Coach McCasland's comments from today's media availability:
Opening statement:
“It's wild to think that this is our last home game of the season on Wednesday. It's been a really remarkable run to see our guys continue to make improvements like we did on Saturday. It was nice to have everybody healthy for the most part going into the Kansas game, but man, at this time of year, you just got to constantly get better. We have the opportunity to play a Colorado team that in the last couple weeks has played their best basketball of the season in a lot of ways. They had two wins against UCF and Baylor, and they played Houston close, and then they played Kansas close. I just think they're playing really well, specifically defensively. They're starting to play some younger guys. They're finding ways to get different guys involved. And they're big, they're physical, and Coach Boyle, who I've known a long time, has basically averaged over 20 wins a season for the entire time he's been in Colorado. So, man, what a tremendous job he's done. And you know, we've got our hands full on Wednesday night, but we're excited about the opportunity, because we need to get better, and that's kind of been the focus of our team and our program.”
You guys have had a lot of success on the road, but a lot of close games. What do you think is key through the line of getting success in those close games? Do you think that's a good omen for you guys moving forward?
“Yeah, you know, anytime you can win close games, it means you have a team that understands how you want to win. And it's one thing to go out there and to win some close games, you know, occasionally, but because we've got, I think Elijah Hawkins playing at the guard spot, I think is a real, huge reason why. I mean one, you got to be able to make free throws in close games, and two you got to be able to handle the ball and make the right decision. And, man, there's nobody better in our league at making the right decision right now. And let's just take the Kansas game, for example. Earlier in the game, he turned the ball over trying to pitch it ahead, and Dajuan stole it and made a great play, but then he just doesn't make any more mistakes, you know. And then when it gets down to crunch time, I mean, he was the guy that we were giving the ball to to make sure that we get in the right spot. So he's been tremendous.”
Can you take me through the progression from when you even first got Elijah and Christian together. The idea of how you were going to use them to where they are now. Whereas I think when they first got healthy and started playing., you hadn't totally played them together, but then it kind of became, oh, not only can we, but we should.
“Yeah, well, I'll say I think the original, like, this summer, we knew Christian would would be a great player. Obviously, we did. I mean, we recruited him. We felt like he would play as a freshman, but you just don't ever know what your team's needs are. And then, as we started playing up and down in the fall, I just think it was evident that Christian was going to play. And then you see Elijah Hawkins ability to get all these shooters involved. And because Christian can shoot it so well, we knew, like you could play them together. Then it was just about defensively, could you apply the physicality? I never had any concerns offensively. It was just like defensively, are you too small and inexperienced in the big 12 to guard like we need to? Because you got to have a big 12. I mean, to win this league, you gotta have one of the best defensive teams too. So, you know, really, I mean people talk about our non conference schedule, and losing to St Joe's and and then early in the season, really the significant part of that was those two guys not being able to play together, and they both got hurt at the same time, and they both basically mirrored each other on the amount of time they missed, which kind of screwed up our team one, but it screwed up there those guys ability, because it's one thing, if you lose one of them and then you lose another one, you know, then you could have both learned how to play independently and then brought them together, but both of them were out for four weeks, so we had to, basically, like, retool the whole team when both of them came back, and it was the same game that they both came back too. So man, it's to those guys credit and their unselfishness, and their work habits, that they've been able to play together in a short amount of time. But really the progression has been more for like, how does Christian adapt to not having the ball in his hands? Because he's used to playing the point, and then how does E adapt? Because he's used to probably shoot more shots around the basket, to just constantly think like shoot threes more than shoot contested twos, you know? And I think that's been a progression for both of them, and then ultimately, both of them have bought into being great defenders. And if you do that, then it gives you a chanc then I won't sub you. I mean, I'm gonna play you through all kind of mistakes offensively, if I feel like you're getting better, and given the effort required for us to win defensively, and both those guys have believed in that. That's what's allowed me to play them together the most.”
Coach, what are your biggest points of emphasis going into these last two conference games this year?
