What does TCU need to do to win its first Big 12 road game at Texas Tech on Big Monday?
TCU has had its chances to win on the road early in Big 12 play.
The Frogs rallied from a double-digit deficit to make it a one-possession game late at Kansas earlier this month. They had a lead with less than a minute left at Oklahoma before letting it slip away.
At Kansas State? Well, TCU endured its most lopsided loss of the season in a turnover-prone game.
But TCU is seemingly on the cusp of getting it done on the road and will have another chance at Texas Tech tonight as part of an ESPN “Big Monday” game in Lubbock.
“It’s going to be tough, playing on Big Monday with one day of rest,” junior guard Desmond Bane said after TCU’s 55-50 victory over Florida on Saturday.
“But we’ve got a good group and we’ve got some good momentum going right now. If we can stick together and play for each other, we’ll have a good chance to win another tough game.”
TCU has found ways to win grind-it-out, defensive battles over Texas (65-61) and Florida (55-50) the past two games. The Florida victory marked the first time TCU has won when scoring fewer than 60 points in the Jamie Dixon era.
TCU (15-4, 3-3 Big 12) will be looking for another first on Monday -- winning a road game over a ranked opponent. The Red Raiders (16-4, 4-3 Big 12) were ranked No. 14 last week and are expected to stay in the Top 25 when the new poll is released later today.
Tech could drop a few spots in the rankings after losing three consecutive Big 12 games until defeating Arkansas on Saturday. Either way, the Frogs will have their work cut out to snap a two-decade long drought.
The last time TCU won a road game against a ranked opponent was January 1998 at No. 24 Hawaii, a drought that sits at 48 games and counting.
“We’ve played really good teams on the road, very good defensive teams,” Dixon said. “Turnover numbers have got to be down. Two of the games they were outrageous and again today [against Florida] outrageous numbers. We’ve changed around what we’re doing, so a little bit higher turnover group. Something I’m not surprised by, except that I’m fighting it every day and trying to get better.
“We’ve got to take care of the basketball. You can’t go on the road and turn it over.”
TCU committed a season-high 20 turnovers at Kansas, and had 18 turnovers at K-State. Against Florida, TCU had 17 even though it managed to overcome that to win.
But the Red Raiders are a team known for their defense and have forced opponents to turn it over an average of 16.3 times a game this season, the most of any Big 12 team.
Outside of the turnover numbers, TCU has to contain Tech’s most dangerous threat offensively -- sophomore guard Jarrett Culver. Culver is averaging 18.5 points, the third-most among Big 12 players.
The good news is TCU has made strides defensively. In fact, Dixon described his team as “defensive-minded” after the Florida win.
As the old basketball cliche goes, that is a positive whenever you go on the road.
“Rebounding and defense travels,” Dixon said. “That plays well on the road.”
It’s something TCU has embraced too.
Freshman center Kevin Samuel ranks fourth in the league in blocks (1.6) and sixth in rebounding (7.2). He’s also developed into a nice post presence on the offensive end, shooting 68.8 percent from the field (the second-best percentage in the Big 12).
Asked about the low-scoring, defensive affairs, Samuel said: “I embrace that. It’s something that I do. The team looks up to me for getting rebounds, pushing the ball, creating offensive breaks in the open court.”
Now it’s about taking that mentality on the road and closing out a game. TCU has been competitive and within striking distance on the road, but it’s about getting over the proverbial hump.
Tonight is the next opportunity.
“We’re not the perfect team yet,” Dixon said. “We’re working on it.”