Texas Tech University Athletics
Talking Tech Basketball
January 25, 2024 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK, Texas – Thursday's primary focus for No. 20 Texas Tech was preparing for a weekend trip to play at No. 11 Oklahoma on Saturday, but it also turned into a day of talking for head coach Grant McCasland who met with the local media at 12:30 p.m. after practice, walked directly from the press conference room to a computer set up on the court to talk with Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman on the Field of 68, and then was on the stage at Rudy's in the evening talking with host Geoff Haxton on his weekly radio show.  Â
McCasland has the Red Raiders at the top of the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 conference record going into a game against the Sooners that is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center. That game was a topic of conversation, but he also spoke about his team that has won 10 of its last 11 games, the comeback win over BYU, the week between games against BYU and OU, his coaching staff, and the culture of the Texas Tech basketball program and importance of its fan base.Â
Below are selected quotes from the local media session, Field of 68 appearance, and the fourth edition of "Red Raider Basketball with Grant McCasland". The Field of 68 appearance will be part of Thursday night's After Dark episode which will air at 10 p.m. (CST). The times listed below before his quotes show when during the course of Thursday the responses from McCasland were made.Â
(12:32 p.m.) Opening remarks from the local media session about playing at Oklahoma on Saturday:
"Having faced teams coached by Porter Moser before, he will always have them prepared. Offensively, they'll always have a great plan and obviously they've gotten more aggressive in how they play on both ends. Defensively and offensively, they are one of the most physical in our league. It's all one-game seasons and you have to be prepared for the game in front of you and do the best you can to put yourself in position to win the game. That will be really difficult. They'll have an edge after losing to Texas and we know it'll be a great environment that we're stepping into on Saturday."
(12:33 p.m.) On a positive he sees from the team through five conference games:
"I'm not really surprised by anything with this group, but what we do in timeouts and how they communicate to each other over the course of the game. It's not always the coaches communicating. They are problem-solving themselves. Sometimes, at this point, I see there is a real dialogue of what we need to do together. It's them talking to each other during timeouts. At the end of the practices, they are starting to talk also as we get ready to go on the road to OU. Anytime you can have that type of leadership where it is starting to become what they see needs to happen, you grow quicker. I love the way this team is communicating. It's not pointing the finger. It's about what we need to do. I sense a real belief in each other and communication coming from each other instead of just from coaches."
(12:35 p.m.) On taking advantage of not having a game during the week leading into Oklahoma:
"You could tell going into that last practice before BYU that the wear of the games was taking an effect on our team. I can see a difference in us after having a couple days to recover.
(12:41 p.m.) On an area of improvement he sees that his team can make:
"Our Achilles heel will always be our rebounding and keeping people off the glass. The better we rebound the basketball, the better we will play. It was an issue against BYU with offensive rebounds and it putting us behind. It created extra possessions for them. Those are opportunities that we can get better at and get out in transition where we are better. For me, rebounding is the biggest area of improvement for us and will be all year."
(12:43 p.m.) On Oklahoma and head coach Porter Moser following their loss to Texas:
"I think there is always a sense of urgency. Everyone always asks if there will be more after a loss, but I don't think that is the case. I think what you do is dive into things that you can make adjustments on. I know he (Moser) is as good as anyone in the country in making adjustments and I don't know what it'll be but I know he have some."
(12:50 p.m.) Responding to Rob Dauster on being atop the Big 12 standings:
"It doesn't really mean anything to be first right now. That's the least of my concerns. There's a gauntlet of getting better. We're not a great rebounding team right now. There are things in my mind that have nothing to do with our record or who we play. It's about what we need to do to reach our potential. Honestly, I'm not looking at records but instead on how we can get better. The biggest surprise to me, and you never know how this will take place with your team, is that our communication and buy-in with our guys and how they are talking to each other. They are dialed in during timeouts even when we can't hear each other. These guys are really communicating and talking about what we need to do. When you get that, it's players making decisions that will impact winning. It's what they are doing in scheme to help each other win. Our guys are connected to winning."
