Late 3-pointer lifts TCU over John Calipari, Arkansas in exhibition game
The Horned Frogs overcame a double-digit deficit and Brendan Wenzel hit a last-second 3-pointer to knock off John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks 66-65 in an exhibition showcase at Dickies Arena on Friday night.
“I’m really proud of our guys, we had a great 10 days of practice and how we responded in the end really showed out,” head coach Jamie Dixon said.
The Horned Frogs fell behind by 13 points late in the third quarter, but battled back with a 8-0 run at the end of the quarter. With 3:16 remaining in the game, TCU trailed 65-63.
“Our execution down the stretch, it was about as good as it can be offensively,” Dixon said. “We just went on a run and we just found it and stuck with it. I told the guys afterward [they] earned it with the 10 days of practice after our first scrimmage.”
After a number of highlight defensive plays from both teams, TCU had an opportunity to tie or take the lead with 1:39 remaining. But the Horned Frogs committed a turnover as Ernest Udeh’s pass bounced out of bounds off Frankie Collins.
After getting two clutch defensive stops, Trazarien White found an open Wenzel in the corner for the go-ahead 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining. Arkansas’ last-second heave fell short of the rim as TCU completed its dramatic comeback. The Horned Frogs held Arkansas without a point for the final 3:28 of the game as the defense locked in with the pressure mounting.
The game doesn’t count in the record books, but it was an important step for a TCU team that struggled in its first scrimmage behind closed doors against Texas in October. Wenzel thinks the Horned Frogs sent a message to the rest of the country.
“We weren’t supposed to win it, but I think we shocked a lot of people tonight and have a chance to be really good,” Wenzel said.
TCU’s bigs battle
The center spot will be one of the biggest storylines for TCU this season with the youth of the position. Against an experienced Arkansas frontcourt, the Horned Frogs’ big men more than held their own. Returning starter Udeh was the key big on the floor most of the night as he scored eight first-half points. Udeh had just five games last season with eight or more points.
Defensively, he kept the skilled Zvonimir Ivisic in check. Ivisic, a Kentucky transfer who followed Calipari, had just three points and missed four of his first five attempts. When Udeh wasn’t on the floor, freshman forward David Punch filled in with quality minutes and had good moments against more experienced players. But his inexperience also showed at times in the second half as Arkansas began to take control of the game.
Freshman center Malick Diallo played sparingly in the third quarter to give Udeh a breather. But down the stretch the staff relied upon Udeh and Punch, with Udeh making a key defensive play in the fourth quarter when his block led to a bucket that cut Arkansas’ lead to 60-58.
Udeh finished with a team-high 13 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
“This year I definitely have to make a mark and my team needs me for sure,” Udeh said. “In all aspects of my game I have to make sure I’m taking advantage of practice and getting better.”
The impact of Collins
The Horned Frogs struggled in their previous exhibition against Texas when Arizona State transfer Frankie Collins left early with an injury. Collins had another brief injury scare against Arkansas as he took a blow to the head early in the first quarter while attempting a steal. TCU would fall behind 7-2 while Collins took a breather on the bench, but when he returned to the game he showed why he’ll be so valuable this season.
TCU immediately settled down and started running a much more coherent offense in the half court to take a 20-19 lead after the first quarter. Collins established good chemistry with Udeh as the two connected for four alley-oops and he also played tremendous on-ball defense when matched up with five-star freshman Boogie Fland. Collins’ shot wasn’t falling, but he hit a key basket during TCU’s 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter to help the Horned Frogs get back into the game.
In the fourth quarter, Collins had another key moment when he found an open Vesean Allette in the corner for a 3-pointer that cut Arkansas’ lead to 56-54. Collins finished with 10 points and six assists.
“I thought he was tremendous in the second half with the passing that he did,” Dixon said. “He’s different than what we’ve had. He’s a pass-first guy and he takes great pride in his defense. I think we can be different and good with him as our guard.”
One-man army
Arkansas had the best player on the floor as Adou Thiero had dominant stretches throughout the first half. The high-flying forward started hot in the first quarter as he scored 11 points and made five of his six attempts. Thiero, who followed Calipari from Kentucky, showed off his ability as a three-level scorer as he knocked down a three in the first half, got inside the lane at will and also had a few highlight dunks.
One came in the second quarter when Thiero shook off a foul from Udeh to throw down a dunk that made it 27-25 after he converted the three-point play. After being mostly quiet in the third quarter, Thiero converted another highlight three-point play as he made a smooth up-and-under layup while being fouled. That play gave Arkansas one of its biggest leads of the game.
Thiero added to his highlight reel in the fourth quarter when he blocked a potential game-tying layup from Noah Reynolds with 2:29 remaining. Thiero finished with a game-high 20 points.
Quick thoughts
The Horned Frogs played 12 players against the Razorbacks as almost every player on the roster got some type of action. Most outside of Collins and Udeh had their ups and downs, but the Horned Frogs showed off good depth, especially at the wing spot. Wenzel got the start for TCU at the small forward position and despite struggling early, he made key plays down the stretch with a steal and the go-ahead 3-pointer.
He finished with just six points on 2-of-7 shooting, but his confidence never wavered. Freshman forward Micah Robinson, one of the most decorated recruits in program history, chipped in eight points in 11 minutes, including a key 3-pointer that brought TCU within 43-36 midway through the third quarter.
UNC-Wilmington transfer White started as well, but went just 2 of 9 from the field. White found other ways to contribute with five rebounds and three assists, including the pass to Wenzel. Redshirt freshmen forwards Jace Posey and Isaiah Manning played 10 minutes each with Posey scoring four points while 1 of 4 from the field. Manning attempted only one shot from the field.
TCU’s forward rotation remains in flux as Dixon says the Horned Frogs are still waiting for a player or two to seize the open roles. In the backcourt Noah Reynolds started with Collins, but went just 2 of 11 from the field, including a few near-misses on open looks. Despite the final line, Reynolds showed potential as a scorer and had success creating good looks; it’ll just be about making them going forward.
Transfer guard Vesean Allette came off the bench to score 10 points, including five in the final quarter, which cut Arkansas’ lead to 56-54. Allette projects to be a sixth-man scorer for TCU and showed that he can get hot quickly.
The Horned Frogs open the season at 7 p.m. Monday vs. Florida A&M.
This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 9:15 PM.
