12/8/2024
Thursday night saw a battle of two great basketball minds in Fort Worth between Sean Miller’s Xavier Musketeers and Jamie Dixon’s Horned Frogs. This matchup brought TCU their biggest home test of the year, with the 7-1 Musketeers being the only thing to be excited about in Cincinnati right now, thanks to the hapless Bengals.
The home squad came out hot in the opening period, finding their three-point shot and sticking to Xavier like glue on the defensive end to force a bevy of turnovers. Ernest Udeh and David Punch were active on the glass as well, helping the team secure 9 offensive rebounds in the first half. These key aspects teamed up like the Miami big three to steer the Frogs to an 8-point advantage at the break.
The pendulum swung the other direction in half number 2, as Xavier started dominating the offensive rebound and turnover battle. Those two stats seemed attached at the hip to the score, with the Musketeers getting back in it down the stretch. However, Frankie Collins supplied his usual steadying presence, with a team-high 16 points, 7 boards, and 5 assists. Brendan Wenzel also hit a few huge shots late to lead TCU to a 76-72 victory. In my level-headed non-dramatic opinion, this game has swayed my outlook away from the season being completely over after the disastrous Acrisure Invitational. Instead, I am now scouting who the Frogs will face in the National Championship.
TCU’s ninth tilt of the year saw them take on Vanderbilt in a neutral site game. To get there, the Frogs had to make the long trek all the way from Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth to Dickies Arena, in Fort Worth. The match was played in a venue that was about as neutral as Matthew McConaughey doing play-by-play for a Texas football game.
While one could think the Horned Frogs would benefit from some home cooking, it was a tight contest throughout. Ball movement was the key theme, with Frankie Collins leading the way as usual (7 assists) on the way to 19 total team assists. The increased focus on passing brought turnovers. The Frogs turned it over a season-high 18 times in this bout.
A balanced scoring effort led by four players putting up 11 each and the ball being distributed well kept the squad from Fort Worth in it late. Down the stretch, they were ultimately done in by the avalanche of turnovers and more poor free-throw shooting (53.8%). These issues combined with Vanderbilt star Jason Edward’s season-high 30 points led TCU to lose another one 83-74, dropping them to 5-4 on the year. Jamie Dixon will work to get his group to execute better in crunch time, as they were as clutch in this one as Clayton Kershaw in a playoff game.
11/30/2024
Following eight days off, TCU basketball spent Thanksgiving traveling to Palm Springs, California to take on the Santa Clara Broncos in round one of the Acrisure Invitational. After loading up the first of many plates and Googling what an Acrisure is (still not sure), I did what any good American does on Thanksgiving and glued myself to the couch in the name of sports.
Much of the same problems that plagued TCU in their last two games persisted early and often in this one. They were routinely beaten inside on the defensive end, failing to box out the Broncos on the way to losing the rebound and points in the paint battle. The three-point shot hurt the Frogs again, as the team went an abysmal 1/17 (5.9%) from deep. The poor shooting and turnover-riddled offense gave the squad from Fort Worth a bigger uphill battle than me walking up the stairs after plate number four.
Frankie Collins and Noah Reynolds tried to lead a comeback by relentlessly slashing, and it almost worked. Collins exploded out of the break, putting up 12 in the opening 5 minutes of the half on the way to a team-high 15. Reynolds pitched in 12 as well, as he continued to get to the rim with his quick first step. In the end, Santa Clara pulled away to win 69-52, handing the Horned Frogs their second loss of the season. The disjointed offensive effort could not be overcome, with the Frogs’ lack of chemistry painfully reminding me of a first date.
Day two of the Acrisure Invitational saw TCU duke it out with the Colorado State Rams for third place. This was their final game of the tournament, as only four teams were invited to play. If you are keeping track, yes, the number of plates I had yesterday equals the number of teams in the tournament. It is worth mentioning I will absolutely not be doing the same for March Madness.
The Frogs refreshingly kept the match much tighter, despite some old problems rearing their ugly head. They went almost five minutes without scoring to start, showing that slow starts are a trend for this team. Poor free throw shooting bothered the squad again (70%), but some noticeable improvements occurred. Jamie Dixon had his bunch moving the ball a lot more, with the three-point shooting improving as well (36%).
Frankie Collins did his best to keep his boys in it, pouring in 18 points, 8 boards, and 5 assists. They kept it so tight that the contest went into overtime. In the end, the Rams overpowered the Horned Frogs (much like I think would happen in real life, but still be a fun fight). Colorado State came out on top 76-72. TCU was once again beaten inside, losing the points in the paint battle 24 to 30, and in rebounds 38 to 44. It was a tough tournament for the Horned Frogs. On the more cheery side, I will applaud Dixon for his strategic use of timeouts in the second game, which a certain football team in Chicago can learn from.