“Well, you know, if you look at the Kansas game specifically, one area that we've deteriorated a little bit is how well can we rebound the basketball. I mean, we do have one of the best defensive rebounding teams when we're all connected. But what's given us advantages is, how well can we offensive rebound. We had our worst offensive rebounding performance at Kansas, and give them credit, because I thought they were physical. This is another one of those teams that do a great job of their bigs, you know, Colorado super physical, and they're big and man, creating extra possessions and keeping them from getting extra possessions, to me, that's always going to be our emphasis, just because we lack a little bit of size around the basket, especially, you know, pending who's playing, and that's going to be probably the biggest point of emphasis.”
Over the course of your career, Coach, you have had a lot of teams that have been real resilient, and I attribute that to your coaching style. So how do you teach resiliency to your teams? Even from back at North Texas all the way up to now, where the teams always seem to be in the fight, something bad happens, they're able to bounce back from it. How do you teach resiliency to your players?
“Well, one way to make sure that you've got a team that enjoys the difficult environments is to make your practices as difficult as possible and make it an everyday, I don't know if you want to say, fight, but you just make it extremely difficult, and there is an urgency. And if we say we want to compete for a national championship, and we want to compete for a big 12 championship, then you do have to have an urgency every day. And so I think one, you got to start it with the urgency that you have every day in practice, and that's how you create a resilient mentality. But two, I do think that when you get in games, the accountability for everything being to the standard that we want to be the absolute best. We don't just want to be a good team. And so I think those guys understand that in games, that what's required is not only that we practice hard, but when we get out there, we do the same when we play and compete. And there's an accountability to that that I think our guys have embraced, and I said it up here with Chance, but I think it just starts with guys like Chance and Darrion that have been a part of our program, and they allow us to coach them in a standard that's like, it's got urgency and every possession matters, so that they get in games and they don't feel that we can't survive some tough times, and these guys understand that, like, Coach has already been hard on us, and so now we get in these games like there's nothing harder than what we've already gone through and I do think the identity when you say that the defensive part is the part that matters the most, then guys don't get hung up on what happens offensively. And to meet teams that aren't resilient. When things don't go well for them offensively, they have a tendency to let their foot off the gas on the little things like defense and rebounding, and so just the urgency that we stress those things, I think it allows guys to hang in there, because those are effort based in most scenarios, and offense sometimes, shooting is an effort based scenario. Sometimes the harder you try, the worse it gets. And I don't mean that from an offensive field, but from a shooting standpoint. So just try to take the squeeze off of that and put it all on how we compete. And that allows guys, I think, to play with some freedom in the way that they respond to negative things that happen over the course of the game.”
Coach you mentioned the rebounds, and rebounding a second ago, I think Federiko only had two against Kansas. One, is he one of the guys you need a little bit more from there? And two, what else does he do? Obviously, he doesn't fill the stat sheet, but clearly he has an impact on the game.
“Well, no, I thought actually, Federiko had probably some of the best rebounds of the game, and specifically the offensive rebound that he came up with. And there was, he didn't get credit for it in the first half, I mean, in the second half, but we had a possession where he challenged it and they tipped it out of bounds, and we ended up with the possession. So it was a team rebound, but completely because of federico's ability to put pressure on them. And one thing I love about Federiko is you never going to question his effort. And so he keeps giving us effort. Honestly, to me, it's more about the guys that are playing extended minutes, like, how do we have the urgency, even when you get fatigued, to do the little things every time? And when we looked at it on film, there are some guys that are playing more minutes that have a tendency to float in a possession, and that's where I've got to do a better job of making sure that we keep the urgency we need in those guys that play and maintain the physicality even when you're fatigued.”
I know you mentioned it after the game against Kansas, but you mentioned the bigs for Colorado. I know 43 is probably not the amount of threes you want to shoot, but is that kind of something you plan on doing this time around as well, just with the size?
“Well, I think the biggest thing is, how well do we move and how well do we leverage the defense? We probably took a few quicker shots than I wanted to in Kansas, but I'm not telling Kerwin and Chance McMillan not to shoot the ball. I mean, those two dudes have, I don't care. I just want them if they can see the basket. I want them taking the shot. So the bigger thing to me, especially playing as we improve, is, do we all have an understanding of what our strengths are, and can we, if we see somebody that has a greater advantage? Can we give them an opportunity? That's probably where I'll start with this. And it's not about guys like chance and Kerwin turning out shots. It's just about collectively can we see what the defense is doing, and can we see where the strengths against us, versus their defense? And against Kansas, You know, the more you turn the ball over, the more they score in transition. So there is this push and pull when you play against the team like Kansas on the road, where if they turn you over there shooting layups or getting twos and so and they're playing a transition. So I do think that there's this balance between not turning the ball over and getting a shot up, because we have been a great offensive rebounding team, and finding that balance. But to me, it's more about hey, can we keep recognizing the advantages and the strengths of ours versus the other team? Not just like, hey, this is what we can do, but this is what they don't do well, and this is where we need to take advantage of it. So my encouragement to our team isn't necessarily like, take less threes. It's more like, what is our advantage, and can we recognize it and get to it as quickly as possible with who we're playing against and who's on the floor.”
