|
|
Besides some pretty good basketball, fans of Texas Tech and Iowa got an extra treat Monday.
Bob Knight, deadpan salesman.
ADVERTISEMENT
While Knight did a little coaching and selling, Tech (10-2) got a sponsor-worthy performance from forward Andre Emmett, whose 23 points led Tech in a 65-59 victory over Iowa before an announced 14,831 at American Airlines Center.
The neutral-site meeting between Knight and his former Indiana pupil, Iowa coach
Steve Alford, showed a distinct bent toward marketing. In a monotone voice during
timeouts, Knight spoke on the arena big-screen on behalf of game sponsors --
a local radio station and auto parts, insurance and chicken companies.
He even asked Tech fans to "send me a check" to help start a scholarship
endowment fund for the men's basketball program. Neither team's players needed
ads on their uniforms; the matchup sold itself.
Iowa (6-2) chipped a double-digit Tech lead to four points (58-54) with 2:15
to play. Emmett's two baskets had stretched Tech's lead earlier to 58-49 before
Iowa mounted one last comeback.
The Hawkeyes' frequent free-throw troubles then reappeared. Tech's Ronald Ross
committed two late fouls with the Raiders holding a slim lead, but Iowa missed
the front end of consecutive 1-and-1's. Iowa, a 65 percent free-throw shooting
team this season, finished the game 12-for-25.
"In the locker room, I couldn't sugarcoat it," said Alford, a top-notch
foul shooter when he played for Knight. "I said, 'You're a bad free-throw
shooting team, and you're the ones who have to correct it.' I'm upset with a
few things, but mainly free throws."
Playing for the first time in 13 days, Iowa trailed 39-27 at halftime. Emmett
was the biggest thorn in the Hawkeyes' sides before intermission with 16 points,
and a seldom-used zone defense by Iowa in the second half helped lull Tech into
a six-minute scoring drought.
That span let Iowa pull to 52-48, a charge led by forward Pierre Pierce (18
points, six rebounds). Tech, though, came alive again, and Iowa couldn't overcome
its problems at the line.
"If both teams played well in both halves, it would have been a heck of
a game," Knight said. "We didn't shoot well enough to control the
game. We had problems shooting against the zone; we missed some free throws.
It was a tough game. We were not being quick to the ball."
Knight said reserve guard Josh Washington (13 points) has earned more playing
time as Tech heads into the conference stretch. At the same time, he bemoaned
the progress of post players Devonne Giles and Joseph Works, saying "neither
are ready to play at this level."
"We've got to get more out of those guys," he said.