By Robert Lastella
Culture is oftentimes a buzzword in sports, but there are moments when what a program is built of gets tested, and that is where a team’s culture is defined.
For Texas Tech, they have had to be a resilient team throughout the season, as they lost their star Forward JT Toppin in February and have had to make adjustments on the fly.
One of those adjustments was the insertion of Josiah Moseley into the rotation following a fractured foot that kept him out for the majority of the season. Moseley made his debut on January 24th, working his way into a role that has now developed into double-digit minutes in 7 consecutive games.
Photo by Christian Proscia
While the injury to Toppin certainly played a part in the increase in minutes for Moseley, that opportunity wouldn’t have been available without Moseley proving he was capable. It could have been daunting for Moseley to attempt to earn a role in the middle of a season, and while it wasn’t an easy adjustment, Moseley was able to do it thanks to a supportive group around him.
“Obviously, coming in, there were a lot of thoughts. Obviously, every role was kind of solidified. And I was the only one who wasn’t playing, so it did take me a little bit to get into rhythm. I think talking to Coach Mac, taking it one day at a time, it is really not as hard when you don’t overthink it, you just need to do your job to help the team win,” Moseley said.
McCasland coaches with an immense amount of passion that he instills into his players, and whether on the real court or the practice court, his team will exude the max amount of effort.
While McCasland worked to make Moseley’s adjustment period as smooth as possible, he also coached him with that same passion that gave him a sense of confidence when he touched the court.
Photo by Christian Proscia
That coaching style, according to Moseley, fires him up and his teammates, as they are being coached by someone who wants to win just as badly as they do.
“As a player, you know he wants to win just as much as we do. Like having that mentality stand on us, making sure we're aggressive, not playing really hesitant, and being confident in what you do, that kind of gives us confidence,” Moseley said.
There was never any doubt that Grant McCasland would do everything possible to support Moseley following his return from injury. While coaches will always support their players, adding a new player into a culture that isn’t ready for it could create a precarious situation.
Luckily for Texas Tech, that isn’t an issue, as outside of supporting Moseley, McCasland has developed a culture of unselfishness that has allowed for a seamless addition of Moseley into the rotation.
Photo by Christian Proscia
One of the disadvantages of NIL is that it can force players to become selfish as they look towards their next paycheck. While Texas Tech certainly has no shortage of NIL funds, they haven’t let that affect the unselfish brand of basketball that they look to put on the court.
Donovan Atwell was someone who also had to find a way to fit into the Red Raider culture following 3 seasons at UNCG, and he was able to do that with ease, serving as their 3rd leading scorer overall. That same culture that allowed Atwell to flourish has now done the same for Moseley, and according to Atwell, that is in large part to Moseley’s work off the court.
“It didn't really even feel like an addition, because he's been around us the whole time, he's been locked in watching the practice, the reps he couldn't take. He was mentally taking those reps. So honestly, when he came back, we just hit the ball rolling. I really feel like there were no missteps in his return. So honestly, it was more like just an improvement in terms of having him with us; he's been great,” Atwell said.
Friday afternoon’s round of 64 matchup saw Moseley miss just one shot from the field, finishing 7 of 8 with 15 points, also adding 4 rebounds and 4 blocks. It was a coming-out party of sorts for Moseley, as it was only his second game of the year scoring in double figures, and it came at the most pivotal of times.
Photo by Christian Proscia
In the Round of 32 on Sunday, while Moseley certainly would like to build on his Round of 64 performance, he won’t be focused on that. Rather, Moseley will be playing with the Red Raider unselfish mindset, doing whatever his team needs, in hopes it will lead to them advancing to the Sweet 16.
“I mean, hopefully. I just want to do whatever I can. It's not going to be everyone's night every game, so the next player has to be ready to set up,” Moseley said.
The 4-Seed Texas Tech will take on the 5th-Seed Alabama in the Round of 32 on Sunday at 9:45 PM EST at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa Bay, with the winner advancing to the Sweet 16 and the loser going home.