Senior day tomorrow, Coach, what can you say about these guys who've given everything to the program?
“Yeah, well, that's what I love about what we've tried to do now is not have the last game be senior day. So we've done it on the weekend, so we've had kind of our senior honor happen, and that was last Saturday, but this game specifically being the last home game, you know, in a time where you have seniors that become a part of your program in one year and haven't been here, you know, it's unique and but these guys have embraced, I think, Lubbock, and have loved it. Like genuinely loved it. You know, I think a lot of people have, once one year stops, and I'm specifically speaking to Elijah and Federiko, but those two guys have been here for one season, I think, have endeared themselves to our people. And I mean, can you love Federiko and Elijah more just because of their unselfishness? And that's what I'll say about these seniors. And when you look at Kerwin and Chance and Federiko and and Elijah and those guys just, they just love being a part of this team, like they don't try to put themselves in front of other people. I mean, Federiko comes off the bench and probably should start at times, and Elijah leads our team in assists and is capable of scoring, but he's decided he's going to make our team better, and sometimes he gets hockey assists and doesn't get assists. I mean, I just think those guys have made a significant impact on our program, and I just love being on their team.”
Just the last grind here of games in the big 12. What has this new big 12, 20 game conference schedule been like?
“No, I mean, this, this, this big 12 schedule has been it's been difficult, and just with no breaks and no bye's, even in the week, and adding two games, it really has been a test, and now we're getting to those two games. So right now, we would have been done on every big 12 schedule that's ever been created until now. Now we've got two more games left, and I don't know if we'll really understand the ramifications of it until we're past the season, and you can really reflect on how it impacted big 12 tournament and how it impacted the big the tournament. I do think it's made us better, and it's it's brought us close, and because you you just the more difficult your schedule is, the more you find out about your team, and we've been able to really improve our team. And I tell you what, our guys have embraced it, and that's the part I'll tell you, that we've looked that we've loved about the 20 games, is our teams embraced it. I don't think we've played our best basketball, just the key to us is like, Can we stay healthy? And that if we can stay healthy, then it's I think it's been I think it's been awesome, and we've got a chance just because we're playing 20 games to basically have one of the best conference records, or the most wins, because of the number, sheer number, not because of percentage, but and so I think that these guys need to continue to embrace that, and being a part of first there's nothing like it, You know. And this team has embraced difficult things, and 20 games is another difficult part of it, and I think our guys love the challenge.”
Last game at the USA to soak that up. What do you want to say to the fans?
“Yeah, I actually went around and spoke to a lot of fraternities and told them, like, man, we do have the best attendance in the state of Texas, in basketball, in college basketball, that's awesome. And now I've been in places where you know, you may have a few 100 people come to games. So I mean, every time I walk into the USA, I'm thankful, and I'm grateful for the people and and then that home environment that we had in our last home game against Houston. I mean, It's not better. There's not a better environment in college basketball. So I'm just grateful. And I told our students, they make a huge impact. I mean, we lost a Houston game, but prior to that, we lost to UCF and Iowa State. We didn't have students there at those games. I mean, they make such a difference how our team competes and the excitement in the building. So, man, I'm extremely grateful to all the people that have invested in this program and our team and continue to support us, and we're looking forward to a huge night on Wednesday night, just to finish off this run that we've had here, and to put ourselves in better position for big 12 play and big 12 tournament play and the NCAA Tournament.”
Aside from Kerwin, each player throughout the rotation has been out at different times this year. What can you say about how battle tested each individual is and how that affects tthe rest of March?
