Texas Tech University Athletics
McCasland previews K-State matchup
January 12, 2024 | Men's Basketball
3 p.m., Saturday | TV: ESPN2 | Lubbock, Texas
LUBBOCK, Texas – Just two days prior, Grant McCasland was on this same dais answering postgame questions following a 17-point win over Oklahoma State. Now, 26 hours from tipoff against Kansas State, he was back in front of the local Lubbock media on Friday following practice talking about the matchup, crowd, and relationships he has with players and coaches who will be on the opponent's bench on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena. Â
McCasland has the Red Raiders at 13-2 on the season and 2-0 to start Big 12 play following a road win at Texas last Saturday and then knocking off OSU by a 90-73 margin. Tech is currently No. 24 in the Kenpom ratings following their best start to conference play since the historic 2018-19 season, but knows that the Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) will be looking to try to halt the momentum that has them riding an eight-game winning streak.
Below are selected McCasland responses from the press conference that previewed K-State at Texas Tech which is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.
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Opening thoughts of playing K-State, a program that reached the Elite 8 last season:
"We really respect Kansas State. Their defense right now is as good as there is in our league. They are sharing the basketball and have found a way to get separation. They are playing really hard. They are just doing a lot of things right. We respect the way they play and know that we need to be at our best to win on Saturday."
On what he sees from K-State which is on a four-game winning streak coming into Lubbock:
"They are a team that plays with an aggressive mentality. They think score and are always putting pressure on you. To me, the best way to help with defensive rebound and keep them off the glass is to not getting into rotations and making their shots difficult from the perimeter so that you can be on the inside. We will be in trouble if they get paint touches and cause rotation issues that put us in a disadvantage. We need to guard the ball and use our physicality. It's going to be a long journey for us, but it's going to be really important for us to be physical and be in great position to rebound."
On matching up against K-State head coach Jerome Tang who he worked with as an assistant while at Baylor and K-State guard Tylor Perry who played for him at UNT:
"Our teams are so unique from year-to-year. They aren't playing the exact way they were last year and obviously we are playing differently than they have seen our teams play in the past. There are different pieces, strengths, and weaknesses. I think every time you go into a game, you look at the advantages you might have but they are different each year. There is a will to win and they have it. They really do have an 'x' factor to them. When the game is on the line, in a game they need to win, you can see the urgency they play with. That's a credit to their staff and players. I really respect how they compete, how they compete for each other. I say that about our team right now too. Our guys are playing really well together. There's a will to win that you can't put a value on and I think that both teams have that right now and are playing with confidence."
On K-State coach Jerome Tang:
"Coach Tang has made a huge impact on me. When I first was an assistant on staff (at Baylor) with him, he was the guy you could count on when everyone else was gone and you needed help. He was always there to help. Those kind of people are people I appreciate more and more because there are times when the head coach is around and everyone is doing well, but when he leaves, who is there to pick up the pieces and make it all work when no one is around? Tang was one of those guys who would be there till midnight and one of the first ones into the office in the morning. He had his hand in almost every component, from recruiting, gear, everything at a high level. There was no question he was going to be successful like he is right now."
On playing in front of 14,362 fans against OSU and the impact Tech fans have on the games:
"I'm really excited about our atmosphere. You can see it build. I was thrilled with the crowd we had on Tuesday and look forward to having another great one on Saturday. Especially our students… There's no secret in Big 12 play, you have to win your home games if you want to win a championship. That is our goal. Saturday is no different, it doesn't matter who the opponent is. We are excited about the energy in the building and are thankful that we get such a great impact from our students."
McCasland has the Red Raiders at 13-2 on the season and 2-0 to start Big 12 play following a road win at Texas last Saturday and then knocking off OSU by a 90-73 margin. Tech is currently No. 24 in the Kenpom ratings following their best start to conference play since the historic 2018-19 season, but knows that the Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) will be looking to try to halt the momentum that has them riding an eight-game winning streak.
Below are selected McCasland responses from the press conference that previewed K-State at Texas Tech which is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena.
Â
Opening thoughts of playing K-State, a program that reached the Elite 8 last season:
"We really respect Kansas State. Their defense right now is as good as there is in our league. They are sharing the basketball and have found a way to get separation. They are playing really hard. They are just doing a lot of things right. We respect the way they play and know that we need to be at our best to win on Saturday."
On what he sees from K-State which is on a four-game winning streak coming into Lubbock:
"They are a team that plays with an aggressive mentality. They think score and are always putting pressure on you. To me, the best way to help with defensive rebound and keep them off the glass is to not getting into rotations and making their shots difficult from the perimeter so that you can be on the inside. We will be in trouble if they get paint touches and cause rotation issues that put us in a disadvantage. We need to guard the ball and use our physicality. It's going to be a long journey for us, but it's going to be really important for us to be physical and be in great position to rebound."
On matching up against K-State head coach Jerome Tang who he worked with as an assistant while at Baylor and K-State guard Tylor Perry who played for him at UNT:
"Our teams are so unique from year-to-year. They aren't playing the exact way they were last year and obviously we are playing differently than they have seen our teams play in the past. There are different pieces, strengths, and weaknesses. I think every time you go into a game, you look at the advantages you might have but they are different each year. There is a will to win and they have it. They really do have an 'x' factor to them. When the game is on the line, in a game they need to win, you can see the urgency they play with. That's a credit to their staff and players. I really respect how they compete, how they compete for each other. I say that about our team right now too. Our guys are playing really well together. There's a will to win that you can't put a value on and I think that both teams have that right now and are playing with confidence."
On K-State coach Jerome Tang:
"Coach Tang has made a huge impact on me. When I first was an assistant on staff (at Baylor) with him, he was the guy you could count on when everyone else was gone and you needed help. He was always there to help. Those kind of people are people I appreciate more and more because there are times when the head coach is around and everyone is doing well, but when he leaves, who is there to pick up the pieces and make it all work when no one is around? Tang was one of those guys who would be there till midnight and one of the first ones into the office in the morning. He had his hand in almost every component, from recruiting, gear, everything at a high level. There was no question he was going to be successful like he is right now."
On playing in front of 14,362 fans against OSU and the impact Tech fans have on the games:
"I'm really excited about our atmosphere. You can see it build. I was thrilled with the crowd we had on Tuesday and look forward to having another great one on Saturday. Especially our students… There's no secret in Big 12 play, you have to win your home games if you want to win a championship. That is our goal. Saturday is no different, it doesn't matter who the opponent is. We are excited about the energy in the building and are thankful that we get such a great impact from our students."
ÂNothing is better than a @TexasTech home game ??#TTW | #WreckEm pic.twitter.com/2X6cAurkn6
— Texas Tech Basketball (@TexasTechMBB) January 11, 2024
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