TCU basketball is off to a 7-2 start, but there’s much work to be done
The TCU men’s basketball team has shown flashes in the first five weeks of the season.
The Horned Frogs have won games by knocking down 3-pointer after 3-pointer, such as when they hit a program-record 18 3’s against Louisiana. They’ve won games with a last-second shot at the buzzer, such as a 59-58 victory over UC Irvine. And they’ve won defensive battles, such as a 70-60 victory over Winthrop on Wednesday night.
“I feel like we can beat teams in a variety of ways,” senior guard Desmond Bane said. “We had 17 assists [against Winthrop] so the ball is definitely moving around. We’ve got versatility inside, dynamic wings that can shoot the ball with the best of them. We got a good little team for sure.”
At 7-2, it’s understandable why the Frogs remain confident about the season. After all, both losses have come by a combined four points to Clemson and USC.
With that being said, there’s plenty to improve upon. Coach Jamie Dixon mentioned on his radio show Thursday night that the team has yet to fully click.
Dixon hopes to see his team take another step toward that when it faces Lamar on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.
Here’s five things to watch with a little over a month of data.
1. Finishing games
TCU has struggled in putting teams away early. The Frogs blew a 15-point lead in their loss to Clemson in Las Vegas last month, and saw a 19-point lead dwindle to 10 in the final two minutes against Winthrop.
TCU has also let teams such as Air Force and Illinois State stay within striking distance longer than expected.
“We’ve got to put teams away,” Dixon said. “It’s something we have to improve upon.”
2. Making free throws
One way to put teams away is for TCU to improve at the free throw line.
The Frogs are the Big 12’s worst free-throw shooting team. They’ve made just 62.7% of their free throws (79-of-126).
Late-free throw misses have been costly in both losses to Clemson and USC.
Not only are the Frogs not making them, they’re also not getting to the line often enough. The 126 attempts is the second-fewest in the Big 12. By comparison, West Virginia has been to the line 213 times in the same number of games (nine).
Oklahoma is the league’s best free-throw shooting team at 76.5% (124-of-162 in eight games).
3. Finding an identity
TCU has won games in a variety of fashions. That’s a sign of a team that has versatility to do what is necessary on a given night.
But it leaves fans wondering about TCU’s identity. Just when it looked like it may be a great 3-point shooting team against Louisiana, TCU responds by making only 7-of-25 3’s against Air Force.
Against Winthrop, TCU made just 6-of-25 from long range. Still, the Frogs have shown promise from 3-point range and lead the Big 12 with nine 3-pointers made per game.
Defensively, though, TCU has to improve on defending the 3. The Frogs rank last among league teams in 3-point defense (37%).
As far as Dixon is concerned, he’d like the identity of his team to be a “tough, defensive-oriented team that executes offensively.”
4. Growing ‘em up
As TCU football coach Gary Patterson likes to say, the younger players have to “grow up” and play like veterans. The same rings true for the basketball team.
Freshman forward Diante Smith is a player to watch. He had a stellar preseason, but has been slow to make an impact battling his way through injuries.
Smith is averaging just 1.9 points per game and is shooting 18.2% from the field and 10% from 3-point range (2-of-20).
But Dixon feels Smith could become a difference-making player for the Frogs.
“Diante is a guy we really expect great things from,” Dixon said on his radio show. “His time is coming. He just needs to hit his shot early.”
5. Record watch
Bane is the go-to player for TCU’s offense, as expected. He’s averaging 17.2 points a game, which ranks fifth in the Big 12.
Bane is just 18 points shy of cracking the program’s Top 10 list for all-time scorers. He’s at 1,408 points and about to pass No. 10 Gary Turner at 1,426.
The bigger question, though, is whether Bane will threaten to become the program’s all-time leading scorer. That record could be within reach by March. Darrell Browder has been at the top since ending his career with 1,886 points in 1983.
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