“Yeah. I mean, you know, to be able to have a deep enough roster to withstand the changes of who can play. I mean, it says a lot about our team and the grit that we have. And I do think it puts us in position where, you know, even if things happen in the tournament and guys can't go, we have guys that are ready because they're experienced, and they're experienced to start, and they're being one of the leading scorers. And when you look at our team and all the different guys that can score in a game, and I mean, I think a guy like Kevin Overton and Kerwin Walton, they come off. They may not play as many minutes, but, man, you put them in a big 12 game and they can, we'll score 20, legit. And so for me, I love our roster, and I love the unselfishness that we've shown, and I do think we're prepared in case things happen and we need to go to guys that maybe haven't played as many minutes, they'll be prepared and be ready for action.”
You talked about their size or on the rim, but what kind of energy are you expecting from Colorado? In which you said they're playing their best basketball right now.
“Well, I just love their physicality, and I love their size, and when you watch them, and they're comfortable, and they can play at their pace, and they can throw the ball into the paint, and they can get rhythm shots. And I watched them beat Baylor and Central Florida. Baylor is one of the best teams in the big 12, and and UCF, we lost to. And so, I mean, they've won two, two of their last five games. And when you look at them defensively, they've gotten better, you know. And that's kind of thing is a mark of a really good coach and a good team is this time of year, you know, can you get better defensively? And they have. I mean, actually, I think they moved up in the last couple weeks. And they're like, if you just look at the last couple of weeks, they're a top 30 defense in the country. So to me they're fighting and they're scrapping, and they're playing different guys, and they've got the capability of winning every game that they play in the big 12. And so we've got to be at our best on Wednesday, and that's why we need everybody in here to send this thing off the right way.”
Coach, at the beginning of the year, you said that the expectations would be that this team would have cornerstone of defense. Has this team met or exceeded your expectations that you said at the beginning of the year?
“Yeah, I would say defensively. We've obviously improved, but we're not at our best, and I think our this is why this Colorado game will be such a great test for us, because they do throw it into the post, and they got multiple guys that can play inside out, and our post defense hasn't been great. It's improved. That's where Federico being healthy is such a big part of our depth. But I think I'm challenging JT and Darrion Williams and like, guys that have to guard in there, like, let's get better at this without fouling. And that's kind of been a problem too. Is like, Can we do it where we can keep guys on the floor? And so, I think our team is starting to improve. I always look at it as like, let's not look at it in comparison to anybody else. Let's see what our best is. You know, How good can we be for what our potential is defensively, and I think our ball pressures got significantly better. The biggest thing is, Can we can we do all this without fouling? And that's kind of got to be the separator for this teams. Can we apply the physicality and the experience of what we have without fouling? And can we finish it with rebounds? And I would say we're getting to where we need to be, but we've definitely got areas that we can continue to improve.”
Where's the biggest growth and improvement you've seen in this team from beginning of the year to today?
“Yeah, I mean, one is our ability to guard the ball. Elijah Hawkins has been tremendous at guarding the ball. He's given us that point of attack defense, and at the beginning of the year, other teams guards were their leading scorers on average, consistently. And then I think our ball screen coverage, defense and our rotations has gotten significantly better. I mean, you watch us at the beginning of the year, we had so many miscommunication areas in the middle of the floor, and now those are becoming less and less obvious. So guarding the ball, and then ball screen coverages, I mean, those two areas, we've made significant improvements. And I think that's the reason why our defense is better.”
For you to win this game versus Colorado, what are the things that you really think you need to focus on?
“Well, one is transition defense. They're a great team at converting, and they've got different options. I mean, they can score lobz, and they got lob threats, and they've got guys, so making sure we don't give them transition baskets is one. And then two, how physical can we be without fouling, where we don't put them at the foul line, where they get points that way, and can our post defense be consistent enough to take away the easy twos that allow us to guard the three point line the way we need to? And we've done a good job guarding the three point line, but this one is one of those games. They've got guys that can break games open, and we've seen in this building with what happened in Arizona State, you know, in this environment, people want to play in this environment. I mean, you go on the road, and you go play in the road, in the big 12, and you go play somewhere where tit's a quarter full. I mean, you're not, it's not, doesn't have the same but everybody we're going to get, we're going to get people in this building that love playing here because of the environment. It's a credit to our people. It's a credit to this, to Red Raider Basketball. But we've got to really do a better job of being great defensively, physically, and that'll give us the best chance to win against Colorado.”
