College basketball rankings: Things could get ugly when Texas coach Chris Beard returns to Texas Tech
Red Raider fans are being asked to not cross the line Tuesday when Beard makes his first trip back to Lubbock
By
Gary Parrish
•
2 min read
One of the most anticipated regular-season games in Texas Tech history is now just hours away. It's a matchup between in-state rivals, both of which are nationally ranked. But the real reason upper-level tickets are priced at $300 on StubHub is because the Red Raiders' former coach, Chris Beard, is bringing his Texas Longhorns to United Supermarkets Arena for the first time.
"We're so excited we're going to have a packed house," said Mark Adams, Beard's former assistant who was promoted to head coach after Beard left for Texas last April. "We encourage our fans to be loud, rowdy, have fun. But, at the same time, make good decisions and don't do anything that would hurt our team. Don't throw anything, toss anything, on the floor that might give us a technical."
The idea that Adams felt it necessary to spend part of Monday's media availability asking fans to not throw things on the court speaks to the kind of scene that's expected. If Monday night's video of Beard and the Longhorns arriving to campus is any indication, it's definitely going to be wild and potentially ugly.
Which I can't say I completely understand.
Yes, I know Beard left one Texas school for another Texas school, one Big 12 campus for another Big 12 campus, and when a person does that voluntarily, and then returns so quickly, emotions will run high. LeBron James returning to Cleveland for the first time after leaving for Miami created a hostile scene. For some Texas Tech fans, this is that. But if you can remove all emotions from it, and just think purely intellectually about what Beard did, here's the question I'd ask: What did he really do wrong?
He coached Texas Tech for five seasons and achieved unprecedented things like the program's first trip to the Elite Eight, Final Four and national title game. He took the Red Raiders to new levels and gave fans their biggest and best basketball memories — and then he exited only when his alma mater offered him a seven-year, $35 million contract to run its program. There's not a single UT alum who wouldn't leave Texas Tech to coach Texas, and there aren't many people regardless of background who wouldn't do the same considering Texas is widely regarded as the better job by a significant margin.
In the end, Beard merely did what any of us would do in a similar situation, which is what he believed was in the best interests of his career and family -- and I've never understood why doing that makes somebody terrible in some people's eyes. But what I do understand is that most fans just do not share this sentiment with me. So it is what it is. And what it's going to be is the wildest college basketball scene we've had this season, and perhaps in many years.
The most successful coach in Texas Tech history is returning.
Texas Tech fans can't wait to see him.
The Red Raiders are No. 13 in Tuesday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. Texas is No. 23. Tip is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Biggest Movers
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Auburn is 11-1 in the first two quadrants and on a 17-game winning streak. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Alabama. | -- | 7-3 |
| 2 |  | Gonzaga has won 10 straight games since losing to Alabama. The Zags' next game is Thursday at San Diego. | -- | 9-1 |
| 3 |  | Kentucky is 6-4 in the first two quadrants with all four losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday against Vanderbilt. | -- | 6-4 |
| 4 |  | UCLA is 7-2 in the first two quadrants thanks to a six-game winning streak highlighted by a victory over Arizona. The Bruins' next game is Thursday against the Wildcats. | -- | 7-2 |
| 5 |  | Baylor is tied for the national lead with seven Quadrant 1 wins and is 11-3 in the first two quadrants. The Bears' next game is Saturday at Kansas. | -- | 7-2 |
| 6 |  | Arizona is 6-2 in the first two quadrants with the losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against UCLA. | -- | 8-0 |
| 7 |  | Houston's 10-game winning streak features eight double-digit victories. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday against Tulane. | -- | 9-1 |
| 8 |  | Purdue is 7-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Villanova, Ohio State and Illinois. The Boilermakers' next game is Wednesday at Minnesota. | -- | 9-1 |
| 9 |  | Kansas is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Michigan State and Texas Tech. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday at Iowa State. | -- | 7-3 |
| 10 |  | Wisconsin is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Purdue, Houston, Ohio State and Marquette. The Badgers' next game is Wednesday at Illinois. | -- | 7-3 |
| 11 |  | Villanova is 9-1 in its past 10 games with the lone loss in that stretch coming to Marquette. The Wildcats' next game is a rematch against the Golden Eagles. | -- | 7-2 |
| 12 |  | Michigan State is 11-2 in its past 13 games with double-digit wins over Wisconsin and Michigan. The Spartans' next game is Tuesday at Maryland. | -- | 8-1 |
| 13 |  | Texas Tech is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Red Raiders' next game is Tuesday against Texas. | -- | 7-2 |
| 14 |  | Duke is 7-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky and losses to Miami and Florida State. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday at North Carolina. | -- | 10-0 |
| 15 |  | Providence's 5-1 Quadrant 1 record includes wins over Wisconsin, Texas Tech and Marquette. The Friars' next game is Tuesday at St. John's. | -- | 7-4 |
| 16 |  | Marquette is 8-7 in the first two quadrants and 7-1 in its past eight contests. The Golden Eagles' next game is Wednesday against Villanova. | -- | 5-5 |
| 17 |  | Ohio State is 5-5 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Thursday against Iowa. | -- | 7-2 |
| 18 |  | Xavier is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Ohio State and Marquette. The Musketeers' next game is Saturday at Creighton. | -- | 7-3 |
| 19 |  | LSU is 8-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kentucky and Tennessee and losses to Arkansas and TCU. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Ole Miss. | -- | 8-1 |
| 20 |  | UConn is 6-4 in the first two quadrants and the only team with a win over Auburn. The Huskies' next game is Tuesday against Creighton. | -- | 9-1 |
| 21 |  | Iowa State is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech, Xavier and Texas. The Cyclones' next game is Tuesday against Kansas. | -- | 9-0 |
| 22 |  | Illinois is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with a win over Michigan State. The Illini's next game is Wednesday against Wisconsin. | -- | 8-2 |
| 23 |  | Texas is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Tennessee and TCU. The Longhorns' next game is Tuesday at Texas Tech. | -- | 7-3 |
| 24 |  | Tennessee's 6-6 record in the first two quadrants includes zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against Texas A&M. | -- | 7-3 |
| 25 |  | Saint Mary's is 6-4 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Gaels' next game is Thursday at Portland. | -- | 9-1 |
| 26 |  | Alabama's résumé includes wins over Gonzaga, Baylor and Houston and losses to Memphis, Missouri and Georgia. The Crimson Tide's next game is Tuesday at Auburn. | -- | 7-2 |
