logistical part of this, so long as the rest of the universities refused to play the SEC in basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, volleyball, etc. I would imagine the lack of appeal in watching a solely regional group of teams would not all that interesting to the rest of the nation. They don’t get to participate in any NCAA Championship would be my starting point.