TCU’s reserves must step up for stretch run in Big 12

As the season enters its final weeks, with bodies beat up yet his team playing well, and the prospect of 20 wins still in sight, Trent Johnson finds himself thinking about depth more and more.

The TCU coach figures his team is going to need it down the stretch, starting Saturday at No. 16 Oklahoma (19-8, 10-5 Big 12).

“Here, moving forward, it’s nothing but ranked teams,” he said. “It’s a good time of year to be playing, but we’ve got to get back to playing better. We’ve got to get some guys who have been banged up some rest, and then some guys who haven’t been playing — they have to get in situations where they can help us, because we’re going to need everybody going forward.”

For one, the Horned Frogs (17-11, 4-11) would like to get Kyan Anderson a break. The senior point guard leads the Big 12 in minutes played in conference at 35.4 a game. He has averaged 13.5 points and 6.3 assists as the Horned Frogs have won three of their past four games.

But Anderson missed two days of practice this week because his back was bothering him, Johnson said.

Leading rebounder Kenrich Williams (6.9 per game) is playing through a knee problem, and Amric Fields continues to recover from knee surgeries, although he is in the midst of his most productive four-game stretch of the season, averaging 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Johnson praised the play of junior forward Devonta Abron off the bench against Texas Tech on Wednesday. “He was good tonight. He gave us a lift,” Johnson said.

This deep into the season, the Horned Frogs will start asking for more of the same from everyone. After the visit to OU, the Frogs go to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State, then return home to close the regular season against Iowa State.

Then it’s on to the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. The Frogs are the No. 9 seed and would face No. 8 Texas in the first round, based on the current standings.

“We’re playing better basketball, which is good,” Johnson said.

What will it take for the Horned Frogs to reach a postseason tournament, be it the NCAAs, the NIT or CBI?

“To play better in the next game, and then if you win that game, play better the next game,” Johnson said. “And then if you win that game, play better the next one. And if you can win that game, continue to play better.”

This story was originally published February 27, 2015 at 9:33 PM with the headline "TCU’s reserves must step up for stretch run in Big 12."