Grant McCasland: "Their Effort Is Just Tremendous"

Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland met with the media Wednesday afternoon in the lead-up to the matchup versus NC State in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the press conference.

Grant, what's the challenge in facing a team like NC State that's coming off of five games in five days? So there's obviously some exhaustion that comes with that, but they're also a team that's riding a hot streak. How do you kind of square those two things?
Yeah. Well, I can tell you, in watching NC State compete, you can just tell they've found the right group of guys with the right roles. And that's kind of what -- that's why you play a season, because it's how do you finish the year is the most important part, and everybody wants to talk about like maybe a stretch even for us where we've been hurt.

But, man, I really have a lot of respect for not just the way they've identified roles, but the way they're competing. I mean, if you saw the loose balls and the rebounding that they were coming up with at the end of the game, I mean their effort is just tremendous. And so this time of year, you got some teams that are playing together and finding a rhythm offensively and then you have some teams that are like competing to win.

And watching them play, you could tell not only have they identified what they want to do offensively and defensively, but they're just really finding the extra effort plays that really win you games. And I have so much respect for how they're competing as a team, and there's a reason why they won and it's not just offense and finding the right guys. It's the way they're getting rebounds and the way they're competing defensively.

Coach, obviously the Big 12 is a very competitive conference, arguably the best conference within the NCAA. Is there a team that you went up against this year that kind of matches up with now NC State plays?
Yeah, great question. No. NC State -- that's why the Big 12 is such a great conference in preparation. If you can handle it without getting everybody hurt it's awesome. And that's been the issue with our league right now. As you can see, it's widespread.

NC State does remind me of a couple of teams in our league and do think it's a cross of a couple of them and we've identified that. I hate saying anything other than that. But from a team standpoint, though, I think they have that inside out approach that I think gives you a chance to win every night. And they've got great play making on the inside, which is unique, and then they also have guards that can make plays. And not many teams have both.

And to give them credit right now, they've identified and found a way to utilize both of them across different parts of the game. And they're extremely difficult to defend, having watched them on film.

You've had some success in this tournament before, but kind of a different setting during the COVID era. Not a lot of fans involved there. How different is this all for you this time around
Yeah, well, the unique part about the last time we were in the tournament, we played Purdue in Indianapolis. So actually for a COVID game, there was quite a few people there and the energy in the building was great.

Such a joy to have the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament. And when you get to this point, if you can't create your own energy as a team and find a way to be motivated by how you compete for each other, then you're going to go home early if you're looking for an external -- and we've been a part of great -- we've got one of the best home court -- I think is the best home court advantage in college basketball at home.

And then we've played in some of the best road environments, and both of them, I can tell you this, if you can find a way to compete for your team, it gives you the best chance to win regardless of where you play.

Coach, how has Warren looked the past week, and what would you say his status is for tomorrow?
Yeah. If there's one question I've been asked more than anything, it's how is Warren Washington.

And I think, you know, we tried to play him a month or so ago in the UCF game, and I felt like he was great in practice, then we got out there and he made one move in the game and you could tell by the look on his face he wasn't quite ready. I am encouraged by the fact that he's continued to improve. We have had him involved in practices, but I just don't think you know to what extent he's going to be able to go until we get out there.

I do think he'll be a game-time decision, and we'll just have to see how he warms up and see if he's able to play.

You have been here before, obviously, during the COVID season, but you have been here, and you've won here. What have you learned from that first time around that you can apply towards tomorrow in advancing in this tournament?
I'm thankful I got to be a junior college coach at the age of 27 and didn't know what I was doing. And we made it to the national tournament in junior college, won a couple of games, beat the number one team in the country, lost on a tip dunk at the buzzer. And I think the one mentality you gotta have going into this, and I didn't have that the first time around, is you gotta find a way to win every game. That's obvious. But you gotta compete and can't just be excited to be here.

I mean, there's a lot of fun that goes with this, but I think the focus has to be like you play this to win it, and told our guys, like we're going to join the NCAA Tournament to win it. And that's the mentality going into it. So how do you approach it every day to try to get the best? And the way you do it is I think you better improve this time of year, you better find a way to improve and keep improving.

So in today's shoot-around, we're going to try to get better and every opportunity you get, you try to get better, and the first media timeout, we better figure out a way to get better. And then you play it all the way to the end.

I'm thrilled because this group has embraced it. They love each other, which I think is the most important aspect. But you approach every opportunity with the purpose of trying to find a way to improve, and that allows you to win.

You talked about NC State's interior, play making especially led by DJ Burns. How unique of a player is he and do you have to prepare any different for a guy like that that can score but also pass out of the post?
Yeah. What a match-up problem.

DJ Burns is one of those guys that I don't think there's an answer for. I think over the course of the game, you just have to learn what gives you the best opportunity that night. And there's no way to replicate what he's doing, neither in practice. So you just gotta rely on your team defense and activity to find ways to disrupt it enough to where you hope that you can create an advantage at some point.

But I'll tell you what, I mean NC State, you can start with Burns. He's obviously such a load because he can pass and he can score, but I love what they're doing with the whole roster. Middlebrooks has really made some big impacts on them with his activity level and his movement and then D.R. has been a problem with his rebounding and ability to make threes and he's defending multiple positions switching.

So I just think that whole combination, group of forwards is really a great set of problems, and they all present something different.

Coach, I just talked to the players, and they've talked about what you've instilled in them. Darrion said you're more of a life coach than a basketball coach. Can you just talk about what these guys mean to you?
Yeah. And I've told several people this, and I'm going to try to be as clear as I can. College basketball is beautiful, because there's such great interest on your college campuses. And we had students lined up in tents all through our campus for one of our home games. Just the opportunity to be a part of this experience really is something that you have to be grateful for.

But what makes it special with all the pressure that these guys have on them to perform every day is who you get to do life with. And I can tell you, there's nobody I'd rather be a part of this journey with than our group of guys and our staff. And I just -- when you love the people you're with, when you come in to practice and you come into the building, you can do hard things together when you love the people you're with. And that's what I love about this group, genuinely.

Before we came over here for practice, there's two tables full of guys. It was after lunch. We were finished. They could leave any time they want. None of them had their phones out. And it was like, they were all laughing and hanging out. And if you can tell me, like, this is what it's about, I would point -- of all this, the great arenas, the venues, the games on TV.

If I could just video that table and those two tables of our teams sitting there all talking without their phones out, I would tell you this is what it's about. And their opportunity to do life together and to realize that their relationships will carry them forward through some more difficult things than what this tournament brings.

I'm so thankful that they love each other and that they love this journey, and I do think it teaches a lot about life more than just basketball.