Can Josiah Moseley be the key to Texas Tech basketball's JT Toppin loss?

Of all the possible angles Grant McCasland examines in replacing JT Toppin, the answer might be as simple as loosening the leash on some of the players he has at his disposal.

While much of the focus outside the program is what the Texas Tech basketball team isn't without Toppin the floor, McCasland prefers to look at what the Red Raiders can be.

As good as Toppin is, there's a double-edged sword that comes with having one player dominate the ball. Most offensive possessions from Texas Tech were predictable, either starting with a high ball screen set by Toppin for Christian Anderson, or finding the angle to let Toppin back down his defender and make a move looking to score.

Each dump off to Toppin creates a pause in the action, everybody on both teams waiting to see which crease Toppin would try to exploit. With that brief break in the action gone, the Red Raiders now have other ways to get inside the paint. Drive-and-kicks were on full display in the 100-72 win over Kansas State, everybody getting an opportunity to provide an offensive jolt.

Five players scored in double-figures against the Wildcats, the sixth time that's occurred this season for Texas Tech and the first since the Big 12 Conference opener against Oklahoma State.

"Those things, I think are what are team is leaning into," McCasland said after the game, "and seeing how valuable everybody is and seeing how much we need each other in order to be successful. And tonight that was on full display."

One of the players who didn't reach double-figures, though, may also be one that can give Texas Tech the boost it needs in the paint and on the boards.

Josiah Moseley didn't see his first action of the year until Jan. 24, providing a spark in the home win over Houston. He had two whole practices with the team before that, and he's since played sporadically as he works his way back into form.

Waiting around is not much of an option anymore. Moseley played 14 minutes against K-State, tallying four points and five rebounds, pairing well with Luke Bamgboye as a unified presence in the post on both ends of the floor.

"I thought his offensive rebounds were timely and big," McCasland said of Moseley. "He got one in the first half that was a put-back and then got that one where they fouled him and he was grabbing it at the same time. ... He can really help us in that way because he's a physical, bouncy, active player. And when he's right, he's got special talent."

Toppin's capabilities were never going to be replaced by any one player. Instead, the Red Raiders are leaning into everybody doing a little bit more. Bamgboye isn't a back-em-down post presence, performing best in the dunker spot of the floor ready for lobs to the rim and being a vertical presence on defense.

Moseley can give the Red Raiders that junkyard dog mentality Toppin possesses. The numbers may not be eye-popping, but the 6-foot-8 forward gives Texas Tech that physical edge it'll need when push comes to shove.

"I think he gave us a lot of chances on the the rebounding," Christian Anderson said of Moseley, "and even if he didn't get it, I just think he affects the ball on a couple plays. His athleticism and his ability to attack and put pressure on the rim and be so physical, I think he helps us a lot, especially cutting to the basket."

McCasland and his staff are still working out which players, rotations and pairings to have on the floor in their new reality. They opted to start LeJuan Watts and Bamgboye but frequently subbed in Marial Akunetok and Moseley off the bench.

Throughout the first half, sub patterns typically found Moseley and Bamgboye together on the floor with Watts and Akuentok occupying those spots as a tandem in other cases. The Moseley-Bamgboye pairing provides more defensive flexibility and ball movement throughout the offense, evidenced by Bamgboye lobbing an alley-oop to the rim finished by Moseley.

McCasland said he's still not sure if that's how things will go throughout the rest of the season, but he needs to find different avenues to attack the opposition. Kansas State was just the first crack at it.

"I'm one of those guys that likes to think through every scenario," McCasland said. "I will say that. I'm always asking our staff like, what happens if? And they're like, well, it hasn't. I'm well, well, what if it does? Who do we want to play. And I got to be honest, mine has more to do with the fight and the look in your eye when I look at you.

". ... We're going a little bit off of fight and will to win and hopefully we'll see some things that we like through these few games to give us a better pattern of how to do it, but today was more about let's keep energy high and let's see what the matchups are and let's make sure that we feel good about who we're guarding as much as who we're going to play on offense, where in the past we've kind of played, who do we feel more on offense than the energy defensively? That was a shift in this approach."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Josiah Moseley holds keys to Texas Tech basketball's interior presence