Tech puzzled by lack of fans

Red Raiders not big draw in Lubbock this year

Even with Hall of Famer – soon to become the winningest coach of all time – Bob Knight patrolling the sidelines, Texas Tech men’s basketball isn’t a big-time attraction in Lubbock, Texas.

The Red Raiders have averaged 6,899 fans in 11 home dates in 15,098-seat United Spirit Arena.

A disappointing crowd of 8,787 attended Saturday’s 92-90 victory over Oklahoma State. Only 6,727 fans showed for Tech’s 76-73 victory over Iowa State on Jan. 14.

It’s exciting basketball witnessed by not-so-many spectators.

“The opening statement is actually from coach himself,” Tech head coach designate Pat Knight said after Saturday’s game, speaking for his dad, who declined to attend the postgame media session – perhaps because he was miffed at the lack of fan support.

“He wanted to thank the 8,000 fans that did show up,” Pat Knight declared. “The atmosphere was unbelievable, especially going into overtime. We need that kind of help because sometimes it’s not like a home-court advantage when you don’t have the fans. He was really pleased with the 8,000 fans that were here, but 7,000 fans missed a hell of a game.”

Texas Tech's Jarrius Jackson (22) attempts a shot against Oklahoma State's David Monds in overtime of the Red Raiders' 92-90 victory. Tech won Saturday in Lubbock, Texas, and will bring an 11-9 overall record, 3-3 in the Big 12 Conference, into tonight's game at Kansas University.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal asked Pat Knight what Tech could do to draw more fans. Knight had no solution.

“The thing about our fans is the ones that do show up are unbelievable,” Pat Knight told the paper. “Even with the bad start that we’ve gotten off to this year, and the down year, when you go out it’s not, ‘What’s wrong with the team?’ They still try to cheer you up. It’s never negative. : I really appreciate the fans, and I think the players do. You just wish there would be more, but I don’t think it’s going to happen so you just have to go with what you have.”

¢ Early wake-up call: KU’s basketball players, who likely wanted to sleep in after Saturday’s exciting 95-85 victory at Iowa State, received an unwanted 4 a.m. wakeup call Sunday when the fire alarm went off at Jayhawker Towers. The Jayhawks and the rest of the residents of the affected apartment complex headed out of the building for about an hour. Some might have been sleepy, yet the Jayhawks held a practice Sunday afternoon. There was no fire in the building.

¢ Numbers: KU’s RPI rating is No. 65 in the country. : In all, 35 student groups camped out Sunday for tonight’s game. : KU, 13-6 overall, 4-2 in league play, is favored by 14 points tonight over Tech (11-9, 3-3).

¢ Last season revisited: Tech defeated KU, 80-79, in double overtime last season in United Spirit Arena.

Darryl Dora, a 6-foot-9, 250-pounder, hit a game-winning three-pointer after KU’s Aaron Miles was called for a traveling after grabbing the rebound of a Tech miss with 7.9 seconds remaining in double OT.

Had the refs called a foul on one of three Tech players battling Miles for the rebound – Miles showed off a mouse under his eye after the game – instead of a travel, KU likely would have won the game.

“I think Aaron did what he should have done,” Self said at the time, referring to Miles trying to move with the basketball while getting bumped by three Red Raiders.

“They had alternating possession on the jump ball. If he stands there, and they tie it up, they get the same thing as the traveling call. When you’ve got three guys on you like that, it’s not the easiest thing to find receivers. Certainly in that situation, they were trying to foul, but the officials felt that Aaron walked, I guess, before the foul actually occurred.”

Tech’s Bob Knight at the time quipped: “There are going to be mistakes. I’m not sure anybody but me can referee a perfect game.”

¢ Good communicator: Texas Tech freshman Dior Lowhorn’s communication skills may be unrivaled in the college basketball world.

Lowhorn, a 6-7, 230-pound freshman from Oakland, Calif., speaks his native English, Italian and Mandarin, as well as being fluent in sign language.

Impressed with the fact a family friend was enrolled in a Chinese immersion school near the Lowhorn home in San Francisco, his mom entered Dior in the school, too.

“We took regular classes, and then for two hours a day took language classes,” Lowhorn told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. “For the first couple of weeks, the teacher would speak to us in English, but after that the teacher spoke in Mandarin, and we had to answer in Mandarin.”

Lowhorn told the Avalanche-Journal of his desire to learn sign language in high school. After that, he took Italian his final two years at Berkeley High in California.

“That to me is the ultimate language. The way it’s spoken is so elegant,” he said.

Lowhorn will take a 8.1 scoring, 4.0 rebound average into tonight’s game against KU.