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Opening statement:
“It's wild to think that this is our last home game of the season on Wednesday. It's been a really remarkable run to see our guys continue to make improvements like we did on Saturday. It was nice to have everybody healthy for the most part going into the Kansas game, but man, at this time of year, you just got to constantly get better. We have the opportunity to play a Colorado team that in the last couple weeks has played their best basketball of the season in a lot of ways. They had two wins against UCF and Baylor, and they played Houston close, and then they played Kansas close. I just think they're playing really well, specifically defensively. They're starting to play some younger guys. They're finding ways to get different guys involved. And they're big, they're physical, and Coach Boyle, who I've known a long time, has basically averaged over 20 wins a season for the entire time he's been in Colorado. So, man, what a tremendous job he's done. And you know, we've got our hands full on Wednesday night, but we're excited about the opportunity, because we need to get better, and that's kind of been the focus of our team and our program.”
You guys have had a lot of success on the road, but a lot of close games. What do you think is key through the line of getting success in those close games? Do you think that's a good omen for you guys moving forward?
“Yeah, you know, anytime you can win close games, it means you have a team that understands how you want to win. And it's one thing to go out there and to win some close games, you know, occasionally, but because we've got, I think Elijah Hawkins playing at the guard spot, I think is a real, huge reason why. I mean one, you got to be able to make free throws in close games, and two you got to be able to handle the ball and make the right decision. And, man, there's nobody better in our league at making the right decision right now. And let's just take the Kansas game, for example. Earlier in the game, he turned the ball over trying to pitch it ahead, and Dajuan stole it and made a great play, but then he just doesn't make any more mistakes, you know. And then when it gets down to crunch time, I mean, he was the guy that we were giving the ball to to make sure that we get in the right spot. So he's been tremendous.”
Can you take me through the progression from when you even first got Elijah and Christian together. The idea of how you were going to use them to where they are now. Whereas I think when they first got healthy and started playing., you hadn't totally played them together, but then it kind of became, oh, not only can we, but we should.
“Yeah, well, I'll say I think the original, like, this summer, we knew Christian would would be a great player. Obviously, we did. I mean, we recruited him. We felt like he would play as a freshman, but you just don't ever know what your team's needs are. And then, as we started playing up and down in the fall, I just think it was evident that Christian was going to play. And then you see Elijah Hawkins ability to get all these shooters involved. And because Christian can shoot it so well, we knew, like you could play them together. Then it was just about defensively, could you apply the physicality? I never had any concerns offensively. It was just like defensively, are you too small and inexperienced in the big 12 to guard like we need to? Because you got to have a big 12. I mean, to win this league, you gotta have one of the best defensive teams too. So, you know, really, I mean people talk about our non conference schedule, and losing to St Joe's and and then early in the season, really the significant part of that was those two guys not being able to play together, and they both got hurt at the same time, and they both basically mirrored each other on the amount of time they missed, which kind of screwed up our team one, but it screwed up there those guys ability, because it's one thing, if you lose one of them and then you lose another one, you know, then you could have both learned how to play independently and then brought them together, but both of them were out for four weeks, so we had to, basically, like, retool the whole team when both of them came back, and it was the same game that they both came back too. So man, it's to those guys credit and their unselfishness, and their work habits, that they've been able to play together in a short amount of time. But really the progression has been more for like, how does Christian adapt to not having the ball in his hands? Because he's used to playing the point, and then how does E adapt? Because he's used to probably shoot more shots around the basket, to just constantly think like shoot threes more than shoot contested twos, you know? And I think that's been a progression for both of them, and then ultimately, both of them have bought into being great defenders. And if you do that, then it gives you a chanc then I won't sub you. I mean, I'm gonna play you through all kind of mistakes offensively, if I feel like you're getting better, and given the effort required for us to win defensively, and both those guys have believed in that. That's what's allowed me to play them together the most.”
Coach, what are your biggest points of emphasis going into these last two conference games this year?
“Well, you know, if you look at the Kansas game specifically, one area that we've deteriorated a little bit is how well can we rebound the basketball. I mean, we do have one of the best defensive rebounding teams when we're all connected. But what's given us advantages is, how well can we offensive rebound. We had our worst offensive rebounding performance at Kansas, and give them credit, because I thought they were physical. This is another one of those teams that do a great job of their bigs, you know, Colorado super physical, and they're big and man, creating extra possessions and keeping them from getting extra possessions, to me, that's always going to be our emphasis, just because we lack a little bit of size around the basket, especially, you know, pending who's playing, and that's going to be probably the biggest point of emphasis.”
