Texas Tech Holds On To Beat Wyoming; McCasland Emphasizes Urgency and Growth
Texas Tech improved to 6–2 with a 76–72 win over Wyoming, but Grant McCasland said the performance showed how far this team still has to go and how important the next two weeks will be in pushing them forward.
“We started the game too casual… we’re too worried about what we’re doing on the offensive end and letting that dictate how we play defensively,” Grant McCasland said postgame. “These next two weeks… can really elevate this team and allow us to make a big jump. We’ve got to get comfortable when the ball doesn’t go in for us, how are we going to compete and still respond and play well defensively so that we can separate and win.”
Texas Tech Stat Leaders
JT Toppin: 27 points, 9 rebounds, 11–18 FG
LeJuan Watts: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 6–12 FG, 5–5 FT
Christian Anderson: 15 points, 5 assists, 40 minutes
Donovan Atwell: 7 points, 4 rebounds, key second-half defensive spark
Leon Horner: 4 points, 4 rebounds, steady impact in his role
How It Happened
The first half felt a bit like a game of tug-of-war with Texas Tech unable to create any separation because they were losing at the point of attack on the defensive end. Screen-and-roll actions, slips and even some ghost screens repeatedly forced breakdowns, leading to uncontested finishes that gave Wyoming confidence and kept the Cowboys comfortable offensively.
“They scored 18 points off ball-screen, pick and roll… a majority of it was the ball handler and the roller creating advantages for each other,” McCasland said. “That’s why we made the adjustment at halftime to switch more, and that’s why I thought we had more success in the second half.”
Those adjustments meant switching all five spots on every screening action, something Tech hasn’t done a lot this year due to limited practice time and injuries. But with Wyoming finding success on missed switches or mismatches, the change paid off as Tech finally flattened actions that had been automatic advantages and forced them into tougher shots in the second half.
“We held them to 36% [in the second half],” McCasland explained. “We switched all five guys, we haven’t done that a lot since I’ve. been here. We’ve just got to get comfortable when the ball doesn’t go in for us, how are we going to compete and still respond and play well defensively so that we can separate and win?”
They had that chance to separate too when Tech took a 36–26 lead with under three minutes to play in the first half. It felt like the moment the Red Raiders were going to take control, but instead a veteran Wyoming team punched back with an 11–2 run, trimming the lead to one at halftime. A lack of urgency plagued this ever evolving team of newcomers once again.
“There’s an urgency to see it and to go do it,” McCasland said. “I don’t know if it’s noticeable to everybody, but… there’s an execution part of this that is not natural for some guys. They have a tendency to take a negative step instead of putting their nose in the middle of it.”
One player who does show that urgency consistently, McCasland said, is sophomore reserve Leon Horner. It makes sense really as one of the few players with a full year in Tech’s system. He knows how McCasland wants the game played, while much of the current rotation is still trying to learn Red Raider basketball.
“Some of the new guys… they’re not real sure exactly the urgency, how they need to play yet,” McCasland said. “Leon knows. He walks into practice with a competitiveness that’s been impactful. Doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. He gets off the ball quickly. He puts pressure on the defense… he’s just got more experience with the way I want to do it.”
That difference in experience is exactly why McCasland pointed to the next two weeks as a pivotal stretch. Texas Tech has a full week before its next game and only two games over the next fourteen days, the longest uninterrupted practice window they’ve had all season. And for a team still trying to sync urgency, execution and competitiveness across the roster, McCasland said this is the stretch that can finally move them forward.
“These next two weeks… can really elevate this team and allow us to make a big jump,” he said. “This team’s ready for a breakthrough.”
Next Up: Coast-to-Coast Challenge vs. LSU in Fort Worth
Texas Tech will get the chance to show that growth next week on December 7 when they take part in the Coast-to-Coast Challenge playing LSU in Fort Worth, Texas.
Game is scheduled for 2pm with the broadcast airing on ESPN 2.
Photo Gallery: No. 20 Texas Tech vs. Wyoming Basketball
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