Breakups are never easy. Even if it's for the best, and both parties involved have found themselves in good, healthy situations in the aftermath, there’s always a layer of unpleasantness lingering in the periphery. This is true in all aspects of life, but perhaps no more so than in college basketball.
Case in point: the scene in Lubbock, Texas, on Monday night as the Texas men’s basketball team arrived ahead of a highly-anticipated matchup with Texas Tech. The Longhorns are led by first-year coach Chris Beard, who left the Red Raiders after five incredibly successful seasons for greener pastures in Austin. If you were wondering whether or not the Texas Tech faithful would welcome their former coach with open arms, the answer appears to be an emphatic (and expletive-laden) no.
Beard arrived in Lubbock in 2016 and almost immediately propelled the team into the nation’s upper echelon. The Red Raiders went to the Elite Eight in Beard’s second season in 2018, then came agonizingly close to winning the national championship the following year. Ultimately, though, the call to coach at his alma mater was too good to pass up.
Both teams are enjoying success this season and are currently tied for third in the Big 12, so the stakes are already plenty high ahead of their first meeting of the year. Judging by the welcome Beard received on the eve of the game, expect the United Supermarkets Arena crowd to play a key role in determining the latest entry in what’s already a heated rivalry.
