Texas Tech Coach Explains Troubling Trend After TCU Loss

Red Raiders struggle to bounce back after physical games, raising concerns ahead of postseason

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland is addressing a troubling trend that resurfaced in his team's 73-65 loss to TCU on Tuesday night. Despite upsetting Iowa State over the weekend, the Red Raiders have now lost three times this season to unranked opponents immediately after beating a ranked team. McCasland believes his team's lack of physicality takes a toll, making it difficult to recover in time for the next game.

Why it matters

Texas Tech's inability to bounce back from physical games is a concerning issue as the team prepares for the postseason. The Red Raiders have secured a bye into the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, but will need to be ready to perform in back-to-back games if they want to make a deep run. This trend could also impact their seeding and performance in the NCAA Tournament.

The details

In the loss to TCU, the Horned Frogs dominated the physical aspects of the game, out-rebounding Texas Tech 39-25 and scoring 38 points in the paint compared to the Red Raiders' 22. McCasland acknowledged that his team, while skilled, lacks the physicality to match up with more physical opponents. He believes this takes a toll on the players, making it difficult to recover in time for the next game.

  • On January 24, Texas Tech upset a ranked opponent and then lost to an unranked team in the next game.
  • On Saturday, Texas Tech upset Iowa State on the road.
  • On Tuesday, Texas Tech lost to TCU at home, 73-65.

The players

Grant McCasland

The head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

The men's basketball team of Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas.

TCU Horned Frogs

The men's basketball team of Texas Christian University, located in Fort Worth, Texas.

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What they’re saying

“I do think that when you play a really physical team, it does take a lot out of us, because we have skill.”

— Grant McCasland, Head Coach (Lubbock-Avalanche Journal)

“I think what we have is a good combination of basketball players, but I wouldn't call us physical. We have to really ramp that up. And I do think you could see it takes it out of us when we play a really physical team, and then you got to turn around and play in a short amount of time.”

— Grant McCasland, Head Coach (Lubbock-Avalanche Journal)

“I'd like to tell y'all, everybody has the answers of why we won't do anything in the postseason. I can tell you, I can give you a lot of reasons why we will, and that's my heart for this group and that's the way we're going to approach it. We'll stare this in the face, and I will as a coach try to help our team have confidence in these games that we can do it.”

— Grant McCasland, Head Coach (Lubbock-Avalanche Journal)

What’s next

Texas Tech will face BYU on March 7 before securing a bye into the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, where their first game will be on March 12. The semifinals are on March 13 and the finals are on March 14, meaning the Red Raiders will need to be ready to perform in back-to-back games.

The takeaway

Texas Tech's lack of physicality is a concerning issue that has resurfaced multiple times this season, as the team struggles to bounce back from physical games. This trend could impact their performance in the postseason, where they will need to be ready to compete in back-to-back games. Coach McCasland is aware of the challenge and is determined to help his team regain confidence and overcome this obstacle.