The Alcorn State Braves arrived in Fort Worth Tuesday, looking to pull an unthinkable upset against the TCU Horned Frogs. Unfortunately for them, things went about as expected in a matchup where the spread so largely favored TCU. When I first saw it, I thought I was accidentally covering the Alabama vs. Mercer football game.
The Frogs came out sluggish after loss #1 to Michigan, appearing disjointed on offense again. The absence of big man Ernest Udeh stood out for a second straight contest. His squad got beat down low en route to Alcorn State keeping it close early. The three-ball drove the team out of the opening slump though, as they seem to go as far as that shot takes them. Brendan Wenzel laced three first-half threes to help his group finish 50% from beyond the arc after 20 minutes.
The home squad kept its foot on the pedal coming out of halftime, with Trazarien White hitting two early shots to set the tone in the second period. White would put up a team-high 14 points to continue his turnaround following a slow start to the year. Once again, winning off the dribble and a swarming defense led to the TCU men getting their fifth victory of the season over Alcorn State, 71-48. Jamie Dixon’s bunch did not play again until Thanksgiving, giving the boys some much-needed rest. The break also gave yours truly extra time to focus on the four assignments due this week that I’m definitely not cramming into one hellish caffeine-fueled night.
11/17/24
TCU basketball started off week two hosting Texas State on Tuesday night. Going in, the Frogs knew they had another pesky foe. The Bobcats did not disappoint, sticking to the home team closely and refusing to go away, much like the fly that got into my house two weeks ago (totally my fault, do not feel bad for me). Despite their best efforts, TCU pulled out the win 76-71, to move to 3-0 on the season.
The third game of the year marked the first time of the year the refs made an impact. Plenty of free throws were awarded to both sides. Many stoppages occurred as well, with this match having less rhythm than me (a tall and lanky guy) on the dance floor. TCU could not take advantage of it though, only shooting 15 of 32 (47%) from the free throw line. Getting beat down low defensively and racking up fouls also hurt the squad, leading to them trailing at the end of the half.
Individually, the trio of Noah Reynolds, Trazarien White, and Ernest Udeh anchored the group in the first period of play. Reynolds and White took charge early, while Udeh hauled in every rebound he could and stabilized the defense.
In the second half, Jamie Dixon made a clear point to cut down on fouls and have his guys move their feet on the perimeter to block off interior cuts and pass lanes. These adjustments led to his squad winning two key battles: rebounds (34 to 27) and steals (7 to 4). The three individual spark plugs were joined by Frankie Collins, who poured in all 13 of his points primarily off drives to the basket, the offensive theme of the game for TCU.
I want to take this opportunity to shout out Noah Reynolds, who had a team-high 17 points. He beat his opponent off the dribble so often, I started to actually believe in deja vu. In fact, I wrote his name in my notebook so much that it looked like Bart Simpson's blackboard.
For game number four of the year, the Horned Frogs traveled to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines. Unfortunately, the match was considerably less exciting for TCU fans than the 2022 Fiesta Bowl between these two universities, which I was lucky enough to see in person. At least I still have a voice to speak with after this one.
Michigan started strong, jumping out to a 7-0 lead. Despite some early timeouts, Jamie Dixon struggled to settle his bunch down. His group sorely missed the presence of junior Center Ernest Udeh, as they were beaten defensively on the interior often against 7-footers Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin. The size difference popped off the screen when the Frogs were on offense too, as cuts to the basket that worked in the past found themselves being blocked regularly.
TCU hung around and only trailed by three through 20 minutes, thanks to Michigan producing enough turnovers to put every bakery in Ann Arbor out of business (15). Trazarien White provided a stabilizing force as well, providing 10 points in the first period and a team-high 16 in total. Brendan Wenzel pitched in with three early threes and poured in 15 to join White on the leaderboard.
The combination of their first road and Power Four-game was too much for the Frogs, as the Wolverines pulled away in the second half to win 76-64. Cold shooting (26% from behind the arc and 34% from the field) yet again hurt the squad. Getting out-rebounded 41 to 29 also contributed to the loss, and highlighted the importance of returning Ernest Udeh to the starting lineup as quickly as possible.
Coming off such a tough loss, I will probably not be wearing my TCU shirt on campus this week. The more I think about it, it made no sense for me to wear it after a win either, given that I go to school at the University of Florida.
