TCU Horned Frogs vs. West Virginia: Basketball lineups, TV, time, score prediction
There isn’t an “easy” victory in the Big 12 this season.
The TCU men’s basketball team is finding that out of late, losing four of the last five games. Saturday’s loss to shorthanded Baylor was the third straight loss by TCU.
But the Horned Frogs remain in the NCAA Tournament mix and still control their postseason destiny. A 3-3 finish in the regular-season may be enough to seal a bid for the Frogs. The easiest victory down the stretch? A home game against West Virginia tonight. This is the rescheduled date from the original Jan. 3 game that was postponed due to COVID-19 issues within TCU’s program.
The Mountaineers have lost 10 of their last 11 games. The Frogs can’t let another one slip away if they want to keep their ticket to the Big Dance.
With that being said, here’s everything else you need to know going into the game:
The Details
When/where: 7 p.m. Monday, Schollmaier Arena, Fort Worth
TV/radio: Big 12 Now on ESPN+ (Ted Emrich, Bryndon Manzer); KLIF (570 AM) with Brian Estridge and John Denton
Records: TCU 16-8, 5-7 Big 12; West Virginia 14-12, 3-10 Big 12
About TCU: TCU is in the middle game of a three-game stretch in five days. ... Frogs guard Mike Miles is the only player in the Big 12 that ranks in the top six in scoring (14.7 points) and assists (4.1 assists). ... TCU freshman center Eddie Lampkin sustained a right knee injury during Saturday’s loss to Baylor, but he posted on social media that he is “good.” ... TCU ranks 25th in the country in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rating. ... TCU has won two of its last three meetings with West Virginia in Fort Worth.
About West Virginia: The Mountaineers are in a stretch with four out of five and five of seven games on the road. ... Senior guard Taz Sherman needs 17 more points to become West Virginia’s 55th 1,000-point scorer. ... WVU coach Bob Huggins is a finalist for the 2022 class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Huggins and TCU coach Jamie Dixon are two of 44 coaches in the country coaching at their alma mater. ... WVU has seven seniors, including five who are in their fifth year of eligibility due to COVID-19. ... West Virginia is 16-3 all-time in the series with TCU, including a regular-season sweep last season.
Projected lineups
TCU: Mike Miles, Damion Baugh, Chuck O’Bannon Jr., Emanuel Miller, Eddie Lampkin Jr.
West Virigina: Jalen Bridges, Isaiah Cottrell, Sean McNeil, Taz Sherman, Kedrian Johnson
Prediction
Despite its three-game losing streak, TCU remains an NCAA Tournament team, at least according to ESPN’s latest bracketology. But the Horned Frogs have to get back on a winning track to stay there. This is the easiest “win” left on the schedule and it’s not that easy considering West Virginia has a Hall of Fame-caliber coach. But the Frogs find a way. TCU 66, West Virginia 65.
