By Joseph Marcades
Texas Tech men’s basketball has been trying to find its place in the Big 12 Conference for the past few years, finally succeeding this year with a winning record and a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Toddrick Gotcher, the Red Raiders’ senior guard, said it was a season to remember for him as well as the fans. He said the home win over the University of Oklahoma was one of his favorite moments of the season.
“There were so many fans out and a lot of support coming from everywhere,” Gotcher said. “I feel like Lubbock came together, and that’s what helped us win.”
Toddrick Gotcher has played on the team since his freshman year. Photo provided by Texas Tech Athletics Communications.
As far as wins go, Gotcher said, this is one he will remember for a long time.
“Throughout my whole career, that was the one that topped it off and really made me the happiest,” Gotcher said.
Blake Turner, Tech’s basketball student manager, said his favorite moment from the season came during a five game win-streak the Red Raiders went on late in the season. One game, in particular, stood out from the rest.
“I went to Waco when we killed Baylor at their place,” Turner said. “I mean, we beat Oklahoma and Iowa State here, sure, but we really took it to Baylor at their place.”
Though the entire season has been exciting, fans and players agree that going to the NCAA tournament was a highlight.
Fans say this season has truly been a step in the right direction for the hard-working players and Head Coach Tubby Smith. This is the first time Red Raider team made it to the tournament in nine years, according to Texas Tech athletics.
Gotcher said this season — his last — has been the most successful.
“Going to the NCAA tournament really topped off my career,” Gotcher said. “That’s the best way to end it, I feel like, because it has been awhile since we have been to the tournament and we had a lot of people behind us.”
Gotcher said this win really sets the tone for the Texas Tech basketball program, showing their success was not a fluke and they belong with the top teams in the nation.
The tournament is a great stepping stone for the team, Turner said, and Coach Smith wanted players to enjoy the moment and be ready for another winning season next year, in spite of any regrets.
“We would have liked to have won the game against Butler,” Turner said. “We executed the game plan, and they just executed a little bit better. We return 12 of the 14 guys from this year, so I think we will be back.”
There are great basketball moments from every season, but sometimes there are moments that bond fans and players on a deeper level.
Gotcher topped off his senior season in a way that will be remembered by Raider Nation. For the world to see, he got down on one knee and popped the question to his girlfriend, Texas Tech cross-country team member Kelly McQuaid,.
Gotcher proposed to his girlfriend, Kelly McQuaid, on the basketball court after winning against Kansas State. Picture provided by The Double T Insider.
“I will remember this for the rest of my life,” Gotcher said. “Hopefully, I will be remembered for it and what a big deal that was. I think we are ready to get to life and just get married; it’s a great feeling, though, the best moment of my life.”
Austin Hinkle, first vice president of the student spirit group the Saddle Tramps, said the celebration of Gotcher’s proposal showed how much the fans really care about this team and the program. The fans are invested in more than just basketball, he said, and the public proposal also showed how much the players care about the fans.
“He was willing to share that with the Tech fans, and I think that shows how much he loves the Tech fans, and how much … the game means to him as well,” Hinkle said.
For Gotcher, the end of his final season brings about a new beginning, with some big decisions to make. He is currently deciding between continuing his basketball career professionally or moving on to the business world.
“I have chosen to probably go professional because I can’t get the basketball side back, but I can always come back to business,” Gotcher said.
With another season in the books and a winning record to go along with it, Gotcher said Texas Tech would always be a special place for him and his fianceé.
“We love Tech,” Gotcher said. “It has made us who we are.”
Tubby Smith, Texas Tech men’s head basketball coach, was featured in a Dove Men+Care “Bonds of Real Strength” campaign during March Madness. Learn more about what a hero is to Smith in the video below.
About JOUR 3312
