GMac Interview (10/25/2022)

Glory to the Green · October 25, 2022

Great interview! Talks about the upcoming season…style of play….scheduling issues...what to expect from the vets and new guys. GMG!

Edited October 26, 2022 by Glory to the Green

Greenrex · October 26, 2022

Excellent interviewer and interviewee. Grant McCasland is first class.

Glory to the Green · October 26, 2022

8 hours ago, Greenrex said:

Excellent interviewer and interviewee. Grant McCasland is first class.

I thought this was an excellent interview, too. The scheduling part was interesting. It’s what we all kind of thought, but he just said it. No one wants to come to Denton to get their ass kicked. 😂

emmitt01 · October 26, 2022

What I was most interested to hear was the fact that we can't schedule bigger name opponents at home because, though we've tried, teams don't want to face our program in our gym. This is when you know you've built a quality program.

I long for the days when the reason we can't get opponents to Apogee is because other schools fear a loss.

jdennis82 · October 26, 2022

I understand coaches who are conditioned to provide as little information as possible when interviewed or in a press conference but it's certainly refreshing when a coach like GM comes across as candid and honest when discussing the team and program. Exciting to hear him speak of expanding the offense and explaining that the glacial pace and approach in recent years was intentional and strategic to match the strength of the roster/rotation. Sounds like his focus is tailoring the style of play to players rather than being rigid to a specific system.

southsideguy · October 26, 2022

Night and Day between Gmac and SL. Gmac seems happy to be here while he is here. I sure some big boys will be sniffing around for him.

greenminer · October 26, 2022

3 hours ago, southsideguy said:

Night and Day between Gmac and SL. Gmac seems happy to be here while he is here. I sure some big boys will be sniffing around for him.

SL is definitely a different person than he was Year 1. 6 years of wear and tear, doesn't like to deal with media, losing seasons, etc...

I don't think a GMac comparison is completely fair. They strike me as different personality types. GMac has had tons of positive momentum on his side, and seems to embrace the camera/social aspects of his job.

emmitt01 · October 27, 2022

4 hours ago, southsideguy said:

Night and Day between Gmac and SL. Gmac seems happy to be here while he is here. I sure some big boys will be sniffing around for him.

Other programs have come sniffing around (SMU included if you consider them “big boys”) and Mac has chosen to stay put. I think he knows what some of us forget…this place has the potential to be special.

BillySee58 · October 27, 2022

I was really intrigued by how much he was talking up Kai Huntsberry. I was fully expecting Martinez and Eady to be starters and key players on the team, but with Huntsberry was just hoping he could be a solid guard off the bench. He is much more of an unknown as a D2 guy compared to Martinez and Eady, who were both double digit scorers at D1 schools, but it sounds like he has a really impressive offensive skill set straight from Mccasland’s mouth.

MeanGreenTexan · October 27, 2022

He's actually chatting about technical, schematic, and personnel strengths... with detail!
This is something Littrell would N.E.V.E.R. do.
It's almost as if McCasland understands that his opponents do their own scouting and aren't stupid, so he can just speak plainly about what we do well, and just challenge the other teams to stop his guys. I love it, but it's so weird to hear. I normally expect coaches to be way more guarded.

Great Interview!

MeanGreen22 · October 27, 2022

What I found most interesting about the scheduling issues is that not only do schools not wanna come to the Pit to play, but they also don’t wanna pay us to come to them either.

also the little tidbit that only Kansas was okay with playing us in the first round last year was hilarious

Edited October 27, 2022 by MeanGreen22

greenminer · October 27, 2022

FYI The Green Room is on YT

UNTLifer · October 27, 2022

20 hours ago, southsideguy said:

I sure some big boys will be sniffing around for him.

Zach Galifianakis Language GIF

Shark 64 · October 27, 2022

3 hours ago, BillySee58 said:

I was really intrigued by how much he was talking up Kai Huntsberry. I was fully expecting Martinez and Eady to be starters and key players on the team, but with Huntsberry was just hoping he could be a solid guard off the bench. He is much more of an unknown as a D2 guy compared to Martinez and Eady, who were both double digit scorers at D1 schools, but it sounds like he has a really impressive offensive skill set straight from Mccasland’s mouth.

Coach Mac compared Huntsberry to Javion but said he is a better outside shooter. Sign me up for that! Can't wait to see how this team develops as the year goes on. I think they will definitely have some growing pains early, as the new guys get used to the system, but I think we will be peaking about the time conference play starts. Go Mean Green!

BillySee58 · October 27, 2022

22 minutes ago, Shark 64 said:

Coach Mac compared Huntsberry to Javion but said he is a better outside shooter. Sign me up for that! Can't wait to see how this team develops as the year goes on. I think they will definitely have some growing pains early, as the new guys get used to the system, but I think we will be peaking about the time conference play starts. Go Mean Green!

Yeah it sounded like he said he’s faster than Javion in addition to saying he’s a better shooter. That would be a heck of a ball player. I’m still not expecting him to be CUSA player of the year like Javion, but I am expecting him to be legit offensive weapon. Also expecting it will take some time to get up to speed at the D1 level.

Edited October 27, 2022 by BillySee58

UNTcrazy727 · October 27, 2022

On 10/26/2022 at 2:00 PM, emmitt01 said:

What I was most interested to hear was the fact that we can't schedule bigger name opponents at home because, though we've tried, teams don't want to face our program in our gym. This is when you know you've built a quality program.

I long for the days when the reason we can't get opponents to Apogee is because other schools fear a loss.

Until we show we can be a perennial Quad 1 road opponent it's going to be hard to get anyone worthwhile to Denton. As a fan I wish we scheduled more known mid-majors to come to Denton, but I understand why Mac prefers early season tournaments instead. They're low risk, high reward.

NT80 · October 28, 2022

Coach Mac is a magnet for players and fans. His enthusiasm is contagious and wins fans over to his program. Seth, on the other hand, puts fans to sleep. He adds little info and no energy to the future for his .500 program.

southsideguy · October 28, 2022

Yes Sl has a different personality but as a head coach you are point man for the program.

MGNation92 · October 28, 2022

Great interview. Mac is so engaging and makes you want to listen, unlike Littrell who actively drives away any sort of engaging conversation.

Will be interested to see the transition offense and overall uptick in tempo. Our slow pace seemed to pair well with a strong defense. Wonder if they'll fall a little bit defensively because of it. Still expect us to be top defensively among the conference, but maybe not as strong nationally.

aztecskin · October 29, 2022

Yeah football coaches in general are very guarded -- hoops coaches are much more engaging on the whole. Compared to CUSA coaches, Littrell is even worse when it comes to conversation. The only worse were Doc Holliday, and Jay Hopson. They just loathed media interaction (at least at media days).