(12:53 p.m.) When prompted on Field of 68 podcast to talk about Pop Isaacs:
"To me, where Pop has made the most improvement is that he is talking about winning. There is a pressure at this place. He came off a team that didn't have a lot of success last season but he had individual success as a freshman. It's different to be a great player than being a great player with an expectation and win in the Big 12. Pop at the beginning of the season was feeling the burden to be something was significant but didn't know how that related to us winning. Now he is in the huddle talking about winning. He knows it's not tied to shots. Pop really believes that we are going to win and believes that our defense and activity are important. He's not coming into timeouts talking about how he's going to score. He's honestly figuring out how we are going to win this game. He loosened up and is playing how he's supposed to reach his maximum potential. He believes we are going to win every game. He's talking that way and living it. I'm really thankful for him. He's really been a blessing to coach. I love his heart and competitiveness. He's hyper-competitive."
(12:58 p.m.) On Field of 68 about the environment at United Supermarkets Arena games:
"I can tell you this, what Coach Beard did here is a miracle. It's amazing. I texted him after we played BYU on Saturday. I went and got some What-a-burger and told him that I didn't think we won that game if wasn't for him and what he built here. The fans here get basketball. When we need them, they know how to impact the game. There are very few places that know how to impact winning. Texas Tech Red Raiders know how to impact winning. I texted him and told him thanks. I don't think we win that game if it wasn't for him. There is a deep love for this place and I'm super appreciative to be able to coach here. I'm beyond blessed. There is a history and build up that came before. His belief got this place to believe that we can win a national championship here."
(1:03 p.m.) On the focus he has established for the program:
"I think a lot of people in life try to put themselves in the center of it. I have no interest in that. Zero. I want to include people and make it about them. Make it about Pop. Make it about Joe Toussaint, about Warren Washington. And then they feed off it and the people here who are amazing. We have some of the best support in the country because it is such a concentrated effort. There is nothing like being a Red Raider."
(6:01 p.m.) On the week without playing a game:
"As a coach, you keep moving. We've been recruiting but also getting ready for Saturday's game. We needed a little break in the schedule. We played two games right away when we got back from Christmas break going into Big 12 play. It was the right time for us. I feel like we needed it. You could tell by today's practice that we were fresher. We took Sunday off and then Wednesday. We got after it on Tuesday though and had a great day today to get ready."
(6:18) On his thoughts on the team and the win against BYU:
"It may not be perfect or always have the most physical blackout and every shot may not go in. But there is a will to win with this group. They practice the way you see them competing for 40 minutes in games. They never give up, they love basketball, and they love each other. They scrap. In that game, we had problems guarding early. It's one thing to watch them play, but on the court it takes a little while to understand. We withstood enough of it in the first half to get a good feel and see what changes we wanted to make. Our team is such a learning group. I thought in the second half we were more efficient on offense."
(6:22 p.m.) On what he likes about his coaching staff:
"We've got a really unselfish group. No one cares who gets the credit. That starts with the staff and it bleeds over into the rest of the team. If you've heard Dave Smart talk and you've heard Matt Braeuer talk and AC, and Luke tonight. Luke, who is on the show tonight, was a national champion. He was the Naismith National Coach of the Year. If you have anything that has to do with Naismith, that's unbelievable. He was national coach of the year in prep school. Dave Smart has won more games in college than anyone I know. He did it in Canada. What is special about this group, is that if you go talk to them you wouldn't know that. That's because if you talk to them, do you know who they don't talk about? Themselves. To me, that's the 'x factor' in all this. I think what you have to do is find people's strengths and what they love to do. Then allow them to do that to the best of their ability. Then you mesh it together with people who love being a part of winning and prioritize each other over themselves. That's where you have the greatest success."
(6:32 p.m.) On playing at Oklahoma on Saturday:
"They are extremely athletic and have a really good plan in the middle of the floor. I really respect how hard they compete and have a great defensive team. They turned people over more in non-conference play than they do now. They have an outstanding team and we have our hands full on Saturday."
