Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland didn’t mince words after his team’s 101-90 win over Northern Colorado - a game that looked like a blowout on the scoreboard but felt far from dominant on the floor.
“That ain’t even close to a team that can win in the Big 12 defensively,” McCasland said postgame. “We were atrocious.”
That’s not coach-speak or a motivational tactic. That’s a coach who knows what it takes to win in one of the most physical, defense-first conferences in college basketball - and knows his team didn’t bring it.
Yes, the Red Raiders put up 101 points. That part of the box score is going to turn heads.
But giving up 90 at home to Northern Colorado? That’s a red flag.
And not the kind that waves proudly in the student section - the kind that signals something’s off.
McCasland came to Lubbock with a reputation for building gritty, disciplined teams - the kind that make you fight for every inch of the floor. Texas Tech, for years, has prided itself on its defensive identity.
But right now, that identity is in flux. The effort isn’t matching the expectation, and McCasland made it clear he’s not going to wait around for it to fix itself.
He didn’t point fingers. He didn’t offer caveats. He just told the truth - and sometimes, that’s the loudest message a coach can send.
“We’re going to go deeper into the bench,” he said, signaling that changes are coming. Translation: If you're not going to defend, you're not going to play.
And that’s the kind of accountability this program has been built on. Texas Tech has the talent to compete at a high level - there’s no question about that.
But talent without tenacity on the defensive end isn’t going to cut it in the Big 12. Not when you’re going up against some of the most physical, well-coached teams in the country week after week.
This wasn’t just a one-off defensive lapse. The Red Raiders have had moments this season where the defense has gone missing.
But this one felt different - like a tipping point. McCasland’s frustration wasn’t about one game; it was about a pattern.
And if the message wasn’t clear before, it is now: effort on defense isn’t optional.
Texas Tech may have walked away with the win, but don’t expect the film session to be full of high-fives and highlights. There’s work to be done - and McCasland knows it. The offense is humming, but until the defense catches up, the Red Raiders are playing with fire.
The Big 12 doesn’t hand out wins for scoring 100. It rewards teams that defend like their season depends on every possession - because it usually does.
McCasland knows that better than most. And now, it’s up to his team to prove they do too.