Texas Tech men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith was named Big 12 Coach of the Year, while Toddrick Gotcher, Aaron Ross and Zach Smith secured All-Big 12 Honorable Mention announced Sunday by the conference office and selected by the league’s coaches.
Smith has guided the Red Raiders to a 19-11 record, the program’s highest win total dating back to the 2009-10 season. Texas Tech also picked up nine Big 12 victories and a .500 conference finish in the nation’s No. 1 RPI rated conference. The last time the Red Raiders accomplished those feats was in 2006-07. Tech also collected three consecutive Top 25 wins over then No. 14 Iowa State, No. 21 Baylor and No. 3 Oklahoma in mid-February for the first time in program history.
Smith has Tech poised to be the first team in Big 12 history to be picked 10th or lower in the conference preseason poll and then earn a NCAA Tournament bid. He is the first Texas Tech coach to win the Big 12’s top coaching honor. The award marks the sixth conference coach of the year selection for Smith, who was the three-time SEC Coach of the Year at Kentucky (1998, 2003, 2005) and two-time Missouri Valley Coach of the Year at Tulsa (1994, 1995).
Gotcher has registered a team-leading 11.2 points per game and reached double figures a team-best 17 times which includes four of his last five outings. He racked up a career-best 24 points at Oklahoma State on Feb. 20 which fueled Tech’s first win in Stillwater since 2002-03. Gotcher is ranked inside the Big 12’s Top 10 with 2.0 treys per game on a 40.3 shooting percentage.
Ross has provided a spark off the bench with a team-high 12.5 points per game in Big 12 action, good enough for 13th place on the Big 12 leaderboard. He has rattled off 10-plus points in 14 of his last 16 games which included a career-long eight-game run and a career-high 25 points versus TCU on Feb. 23. Ross has knocked down a league-best 91.9 percent of his free throws and dialed up a 44.2 three-point percentage which was fourth in Big 12 games.
Smith has compiled 10.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. The 1.5 blocks are fourth whereas the 7.2 rebounds are sixth among the Big 12 leaders. He has amassed 25 blocks over his last 13 outings and totaled 90 career blocks which rank ninth in program history. Smith has garnered double figures in five of his last eight outings ignited by a career-best 23 points against TCU on Feb. 23.
Texas Tech squares off with TCU during Wednesday’s opening round of the Big 12 Tournament. Tipoff is slated for approximately 8 p.m. CT from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, and the game will be televised by ESPNU in addition to being available on www.WatchESPN.com and the Watch ESPN app.
2015-16 All-Big 12 Awards
Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Defensive Player of the Year: Prince Ibeh, Texas
Freshman of the Year: Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State
Newcomer of the Year: Deonte Burton, Iowa State
Sixth Man Award: Jaysean Paige, West Virginia
Coach of the Year: Tubby Smith, Texas Tech
(Release Provided by Texas Tech Athletics)