11/10/24
The Texas Christian University Men’s basketball team kicked off their 2024-25 season at home on Monday night against the Florida A&M Rattlers in the biggest sporting event involving a kickoff and a team from Florida on Monday night. Anticipation and excitement swirled throughout Schollmaier Arena with fans eager to get a look at the new lineup. That excitement turned to joy, as the Horned Frogs took control early and did not let up.The most exciting thing in the arena quickly turned from the game to the appearance of Shaq, supporting his son who plays for Florida A&M. Jamie Dixon and the Horned Frog Men finished the night with a massive 105-59 victory, starting the season off right.
In one of the more complete efforts I have seen from a basketball team on opening night, TCU dominated every facet of this game. The main story of the night was the Horned Frog’s scalding hot shooting from three. They shot 14 of 30, or 47%, from behind the arc. Florida A&M tried to keep pace themselves with 34 attempts, but only hit 8, leading to many opportunities for the Frogs to get out and run to the rim or find a three-point shooter. TCU’s ability to run the break, quickly get downhill to the basket, and be active on defense also led to the impressive performance in Fort Worth on Monday night. This additionally showed the depth of the squad, with seven different players connecting from three, six reaching double-digit scoring, and their leading scorer coming off the bench.
As you can imagine, it might be hard to single out the individual pieces that made a difference in an effort such as this. However, a few players did manage to pop off the screen. Frankie Collins gave the most complete effort. He made his defensive presence known early, grabbing a steal within the first two minutes and finishing with four, by far the most on the team. The senior guard also hit two threes, finished second on the team in scoring (14 points), and displayed impressive rebounding skills for a 6’1” guard by snagging seven boards.
I would be a terrible writer if I did not also take this opportunity to highlight how well Vasean Allette looked against the Rattlers, who I hyped up in my season preview. As forecasted by yours truly, the Old Dominion transfer looked explosive while tearing up Florida A&M’s second unit. Allette led the team in points off the bench with 20, hitting twice with the three-ball. He also showed his passing prowess, with a couple of nice passes on the way to three assists. Jace Posey made a pleasantly surprising NCAA debut for the Frogs too. The Redshirt Freshman guard came off the bench and hit three shots from beyond the arc, helping his squad pull away early. Posey finished with 11 points in just the first 18 minutes of his collegiate career.
Before I wrap this up, I would like to hand out a most relatable moment award for something that occurred towards the end of the second half. With about nine minutes to go, Frankie Collins got a steal (what else is new) and drove the ball to the rim before dishing it to Vasean Allette. Given his athleticism, I was expecting an eye-popping dunk. Instead, I got a two-inch jump and the most routine layup you will ever see. Frankie Collins seemed to be expecting more as well, as he said something that made Allette laugh. Not even two minutes later, Vasean Allette grabbed a steal of his own and was once again in the clear. This time, his takeoff seemed doomed from the start. He launched off one leg and almost crumpled over on the takeoff. Allette managed to get up enough to lay it in before stumbling towards the cheerleaders, who he managed to spare. As someone who is 6’6” and cannot dunk a basketball to save his life, I feel your pain Vasean. Do not listen to what everyone else says, layups are just as cool.
In their second game of the week, TCU took on Florida Gulf Coast University, because bullying the state of Florida gets more fun when you do it twice, apparently. FGCU, unlike Florida A&M, put up a good fight for much of the game. In the end, TCU took their lunch money as well, finishing the week with a 67-51 victory over FGCU.
Jamie Dixon’s bunch did not cruise out to as smooth of a start as they did earlier in the week. Florida Gulf Coast’s tenacious defense contributed massively to the slow start. The Eagles made a concerted effort to play swarming defense with lots of full-court press and double teams. TCU struggled to respond to this in the first half, turning the ball over eight times and often failed to get quality looks. The Horned Frogs also struggled to get their three-point shot to fall, as they only shot it at a 27% clip. Defensively, the team was getting beat at the point of attack. This allowed FGCU to get into the paint and feed it to big man Keshawn Kellman, who finished with a game-high 18 points.
With a game plan centered around ferocious defense and interior passes to Kellman, Florida Gulf Coast looked poised for an upset. A notable change in defensive mindset helped turn things around for the Frogs. They actively filled the passing lanes more and stopped getting beat at the point of attack. Noah Reynolds and Vasean Allette helped to thwart the upset attempt in the second half too, leading the offensive charge. Coming out of the half, the two newcomers looked determined to use their quick first step to force the Eagle's defense to move. This opened up three-point shooters and scoring opportunities inside. Reynolds beat his defender many times off the dribble to create offense, as evidenced by his 5 assists. Most notably Reynolds did this by blowing past the defense, forcing them to collapse, and finding an open Micah Robinson for three late in the game. Reynolds’ aggressive play style rubbed off on Vasean Allette, who helped the Frogs pull away late with a deep three and relentless drives to the basket. The shooting guard’s efforts showed up in the box score, leading the team in scoring yet again with 14 points.
