Texas Tech University Athletics
Media Perspective: Trajectory of Tech Basketball
April 24, 2025 | Men's Basketball
LUBBOCK – You could simply look at the numbers and accomplishments to be impressed. Through two seasons, Grant McCasland is 51-20 leading the Texas Tech basketball program with two trips to the NCAA Tournament – this past season, reaching the program's third Elite Eight and 28 victories. The Red Raiders are 30-5 on their home court and 26-12 in Big 12 play during that span. Going from unranked to No. 8 nationally in the final polls, the team set a new program record with six straight weeks in the Associated Press Top 10 along with establishing new program bests with 2,993 total points, 371 made 3-pointers and winning eight Big 12 road games. Picked seventh in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, the Red Raiders smashed prognostications by going 15-5 to finish second in the standings - setting a new program record with those 15 conference wins. Multiple news organizations already have next year's team in the top 10 of their way-too-early polls.
For this report, let's go beyond stats and accomplishments though, turning it over to broadcasters and media who covered the program – getting their insight on the success Texas Tech has experienced and the trajectory it's on.
Their responses help tell our story.
Jeff Goodman, Field of 68: "The job Grant has done is insane. I didn't know him that well before he got the job and wasn't sure how it was going to work, but he's perfect for Texas Tech. He's a terrific coach but is incredible with people. He understands the fan base and is one of those rare guys that is so versatile - especially in this era. I was skeptical when he was hired, but that guy has won me over and it hasn't taken long."
Fran Fraschilla, ESPN: "Grant McCasland was made for Texas Tech basketball. He has the same core values that the people of the South Plains have: grit, toughness and competitiveness. Grant McCasland's Red Raider teams are as tough and as competitive as any teams in college basketball. They play great defense and they play together on offense. It's a winning combination."
Jon Rothstein, CBS Sports: "Grant McCasland has made Texas Tech into one of the top programs in the Big 12 and one of the top programs in college basketball. He's always been known as a defensive coach, but Grant proved last season what he can do when he's got firepower on offense. The Red Raiders should be one of the top teams in the sport again in 2025-26."
CJ Moore, The Athletic: "Grant McCasland has done a great job building rosters that fit how he wants to play. The key has been identifying talented players who could emerge as stars with an increase in usage — like a JT Toppin — and then surrounding his star (or stars) with under-the-radar players like Chance McMillian or Christian Anderson, who are way better than the consensus rankings had them tabbed. Then what's always clear with McCasland teams is they're fighters and his standard for max effort never wavers."
Andy Katz, NCAA/Turner Sports: "Grant McCasland continues to ensure Texas Tech is a Big 12 and national contender. His teams play with purpose on every possession, share the ball, defend at a high clip and are one of the toughest teams to finish off. Expect Texas Tech to be in the national conversation for the foreseeable future."
Kevin Harlan, CBS: "Grant has taken all his incredible experiences at various levels on his college basketball journey and poured them into the Texas Tech program. The results have been terrific. His players love to play for him clearly, but his one-on-one relationships with his players is so special and perhaps the biggest story of all. He truly cares. His basketball mind sets him in the upper echelon of the game's best, and his ability to connect make this the perfect combination for the Red Raiders program."
Kris Budden, ESPN: "The trait that stands out most with Grant McCasland is his authenticity. You see it with the way his treats his players, his love for the school, and in his approach with us as broadcasters. There is a genuineness in the way he treats people that can be rare in today's college athletics. I think that's it was his players gravitate toward him."
Rob Dauster, Field of 68: "Grant and his staff have been unbelievable at identifying the talent that will fit into the style they want to play, as good as anyone in the country. In an era where roster building looks more like speed dating than it does traditional recruiting, identifying fit is arguably the most important part of building a program."
King McClure, ESPN: "I'm not surprised by the success Coach Mac is having right now. He's one of the most genuine people I have in my life, and he's been successful everywhere he has gone, no matter the level. So now that he has unlimited resources and one of the best fan bases in college basketball, his success now gets amplified. He deserves everything that has come and will come his way."
