19. TCU (2-0)
Jamie Dixon has been a revelation since taking over his alma mater six years ago and last year was certainly their best effort yet, coming so close to knocking off top-seeded Arizona in the Big Dance. Much of that talent is back this year, including star Mike Miles Jr. and a load of pieces in the backcourt. There are high expectations, even in a talented and difficult Big 12, but it’s not been a great start to the campaign for these Horned Frogs.
TCU nearly became a casualty on opening night, trailing by as much as 20 at home to Arkansas-Pine Bluff before desperately pulling out a 73-72 victory. Emanuel Miller led the way 19 points, while Miles added 15 points and 6 rebounds in the comeback win. Their next contest was a 77-66 victory over Lamar, again in another game where the Horned Frogs didn’t play their best game. Miles scored 26 points and had 5 assists but the team struggled with ball security at times.
If this team plays like this two months from now, they’re going to get stomped in conference play, even by teams like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State that have been upset already this year. The 3-point shooting has been non-existent and the offense as a whole has struggled to get going. The upcoming week presents two more contests that should be easy, perhaps giving TCU a chance to work out the kinks before the schedule opens up a bit. Don’t panic if you’re TCU, but you should be worried.