June 19, 2006

I recently spoke to The General, Robert Montgomery Knight. Let me tell you, he is really excited over the possibility of having a team that is fun to watch. Knight and his son, Patrick, have worked hard on the recruiting trail to add talent to the mix down in Lubbock.

This Red Raider squad will be led by guard Jarrius Jackson who could be as good as it gets in the Big 12 and one of the most underrated players in America. Jackson is a legitimate All-America candidate and Texas Tech will build around him.

Knight is enthusiastic about the class he has coming in. He has a seven-footer from Bosnia named Esmir Rizvic whom he has seen on tape and likes his potential. Who is to argue with Knight about potential. Rizvic played at Gulf Coast Community College last season and averaged a double-double (16 ppg/almost 11 rpg.).

Up front, Rizvic's Gulf Coast teammate, 6-8 Jay Mitchell may be a factor as well. Mitchell was a member of the Colorado Rockies organization before suffering a shoulder injury ended his baseball career.

Knight also has a pair of 6-6 performers to keep an eye on. Rogdrick Craig is the son of former NFL running back Roger Craig. The younger Craig originally was at Pepperdine before moving to San Jose City College and now Texas Tech. Decensae White averaged almost 21 points and 11 rebounds a game in high school out at San Mateo, California.

Is this the magical year that Knight becomes the winningest coach in college basketball? All he needed is 11 wins to reach 880 and pass Michelangelo, Mr. Dean Smith. I remember watching him speak at clinics many years ago, when he was in his twenties, working for the United States Military Academy. You could see back then that he had stardom written all over him. The command he had of his concepts, along with his communication ability was so special. He could talk about any phase of the game and his people would comprehend it right away.

Think about the personnel he has had to play with compared to the challenges presented by the Big 12. Understand from a coaching standpoint what an amazing job he has done.

I feel he will enjoy that treasured moment this season. Think about all the special coaches that have graced the sidelines and understand how important it is. It really amazed me, when I asked how many more years he planned to coach, Knight said he had no idea, but he is hungry to compete. He still loves the challenge of putting together a solid team.

When you look at the make-up of the conference next season knowing there are five coaching changes in the Big 12 (if you include Sean Sutton becoming his dad Eddie's full-time replacement), something tells me that Texas Tech will be a first division team.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.