Over the course of your career, Coach, you have had a lot of teams that have been real resilient, and I attribute that to your coaching style. So how do you teach resiliency to your teams? Even from back at North Texas all the way up to now, where the teams always seem to be in the fight, something bad happens, they're able to bounce back from it. How do you teach resiliency to your players?
“Well, one way to make sure that you've got a team that enjoys the difficult environments is to make your practices as difficult as possible and make it an everyday, I don't know if you want to say, fight, but you just make it extremely difficult, and there is an urgency. And if we say we want to compete for a national championship, and we want to compete for a big 12 championship, then you do have to have an urgency every day. And so I think one, you got to start it with the urgency that you have every day in practice, and that's how you create a resilient mentality. But two, I do think that when you get in games, the accountability for everything being to the standard that we want to be the absolute best. We don't just want to be a good team. And so I think those guys understand that in games, that what's required is not only that we practice hard, but when we get out there, we do the same when we play and compete. And there's an accountability to that that I think our guys have embraced, and I said it up here with Chance, but I think it just starts with guys like Chance and Darrion that have been a part of our program, and they allow us to coach them in a standard that's like, it's got urgency and every possession matters, so that they get in games and they don't feel that we can't survive some tough times, and these guys understand that, like, Coach has already been hard on us, and so now we get in these games like there's nothing harder than what we've already gone through and I do think the identity when you say that the defensive part is the part that matters the most, then guys don't get hung up on what happens offensively. And to meet teams that aren't resilient. When things don't go well for them offensively, they have a tendency to let their foot off the gas on the little things like defense and rebounding, and so just the urgency that we stress those things, I think it allows guys to hang in there, because those are effort based in most scenarios, and offense sometimes, shooting is an effort based scenario. Sometimes the harder you try, the worse it gets. And I don't mean that from an offensive field, but from a shooting standpoint. So just try to take the squeeze off of that and put it all on how we compete. And that allows guys, I think, to play with some freedom in the way that they respond to negative things that happen over the course of the game.”
Coach you mentioned the rebounds, and rebounding a second ago, I think Federiko only had two against Kansas. One, is he one of the guys you need a little bit more from there? And two, what else does he do? Obviously, he doesn't fill the stat sheet, but clearly he has an impact on the game.
“Well, no, I thought actually, Federiko had probably some of the best rebounds of the game, and specifically the offensive rebound that he came up with. And there was, he didn't get credit for it in the first half, I mean, in the second half, but we had a possession where he challenged it and they tipped it out of bounds, and we ended up with the possession. So it was a team rebound, but completely because of federico's ability to put pressure on them. And one thing I love about Federiko is you never going to question his effort. And so he keeps giving us effort. Honestly, to me, it's more about the guys that are playing extended minutes, like, how do we have the urgency, even when you get fatigued, to do the little things every time? And when we looked at it on film, there are some guys that are playing more minutes that have a tendency to float in a possession, and that's where I've got to do a better job of making sure that we keep the urgency we need in those guys that play and maintain the physicality even when you're fatigued.”
I know you mentioned it after the game against Kansas, but you mentioned the bigs for Colorado. I know 43 is probably not the amount of threes you want to shoot, but is that kind of something you plan on doing this time around as well, just with the size?
“Well, I think the biggest thing is, how well do we move and how well do we leverage the defense? We probably took a few quicker shots than I wanted to in Kansas, but I'm not telling Kerwin and Chance McMillan not to shoot the ball. I mean, those two dudes have, I don't care. I just want them if they can see the basket. I want them taking the shot. So the bigger thing to me, especially playing as we improve, is, do we all have an understanding of what our strengths are, and can we, if we see somebody that has a greater advantage? Can we give them an opportunity? That's probably where I'll start with this. And it's not about guys like chance and Kerwin turning out shots. It's just about collectively can we see what the defense is doing, and can we see where the strengths against us, versus their defense? And against Kansas, You know, the more you turn the ball over, the more they score in transition. So there is this push and pull when you play against the team like Kansas on the road, where if they turn you over there shooting layups or getting twos and so and they're playing a transition. So I do think that there's this balance between not turning the ball over and getting a shot up, because we have been a great offensive rebounding team, and finding that balance. But to me, it's more about hey, can we keep recognizing the advantages and the strengths of ours versus the other team? Not just like, hey, this is what we can do, but this is what they don't do well, and this is where we need to take advantage of it. So my encouragement to our team isn't necessarily like, take less threes. It's more like, what is our advantage, and can we recognize it and get to it as quickly as possible with who we're playing against and who's on the floor.”
