Gruppen » now starting to mature mentally heading into this fall

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Keenan Evans scored 23 points, Justin Gray had his first career double-double and Texas Tech won its sixth straight, 89-46 over Nicholls State on Wednesday night.Gray finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Red Raiders (9-1), who shot 55 percent and outrebounded the Colonels 43-18. Zach Smith and Niem Stevenson added 13 points apiece.Im not forcing it as much anymore, Evans said. Just letting the game come to me. Just letting it work through the offense.The Colonels (5-6) were led by 18 points and five rebounds from Jahvaughn Powell.Texas Techs (9-1) first half was punctuated by consecutive putback dunks from Gray and Smith. After Smiths dunk, which put Texas Tech up 33-15 with 6:22 left in the first half, the Colonels immediately took a timeout. Gray -- who recently returned to the team after attending his grandfathers funeral -- added another explosive putback dunk less than two minutes later, helping build the Red Raiders 45-23 halftime lead.I feel like we fed off it pretty good, Gray said of the dunks. Got the crowd into it. Especially during the timeout right after the first one. Everybody was kind of hyped up and it just made our overall environment in the arena crazy.Nicholls State shot 34 percent from the floor and lost the points off turnover margin 33-13 despite have just six more giveaways.The Red Raiders, which outscored Nicholls State in the paint 34-6, committed six fouls. The Colonels attempted six free throws while Texas Tech attempted 25.In our league, we cant let people get in the bonus early in the halves, Texas Tech coach Chris Beard said. Not fouling is a big emphasis. We try to emphasize it in practice. We try to coach it well. I think we do.BIG PICTURENicholls State: The first game in Richie Rileys tenure as head coach of the Colonels was a 79-73 win at Atlantic Coast Conference-member Boston College in November but they have won consecutive games only once this season.Texas Tech: Smith was back in the starting lineup Wednesday. Smith, who averaged 11 points and seven rebounds, injured his ankle before the Dec. 7 game against Texas-San Antonio and was held out. Smiths presence aided the Red Raiders frontcourt, which saw recently-recovered Aaron Ross play sparingly and is still missing Norense Odiase because of an injury.TORRID 12Big 12 mens basketball teams have started the season with a combined 75-17 record. Ten of those losses were by single digits, including three in overtime.BIG DAYFor the first time in Big 12 history, its teams beat two top-five non-conference opponents on the same day when Kansas beat No. 1 Duke and Baylor beat No. 4 Oregon on Nov. 15.FAMILIARLY FOREIGNNicholls State has three players that hail from outside the United States: Luka Kamber (Germany), Liam Thomas (Australia) and Zach Young (New Zealand).UP NEXTNicholls State, which has played three Power 5 opponents this season, has two more games before it begins Southland Conference play. It hosts Mobile on Dec. 18.Texas Tech, starting with a game at Richmond on Saturday, has two more games before Big 12 play starts.Its a game that (former Texas Tech head coach Tubby Smith) scheduled, Beard said. I think they had Richmond here last year. Right when I got the job and saw the schedule, I loved the game. Richmond is an NCAA-tournament type team. White Sox Jerseys 2019 . 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In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. EAST LANSING, Michigan -- Michigan State?defensive lineman Malik McDowell has set a high bar if hes going to leap from college football to the NFL after his junior season.McDowell said Monday he would need to be a projected top-3 pick if hes going to pass up his senior season in East Lansing. The 6-foot-6, 276-pound junior was selected as a first-team All-American by Phil Steele this summer. Most draft analysts, including ESPNs Mel Kiper Jr., have McDowell slated as a top-10 pick if he decides to enter the draft at the end of the year.Top 10 aint good enough for me, McDowell said. If Im not top 3, I dont leave. ... Right now Im just living by the day. Right now its looking like Im coming back. Thats what I know thus far. Im not thinking that far ahead yet.McDowell is expected to be the headliner of the Spartans defensive line, a group that lost its three other starters after the 2015 season. He made 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks during his first season as a full-time starter last year.Head coach Mark Dantonio said McDowell has impressed with raw talent during his first two seasons on campus, but thee former five-star recruit is now starting to mature mentally heading into this fall.ddddddddddddIve seen him grow, Dantonio said Monday at Michigan States media day. You hope to get to that point where you need to play like a first-team All-American. He can and he should. I believe he will.McDowell has played mostly defensive tackle to this point in this career, but the Spartans plan to move him around to different spots this fall to take advantage of his pass rush abilities.Former defensive end Shilique Calhoun -- a third round pick of the Oakland Raiders this spring and a mentor of McDowells -- returned for his final season of eligibility. McDowell didnt say if Calhouns decision to return had any impact on the way hes approaching the impending decision.I know what I could possibly do. Im just going to go out there and give it best and whatevers next is next, McDowell said. I really dont know. Ill probably be back. Everythings gotta go right. I need everything to go right. ' ' '