TCU’s men’s basketball coach says he’s to blame for Horned Frogs losing stretch
Jamie Dixon isn’t going to throw his players under the bus.
As the man in charge of the TCU men’s basketball program, it’s understandable why Dixon wants any fault for this losing stretch pointed in his direction. The latest setback came Wednesday night in Austin when TCU was over-matched in a 70-56 loss to a short-handed Texas team.
The Horned Frogs (14-12, 5-8 Big 12) have now lost seven of their last eight, and nine of their last 11 since starting Big 12 play 3-0.
“We have to play better than that,” Dixon said. “We’ve got to be a better team than that. It falls on me. That’s how I look at it. That’s what I told our guys.”
But Dixon wasn’t on the floor when TCU scored just 18 points in the second half. He didn’t contribute to the 0 for 10 from 3-point range showing, or commit any of the 10 turnovers, in the final half.
As TCU senior guard Desmond Bane said, “We were getting a lot of open looks, getting the shots we wanted. I had some open looks that I’ve got to knock down. That’s basketball — you make or miss shots.”
For Dixon, though, he refused to broach the subject of whether the players had to execute better in certain situations. There’s a difference between “blaming” players and holding them “accountable,” although Dixon wasn’t going down that road.
“If you want me to blame the players, that’s not what we’re going to do here,” Dixon said. “I haven’t done that yet. I’m a guy who takes responsibility. That’s where we’re at.”
Dixon went on to lament the defensive deficiencies his team has shown more than the offensive struggles.
Texas freshman center Will Baker, who scored just 16 points total in his first 17 games, had a breakout night with 20 points, including 4 for 6 from 3-point range. Guard Andrew Jones had a career night with 21 points. Kai Jones matched his season’s 3-point total by going nailing both of his attempts.
The Longhorns finished the game shooting 51% from the field, including 60% (9-for-15) from 3-point range. They came into the game shooting just 39% from the field and 32% from 3-point range.
Three-point defense is something Dixon and his staff constantly preach, but TCU ranks last in the Big 12 in 3-point defense (37.2%).
“Defensively we’re not good enough,” Dixon said. “I don’t know if I can make it any more clear. We’re not good enough defensively, but I believe we will get better enough by Saturday. We keep striving. We keep pushing. We keep coaching. We’ll get better. That’s our belief.”
TCU will try to show improvement when it hosts No. 17 West Virginia on Saturday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Schollmaier Arena.
The Mountaineers pummeled the Frogs last month in Morgantown, cruising to an 81-49 victory. That started this brutal stretch for TCU in which its lost eight of its last 11 games by double figures.
“Like I told our guys, I believe we’re going to get better,” Dixon said. “I know we’re 26 games into the year, but I still believe we’ll show the improvements and the steps necessary.”
