The Cowboys are in the midst of their best stretch of basketball this season, having won two of three with the other a strong showing against a Top 5 Houston team on the road. On Wednesday at TCU, they can not only earn their first Big 12 road win but also improve on their conference win total from last year.
Each team has won two of its past three, but the Horned Frogs are coming off a 30-point loss at Iowa State.
Let’s look at three things worth knowing before the Cowboys and Horned Frogs square off.
1. TCU Struggles Offensively
On paper, the Horned Frogs might have the worst offense in the Big 12. Actually, I guess they objectively do.
TCU ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring, field-goal percentage, last in 3-point percentage, 3-pointers made and assists. They haven’t reached 80 points this calendar year.
The Cowboys haven’t exactly been world-beaters. Both teams are in the bottom three in both field-goal percentage and opponent shooting percentage, but the Pokes have improved of late and have shown the ability to get hot at times throughout the season.
2. The Frogs Have a Lot of Fresh Faces
TCU is experiencing a down year compared to the last few under Jamie Dixon, just two losses shy of last year’s total with eight games still left to go.
Like the Cowboys, the Horned Frogs have a completely revamped roster. Only, they are much less experienced. TCU is the only Big 12 team, and one of only three teams nationally, with five freshmen averaging at least seven minutes per game. No other team in the conference has more than three.
The Frogs rank 130th nationally in D-I experience at 1.98 years. The Cowboys, in contrast, rank 19th at 2.88 years. Sophomore center Ernest Udeh Jr. (7.0 points, 7.8 rebounds) is the only returning scholarship player from last year.
There is some veteran leadership, however. The Frogs are led by senior point guard Noah Reynolds, who transferred from Green Bay this offseason. He leads TCU scoring 12.5 points per game and is tied for the lead with 3.1 assists.
It looks like the Cowboys may be turning a corner in terms of gelling. If so, this is another opportunity to show it.
3. TCU is Tough at Home
TCU just got clobbered in Ames but had won the two previous games at home over West Virginia and Colorado. The Horned Frogs are 11-2 at home overall this season with those two home Ls coming from No. 17 Kansas and a tough Utah squad. Conversely, the Cowboys are 0-6 on the road in conference play. Only OSU and Colorado have yet to win a Big 12 away game.
The Cowboys have been playing better of late, and that’s largely thanks to a drastic drop in turnovers over the last three games and a marked improvement in opponent shooting. They held Utah and Arizona State to 40% or below, their lowest allowed among Big 12 opponents, and they held Houston to 41.9%, the Cougars’ lowest shooting performance in Big 12 play.
TCU doesn’t force a ton of TOs and as stated above, is at the bottom of the league in most of the offensive stats that matter. The Frogs have been feisty at home, but if there’s an opportunity for a road win for the Pokes, this might be it.
The Cowboys and Horned Frogs will tip off at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Fort Worth. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
