23-10; 11-7, tied for Third in the Big 12 Conference
The past decade has been something of a Renaissance for the Red Raiders. Well, except for last season. Which is why the new coach that Texas Tech hired this past spring was such a linchpin decision. Get it wrong, and the program from Lubbock might have gotten passed up in by the four new teams (with more to come) arriving in the super-competitive Big 12.
Fortunately, Texas Tech seems to have hit a home run.
Former North Texas coach Grant McCasland showed up in Lubbock, quickly stitched together a tough skin for the skeleton roster he inherited, and started winning. The players he pulled from the portal have proven a strong and cohesive fit, ready and willing to play the excellent defense which their coach demands. The new-look roster has also proven stalwart to overcome a key injury at midseason and continue growing together.
As a bonus, the Red Raider offense – expected to be a work in progress – has improved as the season has worn on. Led by a holdover from before McCasland’s arrival and a former foe-turned-key contributor, Tech has shown that they belong all over again – and that the ‘Guns Up’ Golden Age is far from over.
Pop Isaacs and Joe Toussaint spark the action for these Red Raiders, averaging more than 28 points and eight assists per game combined. It’s not always the cleanest, most efficient offense which they run – for instance, even though Tech shoots a strong 36.3% from the land of trey as a team, Isaacs and Toussaint shoot just 30.2% from deep as a duo). And yet, it works well enough that McCasland’s crew finished tied for third in their league and ranks 25th nationally per Bart Torvik’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency rating.
Isaacs brings plenty of excitement. He’s the type of 100-mph-charging, heat-check-launching, tough-shot-making scorer who can lift a team towards victory in close games. While McCasland will continue to work with his star guard on tidying up his game, the coach has quickly been shown the importance of letting Pop cook. His and-1 bucket with less than a minute to play against TCU earned a dub for the Red Raiders, and Isaacs beat Northern Iowa with barely a second on the clock with a floater at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in November. Between his own buckets and those he’s assisted on, Isaacs has contributed the third-most points in the Big 12, and his confidence in being this team’s go-to-guy will continue giving Isaacs the opportunities to make memorable, winning plays.
Former Iowa and West Virginia point guard Toussaint is another tough customer, and has never been better offensively than he’s been this winter. Since arriving in Lubbock, Toussaint has taken on more responsibility than ever and proven ready for the task. Playing a team high of nearly 34 minutes per game, Toussaint has still managed the best assist to turnover ratio (136:68) of his career while taking on innumerable mismatch defensive assignments and doing a stout job anyway. He loves to get a head of steam headed towards the rim, and Toussaint plays bigger than his 6’0″, 195-pound frame would suggest. Not only has he earned almost as many trips to the charity stripe as Isaacs, Toussaint has converted 85.7% of his attempts.
While some teams spend more time at the free throw line, few teams make better use of the attempts they earn than the Red Raiders. Led by guard Chance McMillian, each of Tech’s top four scorers shoots at least 84.5% on unguarded tries – and as a team, Texas Tech ranks 18th nationally by making 77.5% of their freebies. McMillian, the team’s 6th man, is a deadeye shooter no matter where he is on the floor. The former Grand Canyon scorer hit double figures off the bench 16 times in 30 games, and boasts a slash line of 60.5/39.0/91.7% on two’s, three’s, and freebies. The team’s third starting guard is Kerwin Walton, a former Tar Heel who’s enjoyed a breakout senior season for McCasland. Joining McMillian as a standout deep threat, Walton has splashed 58 triples (one of three Red Raiders to hit at least that many) at a sterling 46.8% clip. Walton’s bigger frame and ability to check larger wing players and then stretch defenses on the other end has filled an important role for Tech.
The frontcourt in Lubbock is comparatively thin – especially if veteran pivot Warren Washington’s foot injury continues to linger. There is real quality though: Washington is a clever, unflappable post defender, while young forward Darrion Williams has quickly established himself as one of the most complete players in the Big 12. The Mountain West Rookie of the Year last winter while at Nevada, Williams has continued his ascent into stardom as a Red Raider. He’s not huge, but Williams is smart, powerful in the lane, a creative passer, and has tremendous awareness of everything that’s going on situationally. He’s also a dangerous shooter. On a team full of guys who can heat up from three, the 47.1% rate Williams posted this year is the team’s best; and his 62.8% true shooting rate was the best of any player in the Big 12. Though they’ve remained solid while playing without Washington for the past few weeks – and forward Devan Cambridge since he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team’s eighth game – Texas Tech is clearly its best self with him out there. Quick, positional sound, and another adept passer – especially for a defense-first center – Washington is a wonderful fit in the middle of this team.
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