Every time Chris Beard speaks about an opponent, he talks about how he respects them as a team and says something along the manner of how his team will have to play at its best to beat said opponent, regardless of whether that opponent is a Big 12 rival, a top 10 team, or a low-major squad. And when Beard uses his usual rhetoric, most Texas Tech basketball fans roll their eyes and pass it off as nothing more than coach speak.
Then Tuesday night happened and we were reminded that Beard might just know a little bit more than we do.