Veteran coaches for TCU, Syracuse keep it light as NCAA Tournament tightens up
The temperature never moved north of the 30s on a dreary day in Detroit. By early Friday, it was expected to dip into the 20s.
But there was nothing but warmth and sunshine beaming from the TCU men's basketball team.
The Horned Frogs worked out and met the media at Little Caesars Arena in advance of their first NCAA tournament game since 1998.
No. 6 TCU (21-11) opens against Syracuse (21-13) at approximately 8:40 p.m. Friday on CBS.
TCU players weren't too concerned with the frigid air, although Ahmed Hamdy claimed he saw it snowing Thursday morning.
Perhaps it was a smattering of lake effect snow? But don't ask what that means.
The Frogs private plane arrived in Detroit Wednesday afternoon. The players watched the Syracuse-Arizona State play-in game from the hotel rooms and, in case they weren't, they received a text from coach informing them that it would be the Orange.
TCU coach Jamie Dixon opened his NCAA regional press conference with a sly joke about Jim Boeheim, Syracuse's long time head coach and one of the all-time winningest coaches.
"Great to see Jim here to support the Horned Frogs, to make the trip," Dixon quipped, after facing Boeheim 21 times in 13 years coaching Pittsburgh.
Boeheim, long a cut-up at the press table, responded with an ode to his love of basketball ... and curling.
This was his response when asked if he watched other games of the tournament.
"I watch every game all night, during the summer, during the season," he said. "I love basketball. When they're not on, I watch the NBA. When they're not on, I watch women's basketball. If they're not on, I watch curling. I know more about curling than any basketball coach in the country. I can tell you that right now."
He went on ...
"I stay up late. I like to watch TV, and I like to watch sports on TV. Soccer is getting to be my favorite. My son and I have an argument. I think [Lionel] Messi is the best player; he thinks [Cristiano] Ronaldo is the best player. But he's never right. He's just smarter than I am. I couldn't get into Cornell."
There was a good little crowd, perhaps 150 people peppered throughout Little Caesars Arena during TCU's 40-minute shoot around Thursday afternoon.
The workouts were open to the public. TCU's pep band and cheerleading squad were on hand to help give the light practice an extra bit of pizazz. Dixon, who led Pittsburgh to 10 NCAA tournaments, said he's never seen that for a shoot around.
TCU held a more rigorous practice Thursday morning at an area high school.
TCU's team has carried a laid back, care free attitude with them during the season. It's a charming characteristic that Dixon appreciates. How does he think they were reacting to the NCAA tournament stage? Getting out on the arena floor probably helped any nerves, Dixon said. Also, watching all the other games is "another step to it."
"They're very excited. I want it to be fun," he said. "We wanted to make it something they’ll enjoy. We’ll make it loose when we go out and practice. We want them to believe but we want them to understand the value of discipline at the same time."
This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Veteran coaches for TCU, Syracuse keep it light as NCAA Tournament tightens up."