Senior day tomorrow, Coach, what can you say about these guys who've given everything to the program?
“Yeah, well, that's what I love about what we've tried to do now is not have the last game be senior day. So we've done it on the weekend, so we've had kind of our senior honor happen, and that was last Saturday, but this game specifically being the last home game, you know, in a time where you have seniors that become a part of your program in one year and haven't been here, you know, it's unique and but these guys have embraced, I think, Lubbock, and have loved it. Like genuinely loved it. You know, I think a lot of people have, once one year stops, and I'm specifically speaking to Elijah and Federiko, but those two guys have been here for one season, I think, have endeared themselves to our people. And I mean, can you love Federiko and Elijah more just because of their unselfishness? And that's what I'll say about these seniors. And when you look at Kerwin and Chance and Federiko and and Elijah and those guys just, they just love being a part of this team, like they don't try to put themselves in front of other people. I mean, Federiko comes off the bench and probably should start at times, and Elijah leads our team in assists and is capable of scoring, but he's decided he's going to make our team better, and sometimes he gets hockey assists and doesn't get assists. I mean, I just think those guys have made a significant impact on our program, and I just love being on their team.”
Just the last grind here of games in the big 12. What has this new big 12, 20 game conference schedule been like?
“No, I mean, this, this, this big 12 schedule has been it's been difficult, and just with no breaks and no bye's, even in the week, and adding two games, it really has been a test, and now we're getting to those two games. So right now, we would have been done on every big 12 schedule that's ever been created until now. Now we've got two more games left, and I don't know if we'll really understand the ramifications of it until we're past the season, and you can really reflect on how it impacted big 12 tournament and how it impacted the big the tournament. I do think it's made us better, and it's it's brought us close, and because you you just the more difficult your schedule is, the more you find out about your team, and we've been able to really improve our team. And I tell you what, our guys have embraced it, and that's the part I'll tell you, that we've looked that we've loved about the 20 games, is our teams embraced it. I don't think we've played our best basketball, just the key to us is like, Can we stay healthy? And that if we can stay healthy, then it's I think it's been I think it's been awesome, and we've got a chance just because we're playing 20 games to basically have one of the best conference records, or the most wins, because of the number, sheer number, not because of percentage, but and so I think that these guys need to continue to embrace that, and being a part of first there's nothing like it, You know. And this team has embraced difficult things, and 20 games is another difficult part of it, and I think our guys love the challenge.”
Last game at the USA to soak that up. What do you want to say to the fans?
“Yeah, I actually went around and spoke to a lot of fraternities and told them, like, man, we do have the best attendance in the state of Texas, in basketball, in college basketball, that's awesome. And now I've been in places where you know, you may have a few 100 people come to games. So I mean, every time I walk into the USA, I'm thankful, and I'm grateful for the people and and then that home environment that we had in our last home game against Houston. I mean, It's not better. There's not a better environment in college basketball. So I'm just grateful. And I told our students, they make a huge impact. I mean, we lost a Houston game, but prior to that, we lost to UCF and Iowa State. We didn't have students there at those games. I mean, they make such a difference how our team competes and the excitement in the building. So, man, I'm extremely grateful to all the people that have invested in this program and our team and continue to support us, and we're looking forward to a huge night on Wednesday night, just to finish off this run that we've had here, and to put ourselves in better position for big 12 play and big 12 tournament play and the NCAA Tournament.”
Aside from Kerwin, each player throughout the rotation has been out at different times this year. What can you say about how battle tested each individual is and how that affects tthe rest of March?
