Street Dog has been a term thrown around a lot in the last several years by Texas Tech Basketball. It was a staple down the stretch for the team in 2019 as they made their way all the way to the National Championship game. Players like Matt Mooney exemplified the Street Dog mentality and never counted themselves out. Tariq Owens had one of the most iconic Street Dog moments when he jogged back out of the locker room after an ankle injury that looked like it ended his tournament run.

In the two years since Texas Tech basketball tried to recapture that Street Dog essence but with players like Jahmi'us Ramsey and Mac McClung that toughness was lacking. Certainly nothing against those players, who came to Texas Tech with high regard, but they just weren't the typical Street Dog.

Texas Tech basketball leaned on Kevin McCullar mightily in those two seasons to provide the toughness and he did, but he was only one man. Fast forward to 2022, under the obvious change in leadership, and the Texas Tech basketball team once again finds themselves full of tough sonofaguns that play their butts off with aggression and toughness.

Paul Roberts, KKAM.com
Paul Roberts, KKAM.com
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Kevin McCullar is still a leader on the team. Bryson Williams has fought his way from UTEP to prove he belongs on the biggest stage. Adonis Arms was a role player at Winthrop last year and has blossomed into a starter at Texas Tech. Mylik Wilson and Davion Warren show spurts of Street Dog. Even Terrence Shannon who gets flack on social media for being me-first, for some reason, has fought through back and knee injuries just to be on the floor for his teammates. Does that sound like a selfish player?

I could go down the entire roster and provide examples, but to me, the biggest baddest Street Dog playing basketball for Texas Tech right now is Clarence Nadolny.

Paul Roberts, kkam.com
Paul Roberts, kkam.com
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Nadolny is never not playing balls to the wall when he's on the court. In year three in the program, Nadolny has proven that when his number is called he can provide exactly what the team needs.

When he was forced into a starting role after COVID protocols hit the Red Raiders, Nadolny scored 9 against Iowa State in Ames and 17 against Kansas in Lubbock.

Then he had 11 against Baylor in a win for the Red Raiders against the number one team in the country at the time in Waco.

After that three-game stretch, Nadolny didn't score a lot and played less than 10 minutes in several games. Then Nadolny scored 14 points against Texas in Austin in a huge effort.

After the game, Nadolny said that game was personal.

The flip side of being a Street Dog is playing with a wild abandon. I don't know that I've seen anyone more aggressive than Nadolny on both ends of the floor. Defensively the man is a menace. Offensively, he gets fouled at an extreme rate and makes more free throws than he misses shooting better than 75% in 11 of his 25 games played this season.

Is he too aggressive? Sometimes. But the team feeds off of his tenacity and that's enough of a reason to let him run free for 10-20 minutes a game.

Nadolny is also great with the fans. Here's a moment caught before the Oklahoma game where he lets a fan help him warm up during the pregame.

On a roster and league full of tough players, Nadolny always stands out as tougher. I'll always root my hardest for a guy like that playing any sport for Texas Tech.

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