Grant McCasland crosses paths with old friend Ross Hodge in a Big 12 matinee. McCasland knows that Hodge will have his team prepared to provide Texas Tech with an opportunity to improve.
LUBBOCK - Grant McCasland and Ross Hodge have won championships together. Now, come Sunday afternoon in Morgantown, their pursuits of a Big 12 title will cross paths as rivals, despite the lasting respect.
McCasland's Texas Tech Red Raiders face Hodge's West Virginia Mountaineers on Feb. 8 in a mid-day duel that the familiar coaches hope will bring the best out of their teams.
Hodge was once an associate head coach under McCasland in Denton at the University of North Texas before accepting the West Virginia job going into this season.
As a pairing, the coaches guided the Mean Green to a CBI Championship, an NIT Championship, a regular season (2020) and tournament championship (2021) in Conference USA, and the program's first NCAA Tournament win, an upset over No. 4-seed Purdue in the first round in 2021.
When McCasland got hired by Texas Tech, Hodge took over at UNT for two seasons before joining the Mountaineers. McCasland couldn't say enough about one of his "best friends" in the post-practice press conference this week.
"I love what he's doing with their team," McCasland said. "They're finding ways to win close games; they've been in a lot of them. ... Looking forward to getting the opportunity to compete, and we're gonna have to play our best."
In West Virginia's last game, Hodge led a furious comeback where the Mountaineers stunned the Cincinnati Bearcats by coming back from a 14-point deficit in the final 14 minutes, pulling out a 59-54 win on the road.
McCasland wasn't surprised by the effort. It reminded him of a game in the 2023 NIT against Wisconsin. It was McCasland's last year at North Texas with Hodge and the Mean Green were "down significantly," needing a comeback that they'd ultimately deliver on.
Hodge uttered a phrase - and more specifically, a mentality - that has stuck with McCasland to this day.
"We've got enough points to win, they don't have to score another basket," Hodge said.
Recalls McCasland: "That mentality is pretty wild. ... That's him. That's his grit, his fight. That's who he is."
The Mountaineers (6-4 in conference) sit two spots below the No. 13 Red Raiders (6-3) in the Big 12 standings by half a game.
McCasland knows that, despite the records or his relationship with Hodge, this road matchup can be a launching point for his team.
"I'm always looking forward to competition," McCasland said.
"... I view competing against guys like Coach Hodge and West Virginia and their team as really an opportunity for our team to get better. ... I know we'll get better either way because of this game.
"So, really the focus has been on 'How do we do our best to give ourselves the best chance to win this game.' Doesn't matter who the head coach is, doesn't matter who we're playing. ... If we go out and we do everything we've practiced in order to put ourselves in position, with all our heart, we'll be better no matter what."