A few weeks ago, Grant McCasland was led to speak during a radio show about what it would take to get the Texas Tech basketball team back to the NCAA Tournament.
That was and is a valid question, one that Red Raider fans have been asking since McCasland was introduced last April. There are standards for the records a team can achieve to have confidence in their March Madness hopes.
But McCasland took a different direction. He said he doesn't want to worry about what the baseline is.
“Let's not think about the bare minimum,” he told the Rudy's Barbecue crowd. “Let's take a look at the maximum value.”
Texas Tech has already reached the bare minimum of what constitutes a return season. The Red Raiders (17-6, 6-4) surpassed last year's win total with the team's 66-59 win over UCF on Saturday. No matter what happens the rest of the way, a winning record is guaranteed.
Fans are taking notice of a rejuvenated program in McCasland's first year. By filling United His Supermarket His Arena for games against BYU and Cincinnati, Tech already has more sellouts than all of last season's games (one). The first five Big 12 Conference games under McCasland averaged 1,700 more fans than the same period last year.
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Winning makes those things possible. If successful, it looks like you can easily clear the minimum value. McCasland wants to maximize what the team can still accomplish the rest of the way. A win on Monday would make it a lot easier.
Kansas State is in town for a showdown at 8 p.m. on ESPN. The Jayhawks have always appeared on the Worldwide Leader network's flagship channel, but this will be Texas Tech's only Big Monday appearance this season. For the Red Raiders to make more noise than ever this season, they need to seize the opportunities they are given.
There's no bigger opportunity than beating the Jayhawks on their home floor. There is a possibility that the University of Kansas is not at 100%. Texas Tech certainly can't sympathize after the week of illness that hit the team.
Former Red Raider Kevin McCuller sat out Kansas' win over Baylor on Saturday. Afterwards, coach Bill Self told local media: “I can't imagine Kevin being even better on Monday after barely moving on Saturday.”
Kansas' scheme centered around 7-foot-2 center Hunter Dickinson, but McCuller himself had an All-American season, averaging a team-high 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He recorded a shooting success rate of 36%. From 3 point range.
With or without McCuller on the floor, the Red Raiders have a great opportunity in front of them. Texas Tech will not have to travel back and forth to Allen Fieldhouse this season. Winning the lone matchup against Kansas looks good on any resume, but the Jayhawks are a very different team on the road, winning four of their five Big 12 games against UCF, They have lost to West Virginia, Iowa State, and Kansas State. .
There are 8 games left in the regular season. Before Big 12 play begins, history says that if Texas Tech hits .500 in league play (9 wins) and has a 20-win campaign, they should be happy with their NCAA Tournament odds. I took note. To do so, you only need to go the remaining 3 to 5 steps.
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But that's where McCasland was right in not looking at the minimum. There is much more to accomplish.
Let's look at it this way. Of Tech's last eight regular season games, four have been at home and four have been on the road. Sure, it's tough to win on the road, but three of Tech's road games are against teams currently tied for 11th (UCF), 13th (West Virginia), and 14th (Oklahoma State) in the conference standings. It's also a matchup, and the Red Raiders have already won. Wins over the Knights and Cowboys.
Home games are expensive. Kansas State on Monday, TCU on Feb. 20, Texas on Feb. 27 and Baylor on March 9 via Lubbock. The toughest remaining opponent will have to play on Tech's home floor, an ideal environment for any team.
McCasland has said from the beginning that running a business from home is the first step to a successful campaign. The loss to Cincinnati slowed that momentum down a bit, but that was more a byproduct of a grueling schedule than anything that indicated the team was in trouble. With the team back as healthy as it can be at this stage of the season, it is at home that the Red Raiders can get their most impressive work done.
A win against the Jayhawks could be just the ticket to the maximum door McCasland seeks. It would also go a long way toward keeping the Red Raiders in Big 12 title contention.
An opportunity has arrived. Will the Red Raiders be able to answer the door?
big 12 men's basketball
4th place University of Kansas vs. 23rd place Texas Tech
when: Monday, 8 p.m.
where: United Supermarket Arena
tv set: ESPN
record: Texas Tech 17-6, 6-4; Kansas 19-5, 6-4
Noteworthy points: The Jayhawks have won eight of the last 10 meetings against Texas Tech, including three wins in the last four trips to United Supermarket Arena.
big 12 standings
All team meeting
Houston 21-3 8-3
Iowa State 18-5 7-3
Kansas 19-5 7-4
Baylor 17-6 6-4
Texas Tech 17-6 6-4
Oklahoma 18-6 6-5
BYU 17-6 5-5
TCU 16-7 5-5
Texas 16-8 5-6
Kansas State University 15-9 5-6
Cincinnati 15-8 4-6
UCF 13-9 4-6
West Virginia 8-15 3-7
Oklahoma State University 10-14 2-9
