Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Grant McCasland shares his thoughts on playing Akron in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Tech earned the No. 5 seed in the Midwest region and will face the No. 12 seed Akron Zips in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders will play their first game of the tournament on Friday.
If they win that contest, they will either play the No. 4 seed, the Alabama Crimson Tide, or the No. 13 the Hofstra Pride. Texas Tech entered the tournament not playing their best basketball, especially compared to the Zips. Head coach Grant McCasland spoke about the Zips and the challenges his team will face in their opening game of the tournament. "We have a few guys that have played in the NCAA Tournament, but quite a few that have never played" McCasland said. "The excitement of it is always a blast and then to see where you're going and playing against. We're playing an awesome Akron team that's won 19 of their last 20 games, so they know how to win. Coach Grose, I've been familiar with his teams; they're always going to play well. It'd be awesome, great opportunity."The Zips are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams entering the tournament. They enter March Madness with a stellar 28-5 record and a 17-1 conference mark to win the MAC Championship. They have secured their fifth consecutive 20-win season and are dominating with 10 straight conference wins.Because of the Zips' excellent season, the Red Raiders are considered a potential early-round upset pick in the tournament. The loss of their superstar JT Toppin does them no good. On top of that, they are entering the tournament on a three-game losing streak and have shown vulnerability, with major inconsistencies on the offensive end. They were witnesses to that the last time they were on the court in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 tournament. It won’t be easy for the Texas Tech; however, the NCAA tournament is often viewed as a new season. Records and statistics can be thrown out the window — the only thing that matters is the game in front of you. Texas Tech star guard Christian Anderson spoke about what he took away from the Red Raiders’ tournament run last year and what lessons he plans to carry with him into this year’s tournament.. "Like I said, different players, different teams, different coaches, it's just all going to be different. Having the ability to adjust and trust in your work and be confident is the main thing." The Red Raiders are one of eight Big 12 teams to go dancing. The other Big 12 teams include the Arizona Wildcats, Houston Cougars, Iowa State Cyclones, Baylor Bears, Kansas Jayhawks, BYU Cougars, TCU Horned Frogs and the UCF Knights.Ricardo Sandoval is a Sports Writer for On SI based in Los Angeles, CA. Ricardo has been writing about a wide range of sports and was also an Associate Editor for Dodgers Nation. Ricardo was also a Contributing Sports Writer for Newsweek's Sports Section specializing in NBA, NFL and College coverage. He is a contributor for Texas Tech On SI.
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