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McCasland has the Red Raiders at the top of the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 conference record going into a game against the Sooners that is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday at Lloyd Noble Center. That game was a topic of conversation, but he also spoke about his team that has won 10 of its last 11 games, the comeback win over BYU, the week between games against BYU and OU, his coaching staff, and the culture of the Texas Tech basketball program and importance of its fan base.Â
Below are selected quotes from the local media session, Field of 68 appearance, and the fourth edition of "Red Raider Basketball with Grant McCasland". The Field of 68 appearance will be part of Thursday night's After Dark episode which will air at 10 p.m. (CST). The times listed below before his quotes show when during the course of Thursday the responses from McCasland were made.Â
(12:32 p.m.) Opening remarks from the local media session about playing at Oklahoma on Saturday:
"Having faced teams coached by Porter Moser before, he will always have them prepared. Offensively, they'll always have a great plan and obviously they've gotten more aggressive in how they play on both ends. Defensively and offensively, they are one of the most physical in our league. It's all one-game seasons and you have to be prepared for the game in front of you and do the best you can to put yourself in position to win the game. That will be really difficult. They'll have an edge after losing to Texas and we know it'll be a great environment that we're stepping into on Saturday."
(12:33 p.m.) On a positive he sees from the team through five conference games:
"I'm not really surprised by anything with this group, but what we do in timeouts and how they communicate to each other over the course of the game. It's not always the coaches communicating. They are problem-solving themselves. Sometimes, at this point, I see there is a real dialogue of what we need to do together. It's them talking to each other during timeouts. At the end of the practices, they are starting to talk also as we get ready to go on the road to OU. Anytime you can have that type of leadership where it is starting to become what they see needs to happen, you grow quicker. I love the way this team is communicating. It's not pointing the finger. It's about what we need to do. I sense a real belief in each other and communication coming from each other instead of just from coaches."
(12:35 p.m.) On taking advantage of not having a game during the week leading into Oklahoma:
"You could tell going into that last practice before BYU that the wear of the games was taking an effect on our team. I can see a difference in us after having a couple days to recover.
(12:41 p.m.) On an area of improvement he sees that his team can make:
"Our Achilles heel will always be our rebounding and keeping people off the glass. The better we rebound the basketball, the better we will play. It was an issue against BYU with offensive rebounds and it putting us behind. It created extra possessions for them. Those are opportunities that we can get better at and get out in transition where we are better. For me, rebounding is the biggest area of improvement for us and will be all year."
(12:43 p.m.) On Oklahoma and head coach Porter Moser following their loss to Texas:
"I think there is always a sense of urgency. Everyone always asks if there will be more after a loss, but I don't think that is the case. I think what you do is dive into things that you can make adjustments on. I know he (Moser) is as good as anyone in the country in making adjustments and I don't know what it'll be but I know he have some."
(12:50 p.m.) Responding to Rob Dauster on being atop the Big 12 standings:
"It doesn't really mean anything to be first right now. That's the least of my concerns. There's a gauntlet of getting better. We're not a great rebounding team right now. There are things in my mind that have nothing to do with our record or who we play. It's about what we need to do to reach our potential. Honestly, I'm not looking at records but instead on how we can get better. The biggest surprise to me, and you never know how this will take place with your team, is that our communication and buy-in with our guys and how they are talking to each other. They are dialed in during timeouts even when we can't hear each other. These guys are really communicating and talking about what we need to do. When you get that, it's players making decisions that will impact winning. It's what they are doing in scheme to help each other win. Our guys are connected to winning."
