There was a noticeable edge to Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland on Tuesday night in Provo, Utah. Perhaps it was knowing that his team was facing an uphill battle in front of 18,000 rowdy fans or perhaps it was simply because he knew he needed to set the tone for his players. But whatever the reason, McCasland coached with an extra bit of intensity in the game and it paid off as the Red Raiders prevailed 72-67 to move to 2-1 in conference play.
After the game, McCasland acknowledged the role that the home crowd played in supporting their team.
“Yeah, no, what a remarkable environment this is to play a college basketball game,” he said. “You know, it’s the holidays and you’re going back to classes starting. But I thought the student section and just the energy in the building was tremendous from tip to finish, and that’s why, you know, we have a lot of respect for what they’re doing and how they’re doing…