Some might be surprised that Texas Tech is in the Final Four for the first time, considering the team lost five seniors and a lottery pick from last year's Elite 8 team.
That lottery pick, 76ers guard Zhaire Smith, isn't one of them.
"If you saw our practices last year, I heard they're 10 times harder this year," Smith said. "They're practicing and working their butts off ... it's just hard."
But worth it, Smith said. Because without the tough practices, and without the direction of head coach Chris Beard and his staff, Smith might not have gone from the 194th-best recruit to the 16th overall pick in the NBA Draft in just over a year.