LUBBOCK, Tex. – When Bethune-Cookman faces No. 13 Texas Tech Saturday at 8 p.m. EST, Wildcat assistant coach Denver Cobb will be familiar with the Red Raiders.
 
Cobb was an Assistant Director of Player Development and Assistant Defensive Coordinator for Tech's men's basketball team in 2017-18 under head coach Chris Beard. The Red Raiders were in last year's national championship game.
 
"It's going to be cool and I know I'm going to see some familiar faces around the front row here and there, especially behind the bench, but at the end of the day it's still a work trip and we're coming here to try and win," Cobb said. "We're not coming here just to pat each other on the butt and say 'good game.'  We're coming here to try and win. We know it's going to be a tall task, but that's our job as coaches and players."
 
With Tech, Cobb helped coach the Red Raiders to a 27-10 overall record and the program's first Elite Eight appearance. Although Tech suffered a 71-59 loss to Villanova in the NCAA Tournament, Cobb assisted in coaching two first-round NBA draft picks in Zhaire Smith and Jarrett Culver.
 
"[Current BCU players] Jordan Preaster and Joe French remind me of Zahire and Culver," Cobb said. "A lot of the work ethic and always wanting more, hungry to have more on their plate and they just really remind me of those two guys in that area."
 
Cobb will coach in the United Supermarkets Arena against two former players he coached, Davide Moretti and Avery Benson. He coached Moretti when he was a freshman and he is the only player still on Tech's roster from Cobb's tenure.  In Tech's season opener, Moretti recorded 13 points, three assists, three rebounds and a steal. Benson was redshirted in 2017-18 but remained on Tech's roster.
 
"Those two guys were great to be around so it's going to be great to see those two guys," Cobb said. "Obviously the rest of the team I haven't really been around, but some of the guys were being recruited when I was there so familiar faces but not the familiarity of when I was here years ago. It's changed a lot."
 
After coming from Tech, Cobb joined the Bethune-Cookman coaching staff as an assistant coach, helping guide the Wildcats to a 9-7 record in conference play. He also helped coach Cletrell Pope to be named the Defensive Player of the Year as he also set a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference single-season record with 22 double-doubles.
 
This season, the Wildcats are predicted to finish second in the conference by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Individually, seniors Malik Maitland and Pope were named to the MEAC First Team and senior Isaiah Bailey was selected to the conference's second team. Pope highlighted the preseason, being named the MEAC Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year.
 
Bethune-Cookman is coming off a 110-68 win over Johnson University-Florida on Wednesday. Bailey led the Wildcats with 24 points and six assists. Pope also contributed to the Wildcats' success, leading the team with 19 rebounds and five blocks, while also recording 22 points and five assists.
 
Texas Tech (1-0) won its first game of the season, defeating Eastern Illinois 85-60 on Tuesday. Tech's roster consists of 10 newcomers including seven freshmen. One freshman, Jahmi'us Ramsey, led the Red Raiders with 19 points and three steals while Graduate TJ Holyfield, was named the Player of the Game after recording 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks, missing just one of his eight shot attempts.
 
"It's going to be special, it's cool to be back (at United Supermarkets Arena) and see everybody," Cobb said. "I've had a lot of great memories, but at the end of the day it's still a business trip for us."
 
The game will be televised on FOX Sports Southwest Plus.

Max Hengst is Sports Editor For The Daily Toreador, the Texas Tech student newspaper.