I know what you are thinking after reading my season preview and now the first weekly recap. Yes, I am still passing off my articles as recaps of the TCU Men's basketball team’s games. No, I will not openly admit to my articles being the weekly Vasean Allette fan club newsletter (yet).
10/28/24
One player. Out of the 17 players on the Texas Christian University men’s basketball team for the upcoming season, that’s how many suited up for the Horned Frogs last season. While there’s four other players from the 2023-24 roster, none saw the court. This one figure is vital to understanding the potential outcome for this team. The range of outcomes for this group is extremely volatile. So volatile that a blind dart throw to determine its final standing might be more accurate and use less energy than research and analysis. However, here we are anyway, so let’s jump right into the pieces of TCU.
Jamie Dixon is entering his ninth season as the head coach, and what he has been able to do so far has been impressive. He has amassed a record of 160-110. He is now looking to lead the team to its third straight season appearing in the AP top 25 poll. If he accomplishes this, it would be for the first time in school history. Dixon also hopes to lead this bunch back to the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year. This would also be a first for TCU. Sustaining this success won’t be easy though, as the aforementioned loss of all but one player from last year’s team looms large. Fortunately, the program brought in a lot of talent. They have the 18th best freshman recruiting class in the nation and 28th best transfer class according to 247 Sports. These classes added10 new players in total, along with two walk-ons.
The transfers will make or break how this season, as four of their five starters are coming from other schools. Two key pieces off the bench are transfers as well. Jamie Dixon and his staff did an excellent job bringing in a wide range of talent that can accomplish a lot on a basketball court. They prioritized what all teams that want to go deep into March Madness need. They went out and got experience, especially in the backcourt.
They did this through acquiring senior guards Frankie Collins and Noah Reynolds who will play point guard and shooting guard, respectively. Collins has power 5 (now 4, sorry Pac-12 fans) experience playing for Arizona State last year. He is projected to be the primary ball handler but is also capable of scoring, averaging 13.5 points a game last season. He will also spearhead the defensive attack after averaging 2.6 steals a game last year, the most in the Pac-12 conference. Collins and the lone returning player, center Ernest Udeh Jr., figure to be the two most important defensive players. They will look to give the team a strong defensive presence. Noah Reynolds will compliment Collins in the backcourt slashing for shots at the rim. He can also distribute the ball as evidenced by his 4.5 assists a game last year. This will be another key ingredient to a deep tournament run.
Senior small forward Brendan Wenzel and senior power forward Trazerian White also figure to play key roles as efficient three-point shooters. Wenzel shot almost 38 percent from beyond the arc last year at Wyoming and White shot 39 percent at UNC Wilmington. White, a prized acquisition in the transfer portal too, averaged 19.8 points a game last year and figures to be a main source of offense for the Frogs. The last key piece to look out for on this team is Sophomore guard Vasean Allette. The explosive shooter from Old Dominion averaged 17.4 points a game last year and figures to be one of the primary sources of offense off the bench. With his quick first step and ability to get downhill to the rim, he’ll do a lot of damage against other team’s backup units.
When it comes to projecting how these intriguing pieces will gel on a basketball court, your guess is as good as mine. There’s a world where chemistry is an issue with 16 new players on the team, and it’s tough for them to string together wins in the ferocious Big 12. The conference looks to be, yet again, the strongest conference in Division 1. But there’s a path to success for this team if they can use the early season schedule to gel and work out the kinks before jumping into Big 12 conference play.
As I stated before, I think Jamie Dixon did a fantastic job in the transfer portal and brought in most of the elements a team needs for a successful season. However, defense was a problem for the team last year and I’m not sure where that defensive production will come from with this roster. This could be the aspect of the team that holds them back from the top of the conference. I believe they will thrive in non-conference play and they will lean on their experience. This should be enough to lead them into the tournament. If the Frogs are able to find themselves in the NCAA tournament again this would be considered another successful season for Jamie Dixon and the TCU Men’s basketball program. While there isn’t as much buzz surrounding this squad as last year, there is potential for them to perform just as well as last year’s group, if not better.
My final projection
Big 12 play: 10-10 record, 8th in the conference
Tournament outcome: Last 4 in. Win first 4 game, first round exit in the round of 64.
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