Matt Norlander, CBS Sports: "It's been interesting and eye-opening to see how quickly McCasland's been able to ensure Texas Tech's standing on a national level in college basketball, and I've enjoyed seeing how Grant's shown a bit more of his personality, too. The Red Raiders are operating like a top-10 program in the sport — and have the resources to back that up. Now they get to enter next season with a national player of the year candidate and will rate among the most compelling teams, especially after coming so close to making the Final Four."
Sean Farnham, ESPN: "Maybe no team in the country understood their roles on the court better than Texas Tech did. Grant McCasland empowered each player to be a star; a star in their role. The buy-in and trust led them to an outstanding season and run to the Elite 8. With Grant McCasland on the sideline, Texas Tech is positioned to be a perennial player on the national landscape. The staff does an outstanding job of identifying the right transfers and then develops them into all-conference caliber players."
Rich Hollenberg, ESPN: "In a short two years, Grant McCasland has put his stamp on Texas Tech as a basketball power. And he's done it the right way. His teams' style may vary based on personnel, but the Red Raiders will always defend the hell out of the ball, and they will always play hard. Culture is a word that's become co-opted and overused. But in Lubbock, it really means something. In a world where it's become increasingly difficult to build team bonds, Texas Tech is a family. Because Coach Mac makes it that way and treats everyone that way. For these reasons, TTU is easy to root for. Fun to watch. And hell to play against."
Dan Bonner, TNT: "What sets him apart is his demeanor and his ability to relate to people. He makes toughness the centerpiece of his program without being abusive and he is demanding without being demeaning. Just a little 'for instance.' Near the end of the practice session on the off day before the regional final, he came over to where Stan Van Gundy and I were sitting. He had already chatted very pleasantly and helpfully with us earlier about strategy, tactics, players, etc., so we were a little surprised to see him coming over. During our two tournament weeks, nobody had done that; all the other coaches wanting to get away as soon as possible. He leans over with his hands on the table and asks for Stan's views on (of all things, at least to me) the wisdom of double teaming the ball in the low post. For literally the last five minutes on the clock, the two of them exchanged ideas about that one highly technical, and extremely specific, and relatively obscure point. I was blown away, not only with their display of knowledge and clear desire to tinker with their own extensive views on the limited topic, but also by Grant's efforts to engage me in the conversation despite the fact that it was clear I had nothing to contribute. As I said, I was blown away."
Nathan Giese, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: "Everybody's talked about Grant's ability to win wherever he's been. This year showed what a coach like that can do with legitimate, elite talent up and down the roster. One thing that's stood out is the team's ability to adapt to circumstances. Whatever the score is, whoever is available, the Red Raiders have not only stayed in games until the end but won plenty of them where it looked like they were dead in the water. The comeback against Arkansas is something I'll never forget. This year's team wasn't just talented, but they were legitimately fun to watch all year. There were Warriors-like sequences on the perimeter at times and JT's ability to dominate inside for long stretches was an entertaining combination to cover all year. Seeing where the program was in March 2023 to where it is now, it's exciting to think about the possibilities because it's still building. It's just the start, and I look forward to seeing what's next for this team."
Gary Parrish, CBS Sports: "Grant has quickly re-established Texas Tech as a real player on the national stage. Made the NCAA Tournament in Year 1. Advanced to the Elite Eight in Year 2. Should have a preseason top-10 team in Year 3. You never know exactly how a coach will translate from the mid-major level to a Big 12 job -- but Grant has been incredible. Great first two years. And it's reasonable to assume even better days are ahead."
Lauren Shehadi, TNT: "I was watching practice one day and speaking with Coach. I asked him what made his team so special. He said they love the game but they love each other more. Then he said I'm molding men not just basketball players. He invests in their person not just their skills."
