Texas Tech head coach Grant McCasland had the ultimate humble answer when asked how a win like Saturday night vs. Duke at Madison Square Garden changes their belief going forward (82-81 final score/down 10 at halftime).
(via Texas Tech Red Raiders):
“Don’t go look at my stats, man. I’m 5-foot-8 and some change. I played college basketball in the Big 12; had no business. My dad’s a Baptist minister. I’m honestly just thankful, honestly. And I think when you get a part of teams, and you’ve seen them do things that just are filled with heart. Doesn’t have to do with your talent. Doesn’t have to do with your skill. Doesn’t have to do with your size. It just has to do with your genuine belief and fight every day. And I just tell our guys like, ‘I don’t care. I honestly don’t care if you make ’em.’ I told JT [Toppin], ‘Miss every free throw.’ I told him when he went out there and shot those hook and hold fouls, I was like, ‘I don’t care if you make another free throw, we’re still going to win this game.’
“It’s just like, ‘Honestly, how can you live life in a way that you believe in people even when it’s the most difficult?’ And that’s my hope, and that’s me. I’m horrible at just about everything, but I’ve just got fight and grit and hope and believe in people that you’re around, and then they believe in each other and it’s contagious. And the Red Raiders are that way, too. I mean, I don’t know. We were outnumbered today, but we were loud. And that’s kinda the heart of being a Red Raider, too. It’s just like, ‘Let people count you out, and let’s see what happens.’”
