TCU Basketball: Breaking down 2023-24 non-conference schedule
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Regular Season Games
In-season tournaments, challenges, and other named contests are excluded from this section.
November 6 vs. Southern
The TCU Horned Frogs open the season against the Southern Jaguars, who are coming off a solid campaign. They finished with a losing record overall, but a winning record in the SWAC. Southern even nabbed a road win at Cal last season. They should be a middle-tier SWAC team again, though they’ve lost nearly 80 percent of their minutes from a year ago. Adjusting to a new squad should make them mincemeat at TCU.
November 9 vs. Omaha
Last year, the moribund Omaha Mavericks beat Southern by 10 points, so by some mathematical property, they should be tougher opponent for TCU, right? It’s possible. The Summit League is superior to the SWAC and Omaha returns most of its team from last year, though that’s not saying much for a squad that won only nine games. The Horned Frogs should remain undefeated.
November 14 vs. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
The home cooking continues with the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros, who improved dramatically in Matt Figger’s second year on the job. Diminutive guard DeAnthony Tipler is a fun watch, though one on his fourth collegiate stop after transferring over from East Tennessee State. Senior Daylen Williams averaged an even 6.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last year after transferring from Southern Idaho, earning WAC Newcomer of the Year honors.
November 17 vs. Mississippi Valley State
The Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils are annually one of the worst teams in Division I college hoops. Last year, that meant only five victories, just one that came in non-conference play. They lost to Baylor by 64 points and more pointedly, at TCU by 45 points. They’ll probably be one of the worst teams in the nation again this year.
November 21 vs. Alcorn State
The Braves are probably TCU’s toughest opponent to this point of the season, which is not saying much. Alcorn State won the SWAC last year after going 15-3 in conference play, but were upset in the SWAC Tournament quarterfinals and went to the NIT, where North Texas blew them out. The loss of All-SWAC First Team performer Dominic Brewton to Cal State Fullerton in the transfer portal lowers Alcorn State’s ceiling.
November 27 vs. Houston Christian
If Mississippi Valley State doesn’t claim hold to the worst team in the country this season, Houston Christian might. Since transitioning to the Division I level, the Huskies have had just one winning season. Ron Cottrell, who has been coaching the team for more than three decades, doesn’t seem capable of elevating the artist formerly known as Houston Baptist to a .500 team at this level.
December 16 vs. Arizona State (at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX)
A major conference opponent on TCU’s non-conference schedule? Blasphemy! And to think the Horned Frogs need to leave the comfort of Schollmaier Arena to travel all the way to … another arena in Fort Worth! Bobby Hurley’s Arizona State Sun Devils snuck into the NCAA Tournament last year, winning a First Four game before falling to a familiar opponent in the First Round – TCU. Arizona State will be itching for revenge here, but lost a lot from last year, including Marcus Bagley and Devan Cambridge, who transferred to Texas Tech. If Adam Miller doesn’t get an eligibility waiver, it will be former Michigan guard Frankie Collins and not much else for the Sun Devils.
January 1 vs. Texas A&M Commerce
It should be a happy start of 2024 for TCU as they host the Texas A&M Commerce Lions on New Year’s Day. The Lions do have an exciting young player in forward Jerome Brewer Jr., who averaged 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. Even if he develops into a Southland star, Texas A&M Commerce isn’t positioned to win at Schollmaier Arena.