Certainly, the Texas Tech basketball team expected to get off to a better start in conference play than it did in Tuesday's 87-83 loss to UCF at home. The Red Raiders were coming off of a nine-day break and were as healthy as they have been all season yet they put forth an effort that was less than inspiring, to say the least.
Allowing the Knights to shoot 51.8% from the floor for the game and giving up over 20 points to two separate UFC guards, the Red Raiders played one of their worst defensive games of the year. Needless to say, the defensive minded Grant McCasland was not pleased with how his team executed on that end of the floor.
"...they drove it at us and put us on our heels, and we couldn't guard them," the Texas Tech head coach said. "And that, that to me, is that's, that's on me 100% I've got to have us ready to go defensively. And I didn't. And, you know, I would think, and I've tried to think through this, you know, we've had good defensive teams at Texas Tech, and we've had good defensive teams on teams that I've coached previously, and I knew it was a glaring weakness for us. But to start Big 12 play with this lack of physicality defensively and to let a team come in our place and score 87 points is, it's ridiculous."
The Red Raiders have now given up an average of 77.7 points per game to the four power-conference teams they have played this year. That's obviously a concern but McCasland said he thinks his team can improve in that regard.
"And, you know, I told our team, there's a lot of improvement we can make," he said, "and I love our team, and I think our group identifies with the fact that we can play good offense and we can score, but man, do we have a lot of growing up to do and experience that's needed to come very quickly in order for us to be a team that's a legitimate contender in this league.
"And you know, we're going to need to do it through practices some, and that's where a majority of it's going to improve, but we're going to need to do it in games. And I loved our scrap at the end of the game. We finally got to doing it, and we were more physical, and we played the way we needed to, and that showed our lack of maturity in guarding the ball over the course of the game. And it was non-existent for the first 20 minutes of the game."
What is worrisome for Texas Tech basketball fans is that this team doesn't appear to have the personnel to play elite defense. That's especially true at the guard position where the Red Raiders have been the most vulnerable when trying to defend. McCasland was asked what he can do to help the team that he has to play better defense. His answer hinted at some lineup and rotational changes.
"...I think we got into some of the rotations that we wanted tonight," he said, "and I probably hung in there a little longer with some lineups to think that we could get it figured out, and it got worse. And so just to be real honest, that's where I'm most disappointed. And I think there's just going to have to be an accountability in regards to if it's not, if we're not guarding the way we need to, it doesn't matter if you're an All-Big 12 player historically, then we're going to have to be anchored by the fact that we guard people, and we've got good depth on this team.
"We don't have a lot of experience of being great defenders, I'll be honest. And that was exposed and has been exposed against teams that are actually Big 12-caliber teams. And we need these games. I'm not saying that we need to play this way, and this is how we should learn, but we do need these games to expose what we need to improve on, and I do believe the heart of this team is right, and we will get better because of it. But I do think there's some things that I can do from an accountability standpoint in different lineups that we can look at quicker, as opposed to allowing it to be something that, as in tonight, we thought we could maybe play and get going, which doesn't happen and shouldn't happen."
Moving away from the defensive woes, McCasland was asked about the last-minute contested 3-pointer that Chance McMillan air-balled when Tech was trailing by three points. That was not a great possession for the Red Raiders and McCasland addressed whether he should have taken a timeout prior to that possession to ensure a better result.
"I mean, honestly, on that possession, I wish I would have called time out after the previous make was the one I wish I'd called a timeout on," he said, "and that was when we cut it to two and, or...one at the end of the game with 35 seconds on the clock when we made a basket and got an offensive rebound. That's when I wish I would have used the time out to set our defense and to trap and get a good look."
It was then pointed out to McCasland that a pattern has emerged in all three of his team's losses. Tech has fallen into big holes only to try to scrap and claw its way back into the game late in each game. He said the reason for this unwanted pattern is simple.
"I mean, I don't think it's that complicated," he said. "I mean, our defensive mistakes, especially scouting mistakes were glaring in this one. And it was the same way to start the game against St Joe's, and it was the same way to start the game against A&M...It felt like that again.
"[UCF guard] Darius [Johnson] going right and getting all the way to the basket or getting fouled, and then Keyshawn Hall just scoring, driving left, and then driving right and spinning back left. I mean, that's what he does. I mean, he's good at it. And so man, the urgency that it takes to be great in this league, we felt like we were going to feel this game out and maybe score some points offensively and get it back it looked like and it's a lesson that we, I think, have learned now three times, and that's where, as a coach, the accountability piece to this bears on my shoulders, and I've got to do a better job holding our team accountable to the things that we've got to do better defensively. And so yes, there is a theme in all three of the losses that we've had, and it starts with our inability to guard and do it the right way, according to what we know the scout says and going into the games."
Despite the disappointment of the outcome and the reality of starting Big 12 play 0-1 with two road games in the state of Utah up next before a return home to face No. 3 Iowa State, McCasland is optimistic about what his team can do in conference play. He provided some perspective when talking about what he's experienced as a coach in this league and perspective something that Texas Tech fans may need given the state of panic many are feeling after this loss.
"I've been a part of this league, and started on a team that started 5-1 and ended up 9-9," he said, "and I was on a team that was 2-8 and finished 9-9...you know, we were 5-1 last year and we ended up with 11 wins. I'll tell you what this league is. You better be ready for the next one.
"You start looking at anything other than how you get ready. How do you learn from this? And I hate saying it because it's obvious. It's not that complicated. But, I mean, I don't think there's any game that's more important than the one you're playing. And so you can go like, hey, we need to win on the road. We need to beat this team. I mean, in our league, you better be ready to play every second. Any better you look at other games or you look at where you're you better figure out a way to win the jump ball and be good on the first possession with basketball. That's where we've got to grow up, and it's specifically on the defensive end."