Grant McCasland talks team growth, excitement for season
This is another highly anticipated season for Red Raider basketball, led by third-year head coach Grant McCasland, following a second-place finish in the Big 12 and an Elite Eight appearance last season. After losing key players like Chance McMillian, Kerwin Walton, and Elijah Hawkins, all who ran out of eligibility, as well as Darrion Williams, Kevin Overton, and Federiko Federiko to the transfer portal, McCasland went into the portal himself and found players who were ready to compete.
McCasland met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the individual growth from his team, a broad look at the potential rotation, and more.
Newcomers pairing with returners
Texas Tech went into the transfer portal and acquired exactly who they wanted, bringing in LeJuan Watts, Tyeree Bryan, Donovan Atwell, Josiah Moseley, and Luke Bamgboye. McCasland has expressed what these guys bring to the team and how much they have and continue to improve to make an impact.
“When we looked at our roster and knowing that we need to have key contributions from LeJuan Watts, Tyeree Bryan, Donovan Atwell, Luke Bamgboye, those guys. We knew coming into the season, we needed significant contributions from them in order for our team to be what they needed to be,” McCasland said. “Josiah Mosley has made big strides. Nolan Groves and Jalen Petty have been awesome… being around LeJuan Watts, his passion for this, his feel for the game, it just feels like his jump, and being around him and how much he really wants to be great every day… he’s just really lived it. And he doesn’t just love it. He lives it every day, and it’s been a joy to see him improve. And I think he’ll, I think he’ll have a great season.”
With Christian Anderson and JT Toppin returning, McCasland emphasized the importance of bringing in players who would not only complement those two but also bring their own unique strengths to the table.
“With Christian Anderson and JT top back, two guys that I think are the best play makers in the Big 12, you need to have guys that can score and have good feel and have character and want to win. And I think the key component to that was just finding guys that we felt like created space on the floor,” McCasland said. “Luke’s vertical lob threat is another way to create space around the rim, but he’s got a good feel and skill. I mean, he can make perimeter shots. So just a skilled group, but a competitive group that wants to win, and that was the focus is how to create space for these guys that we have returning, so that we have opportunity to really put people in a tough position, and then knowing that we got to get better defensively and they care about winning, we can push them on that end to to be better than what what we were last year.”
Freshmen catching McCasland’s eye
Tech brought freshmen Nolan Groves and Jaylen Petty, who signed with Tech in August, and LaTrell Hoover, who signed in September. McCasland has spoken highly of these three and is excited to see how they continue to improve and what their roles will be once the season arrives.
“Nolan Groves is going to play, and Jalen Petty, they’re going to play now, I don’t know how much right now, just because we’ve been in practice, I think both those guys could make significant impacts,” McCasland said. “They just, they have the right approach. They can guard, they can both score. I mean, Nolan averaged 30 a game and was Minnesota Player of the Year. I mean, honestly, he can just, he’s physical and he’s got a good feel. Jalen Petty has a really high ceiling. I can see him having a similar impact that Christian Anderson had as a freshman. And that’s saying a lot… both those guys, I think will make significant impacts on our team, and I can see them being in the rotation firmly and just depending on how much we continue to improve and how with how we are health wise, I would see both those guys playing.”
“If you will ask me, one person that’s been probably the most pleasant surprise, it’s been Latrell Hoover,” McCasland said. “He just has really good instincts and space awareness for a big guy with his athleticism. I mean, we put him in guard drills, where he’s moving laterally guarding the ball, and he moves as good as anybody on our team. It’s unbelievable how the upside that he has… I’m telling you that one’s going to be special, and I don’t know if it’ll be this year, because we’re going to, we’re going to make sure and honor him and make sure that we play him and give him a full season, but we’re going to play him in these scrimmages and see how he does, because he’s, he’s got real upside, and I think he’s going to be a special player as a Red Raider.”
Anderson and Toppin making big improvements
Christian Anderson and JT Toppin have been two of the biggest talking points this offseason, with Anderson making the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and Toppin being named Big 12 Newcomer and Player of the Year last season. Anderson played for Team Germany in Switzerland this past summer, where he continued to demonstrate his growth and improvement in various areas. McCasland expressed what makes these guys special and why they will continue to succeed.
“I don’t know of a guy (Anderson) who has the work ethic, confidence, feel for the game, the way he embraces big moments, the way he handles adverse situations, he just got it all. And the one thing that I don’t think has been communicated enough, is just how physical and how strong he is and how athletic he is right now. I mean, he’s legit six three. I mean, he’s not, he’s not six one and a half, six two. He’s legit six three, and he’s physical and he’s athletic,” McCasland said. “He’s just got more explosiveness to the way he’s moving. And he’s big, you know, and at that point guard spot, if you can apply physicality and be explosive and score the way he does from distance, I mean, he just really has all the tools. And I think legit, he’s one of the best guards in the country, I really do. And it’s his competitiveness and his character that separates him. It’s just for anybody to say that he’s a smaller guard. I think they’re mistaken.”
“I think the first thing JT needs to do in order to improve is to get better defensively, where he’s guarding multiple actions, and he’s not just guarding maybe someone with some size, and because we do have good size on this team,” McCasland said. “His activity defensively has gotten better. His ball handling has gotten better. And then I think his body has improved in such a way that he can deliver blows on offense and defense without giving up ground… This year, I feel like he’s moving in the right direction, and I think everybody will see a more polished player, from a playmaking and decision making standpoint, from all over the floor.”
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