TCU Horned Frogs at Texas Tech: Basketball lineups, TV, time, score prediction
A couple of facts: TCU basketball has never won at Texas Tech under Jamie Dixon or defeated a top-10 team on the road; Tech has not lost at home or consecutive games this season.
The Horned Frogs would like to turn those facts into falsehoods on Saturday afternoon.
TCU is feeling good about itself after knocking off Oklahoma State on Tuesday night. The Frogs were without leading scorer Mike Miles (wrist) for a second consecutive game, but played a better all-around game than when Miles missed the previous game against Kansas State.
Tech, meanwhile, didn’t look like the No. 9-ranked team in a 70-55 loss at Oklahoma on Wednesday night. The Red Raiders shot less than 40% from the field, including a troubling 2 of 17 from deep.
With that being said, this matchup has the early signs of being a rock fight. Even though TCU had one of its better offensive games against Oklahoma State, that’s not its forte.
As Dixon said afterward, “We’re not a great shooting team. We know that. … We’re going to win with defense.”
Defense is the name of Tech’s game, too. The Red Raiders have the country’s third-best defense, according to KenPom.com’s adjusted defensive efficiency numbers. TCU is ranked No. 28 in the country.
Here’s everything else you need to know going into the game:
The Details
When/where: 3 p.m. Saturday at United Supermarkets Arena, Lubbock
TV/radio: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (Mark Neely, Lance Blanks); KLIF (570 AM) with Brian Estridge and John Denton
Records: TCU 16-5, 5-4 Big 12; Texas Tech 18-6, 7-4 Big 12
About TCU: TCU hasn’t won 16 games in its first 21 games since the 1997-98 season. The Frogs are also 5-4 in Big 12 play, their best record through the first nine games of conference play since the 2003-04 season in Conference USA. ... Frogs leading scorer Mike Miles (wrist) hopes to return after missing the past two games. Miles is averaging 15.4 points per game this season. ... TCU has two players ranked among the Big 12’s top 10 in rebounding with Emanuel Miller (6.6 rebounds per game) and Eddie Lampkin (5.9 rebounds per game). ... The Frogs are the league’s worst 3-point shooting team (29.7%) and second-worst at defending the deep ball (31.5%). But they are the best rebounding team in the league with a +10.14 rebounding margin. ... TCU has never defeated a top-10 team on the road in program history.
About Texas Tech: The Red Raiders are 14-0 at home this season. They haven’t lost to TCU at home since the 2014-15 season. ... Senior forward Bryson Williams is leading the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game. ... The Red Raiders are second in scoring defense in the Big 12, limiting teams to an average of 60.5 points per game. ... Tech started the season unranked but is now in the top 10. The Red Raiders have cracked the top 10 in four of the last five seasons.
Projected lineups
TCU: Mike Miles, Damion Baugh, Chuck O’Bannon Jr., Emanuel Miller, Eddie Lampkin Jr.
Texas Tech: Bryson Williams, Kevin Obanor, Davion Warren, Adonis Arms, Kevin McCullar
Prediction
History says that Texas Tech is going to take care of business at home. It’s hard to see the Red Raiders dropping consecutive games to unranked teams. They’ll get back on track against a TCU team that may or may not have Miles. Texas Tech 68, TCU 59.