“Yeah. I mean, you know, to be able to have a deep enough roster to withstand the changes of who can play. I mean, it says a lot about our team and the grit that we have. And I do think it puts us in position where, you know, even if things happen in the tournament and guys can't go, we have guys that are ready because they're experienced, and they're experienced to start, and they're being one of the leading scorers. And when you look at our team and all the different guys that can score in a game, and I mean, I think a guy like Kevin Overton and Kerwin Walton, they come off. They may not play as many minutes, but, man, you put them in a big 12 game and they can, we'll score 20, legit. And so for me, I love our roster, and I love the unselfishness that we've shown, and I do think we're prepared in case things happen and we need to go to guys that maybe haven't played as many minutes, they'll be prepared and be ready for action.”
You talked about their size or on the rim, but what kind of energy are you expecting from Colorado? In which you said they're playing their best basketball right now.
“Well, I just love their physicality, and I love their size, and when you watch them, and they're comfortable, and they can play at their pace, and they can throw the ball into the paint, and they can get rhythm shots. And I watched them beat Baylor and Central Florida. Baylor is one of the best teams in the big 12, and and UCF, we lost to. And so, I mean, they've won two, two of their last five games. And when you look at them defensively, they've gotten better, you know. And that's kind of thing is a mark of a really good coach and a good team is this time of year, you know, can you get better defensively? And they have. I mean, actually, I think they moved up in the last couple weeks. And they're like, if you just look at the last couple of weeks, they're a top 30 defense in the country. So to me they're fighting and they're scrapping, and they're playing different guys, and they've got the capability of winning every game that they play in the big 12. And so we've got to be at our best on Wednesday, and that's why we need everybody in here to send this thing off the right way.”
Coach, at the beginning of the year, you said that the expectations would be that this team would have cornerstone of defense. Has this team met or exceeded your expectations that you said at the beginning of the year?
“Yeah, I would say defensively. We've obviously improved, but we're not at our best, and I think our this is why this Colorado game will be such a great test for us, because they do throw it into the post, and they got multiple guys that can play inside out, and our post defense hasn't been great. It's improved. That's where Federico being healthy is such a big part of our depth. But I think I'm challenging JT and Darrion Williams and like, guys that have to guard in there, like, let's get better at this without fouling. And that's kind of been a problem too. Is like, Can we do it where we can keep guys on the floor? And so, I think our team is starting to improve. I always look at it as like, let's not look at it in comparison to anybody else. Let's see what our best is. You know, How good can we be for what our potential is defensively, and I think our ball pressures got significantly better. The biggest thing is, Can we can we do all this without fouling? And that's kind of got to be the separator for this teams. Can we apply the physicality and the experience of what we have without fouling? And can we finish it with rebounds? And I would say we're getting to where we need to be, but we've definitely got areas that we can continue to improve.”
Where's the biggest growth and improvement you've seen in this team from beginning of the year to today?
“Yeah, I mean, one is our ability to guard the ball. Elijah Hawkins has been tremendous at guarding the ball. He's given us that point of attack defense, and at the beginning of the year, other teams guards were their leading scorers on average, consistently. And then I think our ball screen coverage, defense and our rotations has gotten significantly better. I mean, you watch us at the beginning of the year, we had so many miscommunication areas in the middle of the floor, and now those are becoming less and less obvious. So guarding the ball, and then ball screen coverages, I mean, those two areas, we've made significant improvements. And I think that's the reason why our defense is better.”
For you to win this game versus Colorado, what are the things that you really think you need to focus on?
“Well, one is transition defense. They're a great team at converting, and they've got different options. I mean, they can score lobz, and they got lob threats, and they've got guys, so making sure we don't give them transition baskets is one. And then two, how physical can we be without fouling, where we don't put them at the foul line, where they get points that way, and can our post defense be consistent enough to take away the easy twos that allow us to guard the three point line the way we need to? And we've done a good job guarding the three point line, but this one is one of those games. They've got guys that can break games open, and we've seen in this building with what happened in Arizona State, you know, in this environment, people want to play in this environment. I mean, you go on the road, and you go play in the road, in the big 12, and you go play somewhere where tit's a quarter full. I mean, you're not, it's not, doesn't have the same but everybody we're going to get, we're going to get people in this building that love playing here because of the environment. It's a credit to our people. It's a credit to this, to Red Raider Basketball. But we've got to really do a better job of being great defensively, physically, and that'll give us the best chance to win against Colorado.”
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