Steven Johnson: TCU basketball faces early challenge after ugly loss to Northwestern St.
The season is far from over, but it’s impossible to not view TCU’s start to the basketball season as disastrous.
The Horned Frogs avoided an upset to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, were uninspiring against Lamar and fell to Northwestern State.
None of those teams were picked to finish in the top half of their respective conferences and even if they were it wouldn’t have made the performances any better.
“There’s no hiding from it, we’re not playing as good as I thought we were,” TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. “We’ve got to regroup, look each other in the eye and take responsibility and that’s what I’m trying to do. I have to do a better job and I made that very clear in the locker room.”
It is important to note that TCU (2-1) has been without its second-leading scorer and its other primary ball handler in Damion Baugh, who is serving a six-game suspension for signing with an agent that was certified with the NBA, but not the NCAA in the off-season.
We can discuss if the punishment is a bit harsh considering Baugh was signed for a matter of days, but that’s for another conversation. Mike Miles Jr. also missed the upset loss to Northwestern State.
Their absences matter, but shouldn’t the Horned Frogs have enough depth to make up for their absences against this caliber of opponent?
Remember, TCU returned its top six leading scorers from a NCAA Tournament team and is near the top in the nation in terms of returning production. The hype that led to TCU landing its highest preseason ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 poll was rational and well-earned.
But so far TCU doesn’t look like the same team that pushed Arizona to the brink in the NCAA Tournament or the one that beat Kansas.
That momentum carried over into the preseason as the Horned Frogs handled Alabama in a closed scrimmage and looked like well-oiled machine in its exhibition win over Paul Quinn.
“We had a really good summer, but we’re kind of starting over again and that’s not a good place to be in November,” Dixon said. “But we’ve got to find a way.”
What’s been the issue so far outside of Baugh’s absence? The 3-point shooting has gotten worse after the Horned Frogs were 332nd in the country a year ago. TCU hit just 10% of its 3-point attempts (2-of-21) while the Demons hit 8 of 22.
The 3-pointer is the greatest equalizer in the game and if you’re able to secure a plus-18 advantage behind the arc, you’ll have a chance against anybody. Including a team that was expected to contend in the Big 12.
“We’re going to work harder at it, we’re going to put more time into it,” Dixon said.
Dixon also pointed out that the offense needs to do a better job of setting up better looks from outside if TCU wants to improve. We’ll see if hard work is enough to improve that.
More discouraging than the shooting numbers is how TCU hasn’t dominated on the boards like it did last season. The Horned Frogs were a top-five rebounding team and held opponents to just over 30 rebounds a game. The near plus-nine differential from a year ago has shrunk to around 5.5.
It may not sound like much of a difference, but for a team that prides itself on controlling the glass that’s a big decrease.
“It’s just toughness,” Emanuel Miller said. “We’re not being as tough and competitive as were. It starts with practice. Right now our level of execution on defense, rebounding, I don’t think we’re completely there at the moment.”
At the root of the sluggish start is that the Horned Frogs’ toughness is being challenged. Opposing teams are seeing the lofty preseason ranking and want to be the ones to take it away from TCU.
It makes them take their game to another level and TCU hasn’t been able to match it yet.
“I think our program is being challenged right now,” Miller said. “This challenge can either project us to go in the right way or a bad way. I still think to the bottom of my heart this team cares.”
Some of the team’s issues will be solved when Miles and Baugh return to the lineup. Miles has a bone bruise and is day-to-day according to Dixon. Baugh will be back on Nov. 30 against Providence.
But how much confidence should we have in the roster to hold the line in the next few games without them? The Horned Frogs have Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday and then its first Power Five opponents of the year with California and the winner of Clemson-Iowa in the Emerald Coast Classic.
The Horned Frogs already have a bad loss on their resume and won’t have room to pick up many more before getting into Big 12 play. The only bright spot to find is the fact that this stretch occurred in November and not February.
“Each player in the locker room is ... mad, but we’re excited,” Miller said. “It’s a challenge we have to overcome. I’m excited that it’s happening at this moment in time because we’re going to show the world exactly what TCU is.
“Right now we’re getting hit, backs against the wall and this is the time to show what TCU is about.”
Much earlier than expected, TCU finds itself at a crucial crossroads in what was supposed to be a historic season.
There’s time to change the outlook on the season, but right now, the Horned Frogs have a long way to go to reach the expectations they had for themselves.
This story was originally published November 15, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
