LUBBOCK, Texas -- Bob Knight never questioned if he could return to coaching after Indiana fired him a year ago September. The only issue was when, and where.

	Will Chavis got some first-hand knowledge of Bob Knight's coaching style Friday.

That's why, in Knight's view, his Texas Tech debut Friday night was just another game in his resumed Hall of Fame career.

"I felt at home the second day I was here," Knight said after the Red Raiders beat William & Mary 75-55 to set up a Red Raider Classic title game against San Diego State on Saturday night.

"It's not a huge thing to be back in it," Knight said. "It's not like they found me on a deserted island."

Added Texas Tech senior Andy Ellis, "But if we win more I think he'll feel even more at home."

It didn't take long for Knight to show he hasn't changed, outside of his black sweater over a red polo shirt, instead of staying with the red and white of Indiana.

One game into his third gig in Division I after stops at Army and Indiana in the past 36 seasons, Knight is quickly making the Red Raiders the Indiana of the Southwest, at least in appearance.

The Red Raiders ran motion offense, not to perfection, but good enough to handle an overmatched William & Mary team. Their man-to-man defense forced 19 turnovers, but Knight was furious when they gave up an uncontested layup at the end of the first half.

He made sure the officials knew he was in charge, adjusting Bill Kennedy's position on the court by shifting the official's hips when Kennedy was standing in front of him, blocking his view two possessions into the game. Knight gave him a pat on the butt the next time he ran past him.

When the game ended, Knight did his traditional handshake with just the head coach (William & Mary's Rick Boyages) and continued to beat the teams he's supposed to in the regular season, bringing his career record to 176-22 in games against teams outside the top 10 Division I conferences.

"If you put an Indiana jersey on them, they would be the same team," said Boyages, a former Ohio State assistant when the Buckeyes played the Hoosiers in the Big Ten. "Once we got the tapes we could see that."

So could Ellis, who played against the Knight-coached Hoosiers two seasons ago at the United Spirit Arena and didn't notice much of a change after playing for him in practice the past month and now in two exhibitions and a regular-season game.

"I hope we look like them," Ellis said of Indiana. "But we've got to make a lot more strides to get there."

The Red Raiders were playing shorthanded without starting power forward Pawel Storozynski, who had to sit out because of an NCAA violation of amateurism rules. Storozynksi is expected to sit the first two games of this tournament, and as many as the first eight, for playing on a French club team prior to arriving in the United States and playing at Dodge City (Kan.) CC.

Storozynksi will likely start at power forward when he's eligible and give the Red Raiders a skilled, scoring face-the-basket player. He could be one of the four untouchables in the rotation. For now there are three in Ellis (19 points), forward Kasib Powell (17 points) and guard Andre Emmett (12 points). Knight's motion offense allows everyone to get involved and the hot hand to stay on the court.

Friday night the hot hand didn't belong to starting point Will Chavis (0-for-2 for no points in nine minutes), but rather freshman walk-on point Nathan Doudney, who entered the game 1-for-9 and 0-for-4 on 3s in two exhibition games. Friday, he played 29 minutes off the bench, was 5-for-9, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers and finished with 13 points, five assists and no turnovers.

"Everyone gets an opportunity and Nathan made 3s," Ellis said. "We're starting to know this offense and beginning to gel."

The Red Raiders will have problems with depth inside, even with Storozynski, in the Big 12 when teams pound away at Ellis. But Knight's team doesn't look like it will make too many unforced errors.

The Red Raiders were timid to start the game but started to improve their shot selection, working the ball around the perimeter patiently and exploiting the Tribe. They took more chances defensively and didn't hesitate to gamble in the passing lanes to make William & Mary's offense look off.

"We played well in periods," Knight said. "There will be times when you give up five to six points in a row, but you can't give up 10."

Knight will get upset, but likely within the normal confines of coaching. This team can overachieve and be competitive in the Big 12. The schedule will help rack up some wins, but home games against Minnesota and Wyoming won't be a given, and neither will road games at SMU and New Mexico State.

One thing that will change is the attendance once the regular-season ticket holders show up for home games. The Red Raider Classic wasn't part of the season-ticket package. Knight said, "the athletic department screwed that up” and was disappointed by the sparse crowd announced at 10,444, which was more likely the number of no-shows at the 15,050-seat United Spirit Arena.

Knight helped influence an increase in season ticket sales from 8,000 to 12,000. The Red Raiders might get a boost from Indiana fans if the Hoosiers loyal to Knight continue to flock to Lubbock. A number made the trip Friday, (including five on this reporter's flight from Dallas).

Some of those old friends, like former Ohio State teammate John Havlicek, got in earlier Thursday, and Knight had dinner with 40 of them, something that touched him more than he could express.

But the issue is over. He's here, coaching, teaching and doing his thing, eager to take on this team of overachievers. He hasn't changed. He's still Bob Knight and that usually means his team will be well-coached, regardless of the level of talent.

Texas Tech was in Game One. Beating William & Mary doesn't mean the Red Raiders will be a contender nationally, let alone in the Big 12. But it's a new start, something Knight always knew he would and could get when he found the people he wanted to work with and for at a university.

Texas Tech's president and athletics director met his criteria. The players are trying to do the same; they're listening and that's a start.

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.