Midseason report: No. 14 TCU looks like a contender, but what’s next?
Despite a sluggish start, No. 14 TCU has matched the preseason hype at the midway point of the college basketball season.
After Saturday’s blowout of No. 13 Kansas State, the Horned Frogs (14-3, 3-2) moved up three spots to 14 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. That was where TCU started in the preseason and the Horned Frogs are currently projected to be a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament according to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi.
TCU has erased the embarrassment of the upset defeat to Northwestern State in November with three wins over teams that were ranked in the Top 25 (Baylor, Providence, Kansas State) plus another quality win over Iowa in the Emerald Coast Classic.
Things are going as planned for Jamie Dixon right now, but just how high is TCU’s ceiling? The program was a few plays, or a bad call, from advancing to the Sweet 16 last year and this team is better and college basketball is more wide open.
Let’s take a look at the road ahead with a few thoughts on why TCU could close the season strong.
A perilous road journey
TCU faced the No. 10 and No. 11 teams in the country last week and now this week the Horned Frogs have a tough two-game road trip. First up is West Virginia at 6 p.m. Wednesday, the team tied for last place with Texas Tech in the Big 12. Should be an easy game for TCU right?
Not exactly. First of all, the Horned Frogs have never won in Morgantown, going 0-10. West Virginia (10-7, 0-5) has protected its home turf well this season with a 7-2 record at WVU Coliseum. The only teams to defeat West Virginia on the road are No. 2 Kansas and No. 3 Purdue. That should tell you what type of effort will be required to come out with a victory.
West Virginia is balanced with four double-digit scorers led by center Tre Mitchell (13.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and guard Erik Stevenson (13.5 ppg, 2.9 apg). The four leading scorers are all seniors. West Virginia has a top-50 scoring offense and is among the best at the country at getting to the free throw line. Defensively, the Mountaineers aren’t as stout as previous Bob Huggins teams and rebounding is a weakness.
If TCU can crash the glass and keep West Virginia off the free throw line, there’s a good chance for victory. After Wednesday’s battle, the Horned Frogs will travel to No. 2 Kansas and look for the program’s first win at Allen Fieldhouse.
That’s a tough stretch, but that’s life in the Big 12.
Mike Miles Jr. All-American campaign
Speaking of living up to the hype, Miles was voted the Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year and has looked like the best player in the conference when he’s on the floor. Miles is averaging a career-high in points (19.0) and field goal percentage (52%) while showing growth as a defender and a leader.
He had his first career double-double in the win over Kansas State and almost the game-winning assist to Chuck O’Bannon in the win at Baylor. Listed at 6-foot-2, Miles is a tad bit undersized, but has all the qualities you want in a lead guard at the next level. He looks like a NBA guard right now and has flourished with Damion Baugh returning to the lineup at the end of November.
This week’s road trip could be jumping point to his run at being an All-American. A win over West Virginia would be big, but a performance on a national stage at Kansas will be even bigger. Jalen Wilson currently leads the Big 12 in scoring at 19.8 points per game, so not only will it be a Top 15 showdown, it’ll be a battle of the two leading POY contenders. If Miles can lead TCU to a win over Wilson and Kansas, then we may need to start talking about more than just making an All-American team.
Steady Miller
Emanuel Miller was one of many Horned Frogs to deal with nagging injuries at the start of the year, but since he’s been healthy Miller has been a steadying presence for TCU on and off the court. On it, Miller isn’t flashy, but does everything well.
He’s hitting almost 60% of his shots on a high volume. He’s averaging almost 15 points per game and hitting a career-high 48% from 3-point range. He’s second on TCU in rebounding with 6.2 rebounds as well. Off the court, Miller has established himself as another leader in the locker room. After defeats Miller has always been available to the media and doesn’t shy away from when TCU doesn’t play up to par like when it blew the 18-point lead to Texas last week.
Miller said the program was being challenged and he responded by trying to will the Horned Frogs to a bounce back win over Kansas State Saturday. His 23 points were a season-high and he’s scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games. Miller looks like an all-conference caliber forward and forms one of the most dynamic duos in the country with Miles so far.
Add in what Baugh has brought the mix and TCU has its own big three that can impact the game in different ways. Just as you need players like Miles to lead the offense in March, you need players like Miller, who has little to no ego but plenty of game, to be successful.