P.J. Carlesimo, Westwood One Sports: "Grant McCasland has done a great job in the Big 12. Back-to-back 20-plus win seasons and two straight NCAAs. I love Grant. He was an assistant at Baylor, a junior college coach at Midland, a Division II coach and coached very well at North Texas. It's great to see how he's worked his way up in this." – on the Jim Rome Show
Ted Emrich, ESPN: "A run to the Elite Eight solidified Grant McCasland's standing as one of the best coaches in the nation. But those of us who have witnessed his rise already knew this. From junior college to the Big 12, Grant has stayed true to who he is - a builder, a connector, and an unrelenting competitor. Can't wait to see what he does next with Texas Tech."
Jeff Borzello, ESPN: "Grant McCasland's team had the biggest rise from the first iteration of the rankings on championship Monday to the mid-April update. The biggest move was the return of JT Toppin, the surefire preseason All-American who dominated the second half of the season. Christian Anderson should also take a step forward in his sophomore season." – in his early top 25 report on ESPN.com, ranking Tech No. 4 on April 23
Geoff Haxton, Texas Tech Sports Network: "Texas Tech basketball is showing off. By that, I mean showing numerous ways to win. The architecture of this program from behind the scenes to on the court is innovative, strong and enviable. As high as they've been, I don't think they're done."
Chris Level, Texas Tech Sports Network: "Such a fun style of play. The improvement on defense was noticeable as the year went on and on offense, not many teams out there where seven players make a three pointer in a game and this team did it several times and yet it was balanced inside/out attack."
John Harris, ESPN+: "The most amazing thing to me about Texas Tech basketball under Grant McCasland is the team's ability to overcome adversity. Whether that's due to injury, foul trouble or whatever, they're a team that adapts to the circumstance. More often than not, they come away winners."
Clark Lammert, Texas Tech Sports Network: "This team was resilient. They were never out of the fight. Coach McCasland assembled a group of talented players that bought in from day one. They produced a brand of basketball that all Red Raiders should be proud of."
David Collier, KAMC Lubbock: "We've been lucky to see some great coaches come through Texas Tech over the years, and Grant McCasland has won like no other in their first two seasons in West Texas. His teams have exceeded expectations, overcome obstacles, and mirrored the toughness of their head coach during two trips to the NCAA tournament. They were minutes away from a trip to the Final Four this season but he's given no reason to think he won't have his team's prepared to make a run year in and year out."
Joe Yeager, Inside the Red Raiders: "Following Texas Tech's narrow loss to Virginia in the 2019 national title game, there was a feeling among many that the program had blown the only real opportunity it would ever get to win a national championship. Grant McCasland's first two seasons in Lubbock have shown that that concern was unfounded. This is a program with staying power, not a flash in the pan. And it will get another crack at the natty, sooner rather than later."
Pete Christy, KCBD Lubbock: "Grant McCasland has done a sensational job by bringing in players with a 'we attitude and not a me attitude.' He loves his players and forms a tight-knit squad. The environment in the USA is incredible. Great time to be a Red Raider Basketball Fan."
Shelbie Rhodes, KCBD Lubbock: "One word I would use to describe the past two seasons regarding Texas Tech basketball under Grant McCasland is: heart. Any time this team touches the floor, they are playing for each other and like their season is on the line, every single game, every single practice. The way Coach McCasland coaches is through accountability and you can see that in every single play, every timeout, from the true freshman to the veterans on the team."
Zach Fox, KCBD Lubbock: "Grant McCasland has rejuvenated the passionate Red Raider Basketball fan base in a blink, finding a way to get players bought in immediately. It is obvious how invested he and his players are and will win and lose together after visibly creating a family mentality. Exciting times in Lubbock and this past season is a testament to the type of teams and tournament runs we expect for the foreseeable future."
Fraschilla: "Texas Tech basketball has had some great coaches through the years, including one, Bob Knight, who is among the best ever. Grant McCasland has quickly established himself in that same company in Lubbock."
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