Grant McCasland’s laser-like focus on the singular task at hand can be commended.
Throughout the season, the Texas Tech basketball head coach has shot down bullet point after bullet point about the Red Raiders’ success in his first year at the helm. McCasland kept that mindset Thursday when asked about Texas Tech potentially earning a double-bye in next week’s Big 12 Tournament, which would mean being one of the top four teams in the nation’s toughest conference.
“Everybody wants to talk about where the finish is,” McCasland said. “I honestly don’t. I don’t have any thoughts on it, nor am I thinking about it. We’re consumed about how do we win the jump ball? How do you get a stop defensively? How do you guard them? I’m just not using any energy on trying to figure out anything past how do we win the game on Saturday.”
As usual, McCasland’s mentality is fair, balanced and a bit layered.
Texas Tech is getting set to close the regular season by hosting 11th-ranked Baylor on Saturday afternoon. Currently tied for fourth in the Big 12 standings, the Red Raiders (21-9, 10-7) could earn as high as the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, a far cry from the team’s projection of finishing eighth before the season. That, of course, would mean winning, which is where McCasland is exerting his energy.
Entering the final day of the regular season, Texas Tech could finish anywhere from the No. 3 to the No. 6 seed. Many variables are in play. As many as four teams — Tech, Kansas (10-7), BYU (9-8) and TCU (9-8) — could feasibly finish with the same record.
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Rather than going into all the details about what seeds and how the Red Raiders could get there, here’s the base summary of it: if Tech beats Baylor, the 3 seed is in play and it’s guaranteed at least the 4, which comes with the coveted double-bye — i.e. starting tournament play in Thursday’s quarterfinals rather than Wednesday’s second round.
The Red Raiders can still get the double-bye even with a loss if Kansas were to also lose to Houston. Should the Jayhawks pull off the win at league champion Houston — a game that will end around the time Texas Tech and Baylor tip off — then it opens a Pandora’s box of possibilities.
Regardless of seeding, the Red Raiders have shown improved defense over the last two games. Granted, those outings have come against the worst teams in the conference — West Virginia and Oklahoma State. The goal now is to replicate that same level of energy and determination against a far superior opponent in Baylor.
The first meeting between the Red Raiders and Bears occurred in Waco while most of Texas Tech’s team, including McCasland, was dealing with a bout of sickness. That was also the first game Warren Washington missed, though that was for illness and not his current foot problem.
McCasland hopes to have Washington back soon, though that is still up in the air. Still, the Red Raiders performed well offensively against the Bears, shooting 49% overall and 40% from 3-point range. It was the defensive end, where Baylor also shot 49% and converted 24 of their 32 free throw attempts, that led to the road loss.
“Defensively they’re finding different ways to finish games,” McCasland said of Baylor since that first meeting. “They rebounded offensively very well early in the season and then the question is what can they do defensively to continue to get stops because they’re difficult to defend.
“I just see them making adjustments defensively that are really beneficial to their team. And maybe the numbers don’t always indicate it, but they’re definitely finding ways to get stops.”
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One to note
Saturday will be senior day for Texas Tech. Though the team has six seniors on the roster, only Joe Toussaint and Washington will be going through senior day ceremonies. Chance McMillian, Kerwin Walton and D’Maurion Williams each have another year of eligibility to use while Devan Cambridge, who is out for the season with a knee injury, told the Avalanche-Journal he intends to return to the Red Raiders next season.
Key statistic
Baylor, which ranks third in the nation in 3-point shooting, has shot at least 40% from deep in each of its last four games. This includes wins over TCU, Kansas and Texas and an overtime loss to Houston. The Bears were 5-of-18 from three in the first meeting of the season.
Score prediction: Baylor 76, Texas Tech 70
Bottom line: Texas Tech is 17-0 when holding opponents to 74 points or less and 4-9 when teams reach 75 points or more. Baylor averages 82 points per game and has reached 76 points or more in three of the last four games.
Big 12 Men’s Basketball
No. 11 Baylor at Texas Tech
When: Saturday, 5 p.m.
Where: United Supermarkets Arena
TV: ESPN2
Records: Texas Tech 21-9, 10-7; Baylor 22-8, 11-6
Notable: This marks just the seventh time in the 28-year history of the Big 12 that Texas Tech has had 10 or more conference wins in a season. This year is the team’s fourth in the last seven years reaching the 10-win mark.
Big 12 Conference Standings
Team Overall Conference
Houston 27-3 14-3
Iowa State 24-6 13-4
Baylor 22-8 11-6
Texas Tech 21-9 10-7
Kansas 22-8 10-7
BYU 21-9 9-8
TCU 20-10 9-8
Texas 19-11 8-9
Oklahoma 20-10 8-9
Kansas State 17-13 7-10
Cincinnati 17-13 6-11
UCF 15-14 6-11
Oklahoma State 12-18 4-13
West Virginia 9-21 4-13
