TCU’s Jamie Dixon channels his inner Coach P to find reason for optimism
The TCU men’s basketball team was picked to finish last in the Big 12 coming into the season.
The reason? The Horned Frogs had just two returning starters in guard Desmond Bane and center Kevin Samuel.
Well, TCU is off to a 2-0 start in league play, the best since it joined the Big 12 in 2012. The Horned Frogs (11-3, 2-0 Big 12) will look to extend the streak to 3-0 when they face Oklahoma State (9-5, 0-2) at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Schollmaier Arena.
Yes, it’s only two games, but coach Jamie Dixon likes the early signs he’s seen from his team. Especially in the leadership department behind Bane and Samuel.
Bane and Samuel have sped up the learning curve with so many new players and faces on the team.
Dixon even borrowed a line from TCU football coach Gary Patterson, saying: “I really believe Kevin’s and Desmond’s leadership has grown them up quick, to use a phrase that we use down here.
“That’s why I think this team can keep getting better and better — because of their leadership. That really stands out to me.”
Bane has always been viewed as the team’s unquestioned leader. He’s a senior and the leading scorer. But Samuel’s growth in that area has been a pleasant surprise.
“Kevin in the huddle, Kevin in the timeouts, I love his leadership,” Dixon said.
Becoming a more vocal leader is something Samuel has embraced as a redshirt sophomore. He credits learning from other big men such as Vladimir Brodziansky and Kenrich Williams early in his career.
“It’s something I’ve grown into,” Samuel said. “I’m trying to keep the young players motivated and just let them know that the next play is what they have to do.
“Just making sure we’re playing hard on defense and playing with high energy.”
Samuel’s leadership hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“He’s not tolerating anything from anyone that isn’t championship level,” Bane said. “That’s huge for him and huge for us moving forward. You can see that with his play on the court these last few days.”
Free throw struggles
TCU is the worst free throw shooting team in the Big 12, making just 61.1% (118 of 193). Missed free throws were costly in non-conference losses to Clemson and USC.
Heck, despite winning the last two, free throws have remained an issue in league play.
TCU went just 7-of-17 against Iowa State, needing overtime to pull off the dramatic win, and then went 9-of-17 at K-State from the line.
Samuel has struggled the most, shooting just 30% (12 of 40). If you eliminate Samuel from the equation, TCU is shooting a more respectable 69% (which would rank in the sixth in the Big 12).
Dixon acknowledged it’s a concern, but emphasized that Samuel is putting in the work to turn it around.
“We’re working on it. [Wednesday] was a day off, but he was up here shooting,” Dixon said. “All you can do is work hard and care about getting better.”
That goes for the entire team. Every player knows it’s an area that needs improvement.
“Kevin’s been working really hard on them and we’ve been working hard on them across the board,” Bane said. “I know in due time they’re going to start falling at an efficient clip.”
Briefly
▪ The last time TCU started conference play 3-0 was the 1997-98 season when it went 14-0 in the WAC.
▪ TCU leads the Big 12 in 3-pointers made per game (9.9) and 3-point field goal percentage (37.1). OSU, meanwhile, has one of the best 3-point defenses in the country (27.5%).
▪ TCU has won four of the last five games against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys still own the all-time series record 26-8.
