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Traveler’s checks: Texas Tech

October 14, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Yikes. I still remember watching him warm up last year. This man crow-hopped at the 20-yard line and threw the ball into the other end zone. He’s a former high school pitcher — and college baseball player who decided to focus on football only this year — and you might remember his dad from a journeyman’s career in the big leagues.

Truth is, he’s always had a big arm.

His father, Pat, spent 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, pitching for the Twins, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Cubs and Pirates. His son’s choice couldn’t have been a surprise, and neither could the first compliment that came his way when he was 4 or 5 years old and playing T-ball against kids who were 6 or 7.

His coaches him at shortstop, but that didn’t last long. He remembered fielding a ground ball in practice and throwing across the field. He expected the first baseman to make the catch because he was older than Mahomes and because Mahomes knew he would have caught it.

“I threw a bullet and it hit the kid straight in the face,” he said. “I had to play first base after that.”

He’s nimble, too. This was one of the best plays I saw live last season, and he threw two of his three touchdown passes when he was on the go. A year ago, he had his lowest passing total of the season against WVU, but he also had career-high totals of 18 rushes for 73 yards. Combine the feet that keep action going and an arm that makes throws others do not, and WVU naturally has its hands full tomorrow.

– Lots of Will Grier buzz and chatter about his appeal. I don’t know what to tell you other than I already have told you. As long as he maintains his eligibility, he’s going to be available to play in the 2017 season-opener.

Maybe what Grier said is just P.R. — and it’s a P.R. piece, from what I gather, but I’ve only read the part in question — and he doesn’t want to come across as presumptive or conceited. Maybe he’s neither right nor wrong, at least in my parlance. I guess the best way to say it is nobody — not him or the NCAA — can say he’s clear today when he’s not even eligible to play for a few more months. There will come a definitive declaration date — an appeal date, so to speak — and he has to remain eligible through that date.

– We’ll talk more about this later, but the Big 12 released its preseason all-conference team last week, and it’s not exactly replete with stars. The Big 12’s preseason poll came out yesterday, and of course Kansas is No. 1, but the Mountaineers are No. 2.

Good for them and for Bob Huggins, who is seemingly always slighted or perceived to be slighted, but let’s be sincere for a minute: The team that lost Devin Williams and Jon Holton, which is to say it lost the two best rebounders on a team that thrived on missed shots on offense or defense, plus Jaysean Paige, who was the best scorer on a team that oftentimes struggled to score, is the second-best team in the conference. If Huggins is right, and this is the best conference in the country, then this is a good thing. I has my suspicions about the best-in-America thing, though.

– The Gold-Blue Debut was last night in Wheeling, and WVU won. The newcomers, who will be needed because of the aforementioned losses, showed what they do and do not possess thus, but the veterans led the way.

Overall, 6-foot-9 senior Nate Adrian led the way with 19 points for the losing Blue team.

“I think he’s playing pretty well in the post,” Huggins said of Adrian. “I think he’s making shots. He’s really shooting the ball well. He’s way more confident and making shots — which helps all of us.”

Jevon Carter tied Bolden with 12 points. No other Mountaineer hit double figures.

The teams combined to convert 41 of 85 shots (48 percent) and 10 of 31 3-point attempts (32 percent).

There was, however, some sloppy play. The sides combined for 20 turnovers to just 11 steals.

“Yeah, we’re working on it,” Huggins said. “Some of [the turnovers] are unavoidable, but we have to do a better job with the ones that are avoidable. Traveling in the corner when you’re by yourself … those kind of things. We’re going to make some because we play fast, but you can’t make that many.”

– Texas Tech’s receivers are as busy as ever, and inside receiver Jonathan Giles has the early look of an all-conference kind of player, but it’s worth keeping tabs on Dylan Cantrell. He’s dealing with a hand injury, and he’s a big part of what the Red Raiders do. Cantrell had 10 catches against Kansas State. There are a few of their receivers who are dealing with nicks and dings.

– While we’re here, ECU’s Zac Jones has 84 catches already!

– Two things to fill your time as I fly out west. First, and as promised, the podcast with lowercase jeff. I will now solicit business cards with “The Grantland Rice of Grant and High.”

– Another radio spot in central Texas.