TCU basketball ‘can’t get pushed around again’ in rematch with K-State, Dixon says
If TCU basketball has any hope of making the NIT and finishing with a winning record, it has to knock off Kansas State in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Kansas City.
Easier said than done after the Wildcats upset the Frogs (12-13, 5-11 Big 12) in Fort Worth last month. K-State (8-19, 4-14 Big 12) won the rebounding battle and dominated in the paint for a 62-54 victory.
“They’re playing good basketball, healthy and improved,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said on Monday. “We know it’s going to be a physical game. They beat us up physically in the last game. We can’t get pushed around again. We’ve got to be prepared for the physicality.”
In that game, the Wildcats held the rebounding edge 38-32 and outscored the Frogs 30-16 in the paint. During the first meeting in Manhattan on Jan. 2, TCU had the edge in those two categories and won 67-60.
These two teams are trending in opposite directions. TCU has lost six of its last seven, while K-State has won three of its last four (a stretch that started with the victory at TCU on Feb. 20).
Regardless, Dixon remains optimistic about his team’s chances going into the conference tournament.
“We believe that we can win it,” Dixon said. “Every team is going in there with that attitude. Every coach feels their best basketball is going to be this time of year.”
For TCU, even though it’s becoming more remote, the NIT is still a possibility. With the Big 12 likely sending its top seven teams to the NCAA Tournament, TCU would seemingly be next in line if the NIT wanted a Big 12 representative in its tournament.
Nembhard, Miles honored
TCU guard RJ Nembhard earned third-team All-Big 12 honors, while fellow guard Mike Miles was named to the league’s All-Freshman Team on Monday. Miles also received All-Big 12 honorable mention.
The league’s coaches voted for the awards.
Nembhard, a Keller product, is leading TCU and ranks fifth in the Big 12 with 15.9 points per game. He is also averaging 4.0 assists per game, which is seventh in the league.
Miles, meanwhile, is second in scoring for the Frogs with 13.8 points per game. That’s the second-best points per game average of any freshman in the league. Miles, who played at Lancaster, is the first TCU player to earn All-Freshman honors.
“Those guys have had great years and they’ve really done some special things,” Dixon said. “Certainly proud of what they’ve done and watched them get better and excited about their future. This is the best league in the country and to get those awards is remarkable. We’re going to keep building and keep developing.”
Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham was named the Big 12’s player of the year as well as freshman of the year. Baylor’s Davion Mitchell earned defensive player of the year honors, while Scott Drew was named the league’s coach of the year. Other awards went to Texas Tech’s Mac McClung (newcomer), Texas’ Kai Jones (sixth man) and Kansas’ David McCormack (most improved).
