16. TCU (6-4)
Since Jamie Dixon returned to his alma mater as head coach TCU has been in significantly better shape. This school joined the Big 12 and were completely overwhelmed just over a decade ago. Under Dawkins’ leadership, TCU has made a few trips to the Big Dance and are consistently winning big games against these Big 12 foes. This season things are a little different and it’s hard to imagine postseason success from these Horned Frogs.
Former Arizona State guard Frankie Collins and previous UNC Wilmington forward Trazarien White is the leading scorers ten games into the season, with nobody on this TCU offense exceeding 12 points per game. This team isn’t exactly known for its scoring, though it’s at least a balanced attack, with six different players averaging at least 8 points a night. Beyond that, TCU fills their rotation and the rest of their depth with a slew of freshman with varying levels of imminent potential.
All six of TCU’s wins have come at home, with the early December victory over Xavier clearly being the highlight to this point. Unfortunately, they’ve lost all four of their games away from Fort Worth, notably falling in overtime to Colorado State and losing double-digit affairs to Michigan and Santa Clara. Things have not exactly gone according to plan and this resume is in rough shape.
This new-look frontcourt overwhelmed weaker mid-major opponents early in the season but doing that against the Baylor’s and Kansas’s of the world is an unlikely scenario. The Horned Frogs have had a few terrible shooting performances and will need more consistency from their offense. A few upset wins at home is likely in the coming months, but we don’t imagine you’ll have TCU in the Big Dance.