(12:53 p.m.) When prompted on Field of 68 podcast to talk about Pop Isaacs:
"To me, where Pop has made the most improvement is that he is talking about winning. There is a pressure at this place. He came off a team that didn't have a lot of success last season but he had individual success as a freshman. It's different to be a great player than being a great player with an expectation and win in the Big 12. Pop at the beginning of the season was feeling the burden to be something was significant but didn't know how that related to us winning. Now he is in the huddle talking about winning. He knows it's not tied to shots. Pop really believes that we are going to win and believes that our defense and activity are important. He's not coming into timeouts talking about how he's going to score. He's honestly figuring out how we are going to win this game. He loosened up and is playing how he's supposed to reach his maximum potential. He believes we are going to win every game. He's talking that way and living it. I'm really thankful for him. He's really been a blessing to coach. I love his heart and competitiveness. He's hyper-competitive."
(12:58 p.m.) On Field of 68 about the environment at United Supermarkets Arena games:
"I can tell you this, what Coach Beard did here is a miracle. It's amazing. I texted him after we played BYU on Saturday. I went and got some What-a-burger and told him that I didn't think we won that game if wasn't for him and what he built here. The fans here get basketball. When we need them, they know how to impact the game. There are very few places that know how to impact winning. Texas Tech Red Raiders know how to impact winning. I texted him and told him thanks. I don't think we win that game if it wasn't for him. There is a deep love for this place and I'm super appreciative to be able to coach here. I'm beyond blessed. There is a history and build up that came before. His belief got this place to believe that we can win a national championship here."
(1:03 p.m.) On the focus he has established for the program:
"I think a lot of people in life try to put themselves in the center of it. I have no interest in that. Zero. I want to include people and make it about them. Make it about Pop. Make it about Joe Toussaint, about Warren Washington. And then they feed off it and the people here who are amazing. We have some of the best support in the country because it is such a concentrated effort. There is nothing like being a Red Raider."
(6:01 p.m.) On the week without playing a game:
"As a coach, you keep moving. We've been recruiting but also getting ready for Saturday's game. We needed a little break in the schedule. We played two games right away when we got back from Christmas break going into Big 12 play. It was the right time for us. I feel like we needed it. You could tell by today's practice that we were fresher. We took Sunday off and then Wednesday. We got after it on Tuesday though and had a great day today to get ready."
(6:18) On his thoughts on the team and the win against BYU:
"It may not be perfect or always have the most physical blackout and every shot may not go in. But there is a will to win with this group. They practice the way you see them competing for 40 minutes in games. They never give up, they love basketball, and they love each other. They scrap. In that game, we had problems guarding early. It's one thing to watch them play, but on the court it takes a little while to understand. We withstood enough of it in the first half to get a good feel and see what changes we wanted to make. Our team is such a learning group. I thought in the second half we were more efficient on offense."
(6:22 p.m.) On what he likes about his coaching staff:
"We've got a really unselfish group. No one cares who gets the credit. That starts with the staff and it bleeds over into the rest of the team. If you've heard Dave Smart talk and you've heard Matt Braeuer talk and AC, and Luke tonight. Luke, who is on the show tonight, was a national champion. He was the Naismith National Coach of the Year. If you have anything that has to do with Naismith, that's unbelievable. He was national coach of the year in prep school. Dave Smart has won more games in college than anyone I know. He did it in Canada. What is special about this group, is that if you go talk to them you wouldn't know that. That's because if you talk to them, do you know who they don't talk about? Themselves. To me, that's the 'x factor' in all this. I think what you have to do is find people's strengths and what they love to do. Then allow them to do that to the best of their ability. Then you mesh it together with people who love being a part of winning and prioritize each other over themselves. That's where you have the greatest success."
(6:32 p.m.) On playing at Oklahoma on Saturday:
"They are extremely athletic and have a really good plan in the middle of the floor. I really respect how hard they compete and have a great defensive team. They turned people over more in non-conference play than they do now. They have an outstanding team and we have our hands full on Saturday."
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Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballHighlights vs. Milwaukee
Friday, November 14
Postgame Press Conference: vs. Milwaukee
Friday, November 14
McCasland Media Session
Thursday, November 13
Highlights at No. 14 Illinois
Wednesday, November 12